Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1909-11-04
THIa COUNTRY on OURS.

These days Of insurgings and insur-
gents make the hlndward glance I'M
peratlve, and as the memory travels
adown the corridor OF the past we
are struck with that period In our
national history marked with crepe
and known as Anne Dominl 1893 TO
1895. And it is during that period
we find the replica Of the present so
far as insurgency" in Republican
politics is concerned. Then, we were
asked to insurge in favor OF Free
Silver; now we are asked to insurge
against all congressman who voted
for the Payne tariff bill. Then we
were expected to insurge because we
we're hungry; now we all NOT
The rigor OF the past becomes the
poesy of the present. We are asked
to relinquish our busbel of corn and
betake ourselves of discarded husks.
Violent hands are to be laid upon us
at time when we romp in the exu-
berance Of health, we are to be put 70
bed and informed that we are sick;
we are to be doped with medicines
and bathed in liniments, notwith-
standing we all not-all because 1t
seems to be the history OF human
beings every ten or fifteen years,
tn regale in conversational revolt
for cause or without it--apparently
being the nature of the brute-the
lille must come out, the tester must
ripen and come to a head.
And compared with that lamentaole
neriod which ushered in the flaming
voice of Organism with its crucifix-
ions. its crosses and its demagogy---
the present furnishes "reminiscences
of the past which became food LOT
earnest thought, even though the
ludicrous does crop OUT
The insurgency eruptions during
that period were no less marked than
at present, except that demogogy mad
an apparent excuse for It's existence
then which is entirely lacking now
Kansas turmoiled, displacing genius
and statescraft with bewhiskered
flubdubism, anarchy hid behind the
skirts of Altgeld in Illinois, Crankism
was everywhere the fad, II not the
fashion, and Socialism ran at large
and unrestrained. Naturally these
national upheavals created pro-
found impression in Oklahoma, and
being close to Kansas, we drank deel
at the disturbed fount, our breath
becoming agitation and our brain !
"whirling gulf of phantasy ant
flame"
Therefore early in 1895 the Re
nublicans of the then territory Cde
string to set an advanced example
for the nation) met in convention an
solemn conclave at Enid, made "ad
vanced speeches as to correct part
policy, set a pattern for the natlol
to follow by declaring for the IRE
and unlimited coinage OF silver a
the ratio of sixteen to one, endorse
Tom Reed for President, nominate
! Dennis Flynn for delegate In Con
gress and defiantly served notice O
Mark Hanna and Bill Mckinley t
come into camp or go to the bow
vows. Evidently those lamente'
and revered leaders preferred to g
to the bow-wows, for they paid n
more attention to the platform dec
larations of Oklahoma when con
trasted with that they knew to D
the best thing for the nation) thal
they would to the insurgings OF tn
present day insurgents; therefore
few months later when the nationa
convention met at st. Louis, the Col
Standard was endorsed and Mckln
lev was nominated, much to the dill
comfiture Of the free-silver plal
formed Oklahoma Republican lead
ers. However, the mass of the part
righted itself, not into line and
a half-hearted manner at least, pre-
sented a battle-line to the enemy.
Numerous Republicans, however
(most of whom afterward returne
to the party declared themselVe
thereafter Democrats. Several prom
inent Republican leaders "bolted,
issuing statements setting forth res
sons. Others wrote statements tha
were not published, much to the
delight afterward. For 1t is a raj
that no Republican who turned Den
ocrat in 1896 because OF the IRE
silver issue has ever been honore
by the Democracy. The comple'
disappearance of Webster Davis, tn
Kansas City bolter because OF II
"imperialism" being a conspicuot
example,
H. n