Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1914-02-13
CONGRESSMAN MURDOCH HERE.
And Is Crested BY Large Audience
lis, Meyer More A Republican.

3 ... -.s q. -.
Victor Murdock, the red beaded
Congressman from: the Eighth Dis.
trlct addressed: a large audience m
the court house here Tuesday even.
ng,, Thee court room was literally
packed, standing room In the aislea
even being at a premium. The au,
dience was Of all cneeds political, and
a large number Of the new voters.
the ladies. we've among the crowd.
It was uhe first visit Of Mr.. Mur>
dock to this city since he was nomi.
mated for Congress from the Seventh
District, eleven years ago, since that
time the. Eighth District having been
formed and which district Mr.. Mur,
dock has represented ever since. MF.
Mnrdock told ot his great fright on
the occasion OF his former visit On
account Of the fact that he was fore,
ed BY the nomination to deliver Z
speech, which he was totally incapA.
bic Of doing IN the proper msnnee,
and he said that ON that occasion be
was greatly troubled with a weakness
IN the knees. an ailment which evt
IDENTITY he has gotten brayely over By
this time.
The congressman from the EightA
evidently believes in the harmony Il
colors, for In order to match his aur
burn locks, he insisted on looking
through blue spectaoIes, 80 far sa
viewing the political horizon was ecu
cerned. -
He painted a most vivid picture q
the political conditions as he believ.
ed they existed today; told Of ~
the wrongs which had been perpN-
trated on the people Of the country
by both the Democrats and the Re-
publicans, and pointed out that the
only straight road to salvation from
utter annihilation lead through the
camp Of the Prognessives. With eth
er Of the old political parties IN pow.
er, Special Privilege with a grim d.
stroying hand would stalk through
this fair land, laying waste and DE-.
vastating the entire commonwealth,
but with Progressive principles incuL
Gated into laws, the desert would be
made to blossim Hike the rose, peace
and plenty would be the portieu Of
all, and national happiness and pros
perity would reign supreme.
1t was most vivid and beautiful
picture, but the great trouble was
its excessive staieness. II has been
the political song Of the party out Of
power ever since political parties
were first known. To the man wtut.
ing to get up to the pie counter, the
fellows at the feast are always eithr
er a set Of pirates or else are igho-
rant henchmen who blndly follow
the dictates Of their leaders, and that
was the view Mr.. Murdock seemed
to take Of the matter. But the Pro.
gTessiwe cause, II he Is to be believ.
ed in the matter, Is as a bright and
shining light, pointing the way up
TO the brighter. the better and the
nObler things Of lfe-a sure panacea
for all ills Of the body and mind, Is
guaranteed to lift farm mortgages, rA
move corns and bunions and TO prO-
vide a release from paying poll tax.
The theory Is beautiful, but IN prac.
tice We are inclined TO the be.iet
that It would prove most disappoint.
ing. We are old fashioned enough
not to take as sincere the statements
Of any man who can see nothing hut
ignorance or wiful wrong in the acts
Of his fellows, and who insists that.
his way IS the only right way. We
believe in the universal goodnas Of
man, and politicians Of all ereels are
only mOrtals, such as is Mr.. Murdock
We do not believe that the Repub.t
can party has a corner on all the
meaness and lttleness Of the world
any more than we believe that the
Democrats have all the goodness CT
this bully old world locked up in
their own private steel vault, and
when Mr.. Murdock implies tLat the
only simon pure political goodness 10
embodied IN the Progressive party
he is making a statement ttat q
to be taken down with considerable
quantity Of salt.
Mr.. Murdock made it plan that
ne would never go back to the Repub
bean party-he said he knew tco
much. He said that Kansas had be-
gun the Progressive movement and
ne urged the people net to turn
back from the piow. He sad that
the old Republicans were hoping for