The Washington herald., 1910-07-17

going TO pieces. Members OF the Farm
| ers' Alliance meet IN school houses and
/ churches. and as soon as they adjourn
| they come together secretly as Populsts
| Gentlemen ! exclaimed, something
must be done.
What would you suggest?' ingalls,
asked. I could see that neither he nor
I Plumb was much frightened at my
( warning.
- want to kindle a fire In the brush.
I answered. and get the farmers back
/ into the Republican party My plan is
/ 70 hold a monster prohibition meeting. 10
/ lure the agricultural thought away from
cheap pork and paper money 10 alcohol.
/ the bane and curse Of humanity. and
am here for your Endorsement
They were skeptical Ingalls, and
! Plumb, but in a few years William Al
! fred PETER whose platform was start
/ the presses. boys, and help yourselves to
/ fat money succeeded ingalls, tn the Sen
! ate. More 10 please me than TO meet a
i really serious situation. the Endorsement
| was given Hurrying back to Kansas
! got churches. SUNDAY schools, and temper
ance societies 20 elect delegates to great
prohibition convention in Topeka
( arranged for rates on the railroads, wrote
| hundreds Of letters. and talked until
/ lost my voice Proudly entered Topeka
! the night before the day of the cOnven-
| ton. The railway station was empty.
/ had pictured a .hronS sleeping on bench
! es. On paper. l was 10 have mighty
crowd Of teetotalers and grangers. The
hotel. too. was unusually lonely.
POpuIists in Control.
II arose at o'clock the next morn
Ing and looked out OF the window. Moth
ing was visible but a milk wagon. AL
though the sun was warm. I was sure I
! smelled a frost In humility I walked
to the hall Of the convention and found
$500 delegates swarming through doors.
They had come, you understand. directly
| from their trains II was q whooping
meeting. but 1t didn't work out in the
manner I had expected 'Hurrah.' shout
ed every delegate, for prohibition and
| Populism. I tried to switch the Populist
issue onto a side track. but my terminal
facilities weren't adequate I unanswered,
marched forward and backward. tented
( and deployed on the right flank. but was
/ driven from the field on the run. There
after ! let the Kansas Populists alone.
Il continued to boom real estate and
my newspaper, but real estate kept GO
Ing down, The Morning News was now
eight columns wide. There were also
mortgages on the plant. I was geared
pretty high, and naturally didn't want
TO lessen my speed. While I could have
turned my paper into an afternoon issue
and reduced the outlay I would have
considered such a performance a distinct
professional defeat Wherefore. I left
Hutchinson and went 10 Chicago and ed
tied a political. economic, and industrial
r1aT1a rfF emf
began holding meetings right off. AT my
invitation John Sherman. Gen. James B.
Weaver. and Ignatius Donnelly sat down
together and talked about trusts.
Woman Plays Political Trick.
In 1892 ! went TO the Populist conven-
ton at Omaha 10 help defeat the nomi-
nation of Walter @. Gresham for PresI-
dent. I was for Harrison, and Gresham
might have made Indiana doubtful. While
In Omaha I saw Mary Elizabeth Lease
turn trick that was worthy Of a pro-
fesslonal politician of the masculine sex.
She and the old Pops wanted Weaver.
The young Pops were for Gresham. A
committee went to indianapolis and
wired back that Gresham would be
pleased to accept the honor The con-
vention beat the floor and broke chairs
in its enthusiasm. I was sitting next TO
6sfrs. Lease; was holding her little daugh-
Ster on my lap. While the young Pops
were cheering. Mrs. Lease had sudden
Inspiration Catching up telegraph
blank, on which nothing had been writ
ten. she waved it over her head and
shouted for order
Let me read you another telegram
she loudly said, This message sha told