The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-06-18
M'NEAL COMES BACK.
His Amusing Reply to Anthony Charge
He Is Office Seeker.

To the Editor of the State Journal.
1 have read Mr. Anthony's comment
on my platform. If there was any
lingering doubt in my mind as to
whether it is the proper thing to con-
test Mr.. Anthony for his seat in con-
gress his editorial would destroy the
doubt.
His insinuation that I am a constant
rofhce-seeker is not important as it is
lone of the privileges of this free coun-
try that any citizen may seek Office If
he wants to, but I must say that this
insinuation comes with poor grace from
the congressman from the First district.
Practically every day of his sweet
young life since attaining to majority
has been occupied either in holding Of
flee or seeking office and mourning
when he. found it not. am prepared
to show that for every dollar that I
have drawn from the public treasury
he has drawn at least five. Part of the
time he has been comfortably INSTALL
ed in government Jobs and part of the
time he has been the chief executive of
Leavenworth in open and contemptuous
rebellion against the constitution and
the laws he had sworn to maintain.
What Is more, if he can have his way
about it, he will remain in Office during
the remainder of his natural life His
last expiring grunt will be heard issu-
ing from the public trough and an
autopsy of his mortal remains will show
his intestines filled with public pro-
Vender in more or less advanced stages
OF digestion.
However, that is not important He
has a right to seek for office and SO
leng as he uses legitimate means to
attain his ambition there is no ground
for criticism Of the mere fact that he
is ambitious. If the people elect him
that is their fault, if there is a fault.
1t is important, however. that the peo
pie should know just what Mr.. An
thony stands for and what I stand for
before they vote for either of US. They
ought to vote with the necessary in
formation before them. A congressional
Office isn't worth the price if obtained
under any false pretenses.
1 have stated that I am opposed to
a tariff duty that more than repre-
sents the difference in cost of pro-
duction: in other words, labor cost as
between this country and the foreign
county. / insist that manufacturers
have no right to ask consumers to pay
more than that in the way of tariff
duties. Mr.. Anthony denounceS me for
Is in favor of tariff duties that more
than represent the difference in labor
cost between this and foreign coun-
tries I say that it not legitimate pro-
for the enrichment of the manufac-
turer. If the voters of this district
believe in that they should vote for
Mr.. Anthony who seems from his edi-
tOr1al statement TO nave gone over COM
pletely to the Aldrich-Cannon COM
bine.
Mr.. Anthony is in favor of retain
ing the Philippines no matter what the
cost. He would increase the army and
navy until we are able, as he says,
to command the peace of the world.
Command is a lordly word. When a
nation commands it must have the
force ready to enforce its command.
That means that we must equip and
maintain a greater army and navy than
any other nation now has or can build.
What do the voters of this district
think of that? 1t means that we must
more than double our navy, and multi
ply our standing army by ten. 1t
means that instead of spending 225
millions per annum on military equip
ment, as we are doing now, we must
spend at least a billion dollars per
year. Are the voters of this district
re ady to stand for that? If there is
any one policy on which the people of
this nation have been consistently
united from the beginning of the gov
eminent, it is opposition to a vast.
military establishment in times of
opposed to assuming burdens that
necessitate such military establish
ment.
There is one thing in my platform,
by the way, that I would be pleased to
have Mr.. Anthony notice, which, SO far,
he has ignored.
Is he in favor of the general govern