The National tribune., 1906-04-12
ANOTHER KANsAN TO TIE FRONT.
Chester y. Long. Who Won His Spurs In
the senate Debate.

"NSA iitN ktas iii tiie pubi4C
eye and probably TO grow more promi-
nent is a comparatively young man
from "out there in Kansas" The State
that presents more paradoxes in a min
ute than most men see I'm a lifetime:
the child of revolution, the offspring OF
war, born, like man, in travail. Graded
In struggle, schooled in calamity. tTi-
umphant in prosperity. always and for
ever kansas" and always and forever
in the public eye. Its greatest states
man, Ingalls,. said of il: He is unfor-
tunate who has never felt the fascina-
ton of the frontier; the temptation of
unknown and mysterious solitudes: the
exultaton of helping TO build a State.
OF forming its institutions, and giving
direction to its cause"
This young Kansas man-at least. he
seems young. though he was born just
Il few months before Sumter was fired
upon-is native TO Pennsylvania. grew
up in Missouri, and helped Kansas
smooth out the wrinkles of grim-vis-
aged war before he had reached his
majority. Thus three great States have
helped to mold his character and edu-
cate him for prominence in public life.
and fit him to become the Senator
from Kansas. Mr.. Long"
Kansas is the navel of the Nation"
another brilliant Kansas Senator once
said, and he who said il had done much
10 make the world believe that this
was true. But Ingalls, went over the
border into the silent land where
Plumb, that other stalwart from Kan
sas. had preceded him, and for n time.
a feW brief delirious years. Kansas was
only fyspeck on the map. A cyclone
OF whirling atoms. dlssonant and inco-
herent particles which refused to coal
esce into one homogeneous whole. and
Kansas had 10 years of horrid political
nightmare. The clouds which hung
above the political horizon of the State
during those 10 years had a few riffs.
however, as one after another of her
strong, true sons came to the front and
barred their breasts to the sneers and
the SCOTS of the sunrise side OF the Re-
public, and among them came a young
brave from Medicine Lodge. There had
preceded him from the same Congress
sional District. the big Seventh, then
the largest Congressional District in the
United States, a man of the new and
disorganizing school of financial eth
les, ree-SilverDemocratic POpulist,
known as "Sockless Simpson" Others
of his ii. were also sent by Kansas votes
10 hold down chairs in the National
House of Representatives. Once these
two Medicine Lodge men were pitted
against each other for election to Con-
gress. one, two. three, four times. The
Democrat, wearing Populistic
masque, won out in the first and second
contests, lost in the third. and won in
the fourth, and that ended it. Chester
Irving Long came to the 54th Congress
from the Big Seventh. defeating Jerry
Simpson, was defeated by him for the
55th Congress, and was elected to the
next three Congresses. Before hfs fifth
term In the lower House expired he was
elected to the United States Senate to
succeed the only Confederate Kansas
ever sent to Congress. and who had
been tossed in on the cyclone wave of
sO-called reform"
Senator Long is neither an ingalls,
nor a Plum b, and IL is by their stand
ard that Kansans will measure her
statesmen for many long year. for
they were pioneer types. true sons of
her soil. doggedly determined, daringly
aggressive. impatient of all shams, men.
Yet It is no disparagement Of Senator
Long to say he is not like them, for
men are reared for their times and
grow for the emergencies which make
them great. The era which demanded
men of the Plumb-Ingalls stamp in
Kansas has passed away. A new one
has come, and that era demanded
Chester i. Long. After the madness Of
the 10 years of free-silver strife, the
16 to l craze. the frenZied political war
OF wild new doctrines which nearly
pulled down the pillars of the great
State. a sedative was necessary. The
people needed a reSt-cure. They want
ed safe guide. sure friend, con-
servative counselor, and that was what
they got when they sent Chester I. Long
to Congress the first time back in 1895.
Senator Longs bump of caution is
abnormally developed. and 1t is also
pretty well balanced by his ambition.
Senator Long Is a lawyer. and pretty
good one now. but he has had his strug-
giles just like most young men of pio-
neer stripe, and when he set up his lit
tie Office In the frontier town of Medi-
cine Lodge. close to where the council
fires of the aborigines once glowed. he
also set his ambition to soaring. Above
his Office desk he hung a picture of Ma
poleon. Presumably 1t hangs there yet.
The little Corporal fought many a fierce
battle before the Imperial fieur de lis
and golden bees rested upon his ermine-
banded robes. but out of defeat came
victory. 1t is said that Chester I. Long
made up his mind that. like Napoleon,
he. too. would win. And he has. In
the United States Senate to-day there
is nothing to compare with the meteoric
career OF this quiet. unlm paSSiOned,
conservative man. Fifteen years ago
he was a poor lawyer out on the from
tier Time after time he tried for the
nomination to Congress and was de-
feated for that. Finally he got the
nomination from his party to meet de-
feat at the polls. Determined as ever
he secured the nomination again and
again met defeat. The third time ne
won. the fourth time he lost. and then
the golden apple came within reach of
his fingers-and it is there yet. 1t is
more than whispered of Senator Long.
dent and others high in political posi-
ton. that his future is not to be con-
fined to Kansas honors, and that his
ders of the Old Flags possessions; that
there will be no lonely Helena for him;
that, in fact he will go his ideal one
better and end up in the White House.
Senator Long is a very perSonable
man, tall. well built, dark in style, with
rather sleepy black eyes. He speaks
with pronounced clearness and true
Western accent: that is. each word gets
its full sylabiZation and then some. He
has not learned the trick of "ahing
his "r'S." and when he talks you know
what he means to say. His English is
perfect, yet Senator Long is q Self-made
man, although he has an academic"
education. The academic and univer-
sity education does mighty little for a
man if he does not put 1t to use in the
great school of the world. Senator Long
is not one to ever feel that his educa-
ton is completed. He speaks musi-
cally. entertainingly. convincingly. but