Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1908-10-28
Congressman Madison's Speech

Judge F.C.Prce. candidates for congress
man Of the 9TH district and State senator Of
the 37th district, spoke in this city on
Saturday night and at Sharon on Satur-
day afternoon. Judge Price spoke very
briefly and did not go into the issues but
Madison made an attempt to cover the
held from republican point Of view.
Congressman Madison's two years in
congress have warped his judgment and
made him narrow partisan. Before en-
terlng congress, he made a very fair
speech. did not abuse or misrepresent the
opposition and seemed to be in sympa-
thy with ordinary people but two years
among the notables at the seat Of govern
ment have made him more selfish. less
magnetic and responsive to his constituent
cy and withal unfair in a political ad-
dress.
To point out all of the congressman $
Misrepresentation and unfair criticisms Of
the Democratic party would be to devote
this papers entire available pace,but we
deem it right to briefly touch on few Of
them. His first criticism was to say the
Democrats are not competent to admin
lister governmental affairs for the reason
that they have never been united. What
about the republican party in this respect?
Has Judge Madison forgotten the recent
fuss in Kansas in which Stubs and Bris-
low accused Leland and Long Of mis-
representing the people. the one faction
accusing the other faction Of not being re-
publicans2 Has he forgotten the con-
duct Of Foraker and Aldrich in the us.
senate, opposing all the measures recon-
mended by President Roosevelt in his
numerous messagesa Roosevelt has been
president seven years but not one of his
measures has been passed by
his congress without 6ra amending it so
that it was made Intellectual. The Dem
ocrats were divided fifteen years ago, it
is true. but are united now. Judge Madi-
son was not fair enough. however. to
dwell on the Democratic party of today.
His attempt to show that the repub-
lican party is in sympathy with the peo-
pie on the tariff, the trust. and the bank
questions was labored effort. He made
great promises Of what the party expects
to do in the future but could cite nothing
that it did do during all these years. The
Sherman antitrust law was cited, but no
attempt was made to show where. any
trust operator was ever imprisoned for
violating the law. 1t is true that fines
have been imposed in rare instances but
in each case the consumers of trust
owned goods paid the fines in the last
analysis, for in every case Of fine the
price Of goods advanced.
Judge Madison is in favor of a vol
untary" bank guaranty in the state but
opposed to it nationally in any form. His
reasoning on this point was so poor that
even republicans are dissatisfied with it.
He spoke Of our Unparalleled prosperi-
ty, yet in trying to prove that guarantee
ofbank deposits is wrong, spoke Of many
banks that had failed in the east recently
and maintained that Kansas banks, with
a guarantee law, would have to pay
these losses (which is false). This. Of
course. disproved his prosperity claim,
but Mr.. Madison evidently thinks the
people Of this town are easy"
He knew Of no president that was
worthy to grace the Office except a re-
publican and one would be lead to sus-
ped that if there had been no republican
party the country would long since have
been shot to ruin" For the life
Of US. we can not figure out how the ma
ton got along before there was a repub-
hcan party.
Congressman Madison. speech was a
disappointment to even his partisan
friends. A man who is the least m
formed could easily see his evasons, hi.
bias and his extraordinary effort to con-
ceal the virtue that exists in the Demo
cratic party.