The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-10-12
STORIES OF JERRY SIMPSON.

Populist Who Was Tom Reeds Friend Pleased to Read His own Obituaries A political and personal friend of Jerry Simpson, says the Washington Star, has received this message from the ex-representative, i'll in New Mex ico: What a pleasure it is to read your own obituaries, provided the pa 1 pers speak well of you"
 Perhaps the last town in the state visited by Jerry Simpson before his ill., ness was Chanute. He met Hugh Farrelly and others who had been with him in the old Populist campaigns on the depot platform, and he went from there to New Mexico. But he is not dead yet. Thin and emaciated he was that day; he talked to the correspond ent of the decline aud fall of the popu- list party ill Kansas and the nation. Still the keen blade of his intellect was not dulled nor did the adversities of the last few years show on his sun-brown- ed face.
 Now in kind of ante-mortem spirit, | they are telling stories of Jerry in the days when he was "all there is to it." 1 They are telling of brilliant career ruined by jest, of man who had the friendship of Tom Reed to an extent enjoyed by few men of Reeds own party. x
 Will you tell me" said Reed in his drawl to Simpson one day, "why you are Ppoulist?"
 For the same reason" said Simpson, ''that you are a Republican. A major ity of the people of our respective dis tricts are of our way of thinking"
 From that time forward Reed was the stanch friend of Simpson. There is another story of Simpson which is going the rounds. It demonstrates further how he stood with Reed, and also where his heart was upon occa- l sion.
 Simpson wanted a private pension bill passed. Therefore he had been op- posing pension legislation. This par ticular bill did not have g. favorable report, but he went to the speaker, MT. Reed, about it and told him the bill affected the fortunes of a poor old widow down in Kansas.
 Why" said Reed, do you want this bill passed when you have been op- posing pension legislation during this session; especially such a bill as this which comes in without a favorable report?''
 There are thirty reasons why SUD- port this bill" replied Jerry. "The first one is that the woman needs the | l twenty-nine."
 Jerry got recognition and the bill passed.
 It was on this last visit to Chanute that MT. Simpson talked of the Popu- 1 list party in a reminiscent mood. Talk about the Populist party being dead" he said, and smiled, when we have converted Roosevelt and Taft! Ii Roosevelt had made the speeches he is now making four years ago he could not have been elected constable in the most ignorant precinct on Long Island They are all coming our way. They dc not call themselves Populists, but a rose by any other name smells as sweet. And I'll bet all the money ir New Mexico that if there had been g Populist Supreme Court in Kansas, as there ought to be, the will of the peo' pie expressed in the state refinery law would have struck.
 "Talking about New Mexico, did yol know that I came within one vote o being nominated as delegate to Con gress from the future state? We'll, il happened, and the fellow who voted against me had Mexican blood in hi
 veins. He apologized afterward ant
 said if he had seen me before he cas
 his vote that would be in Washington I
 Continued on Eighth Page.)