Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-15
READ HIS OBITUARIES
JERRY SIMPSON VERY ILL, BUT
AS WITTY AS EVER.
His Last Visit to Chanute, Kan, Re-
called by a Correspondent-Inci-
dents Of His Public Life.

A political ana personal friend of Jerry
Simpson, has received this message from
the ex-representative. Ill In New Mexico:
What a pleasure it is to read your own
obituaries. provided the papers speak well
Of you"
Perhaps the last town In the state vs.
tied by Jerry Simpson before his Illness
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 ema-
ciated he was that day. he talked to the
correspondent OF the decline and fall OF the
populist party in Kansas and the nation
Still the keen blade of his intellect was
not dulled nor did the Universities of the
last few years show on his sun-browned
face.
Now. in a kind of ante-mortem spirit,
they are telling stories Of Jerry In the days
when he was ''all there is to t." They are
telling of a brilliant career ruined by a
Jest. of man who had the friendship of
Tom" Reed to an extent enjoyed by few
men OF Reeds own party.
Reed Became His Friend.
''WilI you tell me-" said Reed In his
drawl to Simpson one day. why you are a
populist?
For the same reason" said Simpson
that you are republican. A majority of
the people of our respective districts are Of
our way of thinking.
From that time forward Reed was the
stanch friend of Simpson. There is an
other story of Simpson which is going the
rounds 1t demonstrates further how he
stood with Reed. And also where his heart
was upon occasion.
Simpson wanted a private pension bill
passed. Heretofore he had been opposing
pension legisla ton. This particular bill
did not have favorable report, but he
went to the Speaker. Mr.. Reed, about it
and told him the bill affected the fortunes
Of poor old widow down in Kansas
Why" said Reed. do you want this bill
passed when you have been opposing PEN
sion legislation during this session, es-
pecially such a bill this, which comes in
without 4 favorable report?''
There are thirty reasons why I support
this BILL replied Jerry. The first one Is
that the women needs the money. 1 have
forgotten the other twenty-nne''
Jerry got recognition and the bill passed.
His Populist Views.
1t was on this last visit to Chanute that
Mr.. Simpson talked of the populist party
in a reminiscential mood. Talk about the
populist party being dead" he said, and
smiled. when we have converted Roose-
welt and Taft! If Roosevelt had made
the speeches he is making now four years
ago he could not have been elected con-
stable In the most ignorant precinct on
Long Island They are all coming our
way. They do not call themselves popu-
lists, but rose by any other name smells
as sweet And I'll bet all the money In
New Mexico that IL there had been a
populist supreme court in Kansas, like
there ought to be, the will of the people
expressed in the state refinery law would
have stuck. Talking about New Mexico
did you know that l came within one vote
of being nominated as delegate to Con-
Prom thn f,tt,3 tot oil y how
pened and the fellow who voted against
me had Mexican blood in his veins. He
apologized afterward and said If he had
seen me before he cast his vote that I
would be in Washington now instead Of
organizing excursions for a land syndf-
cate That shows that when a mans luck
gets started the wrong way nothing will
stop 1t.
Some Kansas Philosophy.
Now. II that man with Mexicon blood
had voted for me I would have had an
opportunity to offlciate at the second COM
Ing of the popuiist party, because it is
coming. You can't any more stop the
progress OF populist principles than you
can stop the periodical visits Of the grass
hoppers or the locusts. They have called
the populist party the hard times party
and that is just what 1t is. People do not
need relief from good times. It is when
you have to look Wall street in the face
and haven't got the money to pay that
you need legislation. No man ever asks
for an Endorsement on his note until he
hasn't got the money to run his business
that Is what the populist party Is. 1t is
an Endorsement upon the note of all the
people Of the United States. Now, don't
laugh. Walt a few years. perhaps not so
long. and then watch us come to the
front"
And during the same talk, half humor
Gus, half regretful, half argumentatve
he said The country is not going to al
ways remain as 1t is going now. 1t is
rapidly getting to be a case of the very
rich and the very poor. The farmer going
to town to stop at medium class hotel
cannot find II any longer. He either has
to go to the marble palaces or the cheap
lodging houses.
Capitalists or Poems.
I'VE are all going to be capitalists or
poems, and as l have never experienced the
joys of being the first expect l shall land
in the latter class.
THE old party which gave Kansas such
a reputation she has not enjoyed since
the days of John Brown has gone to
pieces he said later on. LOOK at Mary
Ellen Lease and then wipe your eyes.
Think of her being robbed of $500 in
New York hotel, That Is all convincing
evidence she Is no longer populist be-
cause in the old days no respectable pop
ulist would be caught with that amount
of money anywheres close to his resi-
dence Harris Is president Of some cat
tlemen's association, Little Is prosperous
and back to his old associates Hugh
Farrelly and myself are the only two left
Even Farrelly Is not faithful because when
I went to New Mexico 1 left my principles