The advocate and Topeka tribune. [volume], October 26, 1892, Image 1

About The advocate and Topeka tribune. [volume] (Topeka, Kan.) 1892-1894

Image provided by: Kansas State Historical Society; Topeka, KS

                
AND TOPEKA TRIBUNE
?i0oToivvS.10 TOPEKA, KANSAS, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1892. . rSSlSSfSfUSU
EETUENING PBODIGALS.
The Letter Writing Conspiracy Hot Oon
fined to Kansas.
Special to tbe Rocky Mountain News-
Des Moines, Iowa, Oct 23. General
Weaver and Mrs. Mary Lease, the latter
the famous lady Populist from Kansas,
who, with Mrs. Weaver, has accompanied
the general In his canvass extending
through twenty-four states of the union,
arrived In this city this morning from
Mount Pleasant and Ottumwa, la., at
both of which places they addressed Im
menee meetings of farmers and laboring
men.
This afternoon the general and Mrs.
Lease addressed 2,000 farmers in a grove
one mile south of the city. To night Mrs.
Lease discussed the Issues of the cam
palgu from the standpoint of the People's
party in the Immense hall of the Y. M.
C. A. building, which vu thronged with
a cultivated and refined audience, while
General Weaver spoke to a large over
flow meeting at the court house.
At the close of the meeting the News
correspondent solicited and was accorded
an Interview by Mrs. Lease with refer
ence to a widely circulated report that
she had advised the Populists to "vote
for Harrison," and "that a vote for Weaver
is a vote for Harrison."
"No, sir, I never said that, nor any
thing that could be construed or dis
torted into such meaning."
"Have you any intention of going to
New York to stump the state for Harri
son or for the benefit of the republicans?"
"I answer no to both questions. The
story of this matter so widely circulated
was conceived and sent out by the re
publicans, and they will give currency
to other like infamous faliehoods before
the campaign is over.
"In conclusion, permit me to say to the
News and our friends in Colorado and
the other great silver states, that I do not
consider Benjamin Harrison in the con
test. I do not believe he has any earthly
chance of election. The great battle of
ballots this fall Is between Cleveland and
Weaver, and with a fair count Weaver
can carry every southern state. Every
thing possible will be done to help the
people of the south secure an honest
.. election. In fact, the only hope for the
south Is the success of the People's party.
. I remain with General Weaver and party
until the close of the campaign. The
speaking will be in Iowa, Minnesota, the
Dakotas, Nebraska and Kansas."
From other sources the Newt corre
spondent learned that an effort is being
made by the Harrison managers sup
plemented by theirj)rees to use the re
cent disgraceful hobdlum outrages In the
south as an argument to whip Into line
the Populists of the northwest The
Harrison leaders are to buy up Populist
speakers, or county or state committee
men, and pay them for writing letters or
interviews In favor of Harrison. The man
purchased Is to urge as a reason for de
serting the cause of the people the fact
that Weaver was denied free speech In
the south, and that "the confederacy is
in the saddle," and that the time has ar
rived for a "solid north" to meet a "solid
south." These are the arguments to be
used as an excuse for every Populist
leader when he pockets republican
"boodle" and deserts to the enemy. The
people of Kansas, Nebraska, JOolorado
and the other silver states are" warned to
A STAND-UP SENATOE.
Why a Republican Was Opposed to the
Appointment of Perkins.
The reason why ex-Senator W. P.
Hackney la not taking part In the state
campaign but Is instead running an in
dependent campaign down In Cowley
county, Is apparent when one recalls the
circumstances connected with the ap
pointment of Senator Perkins. Those
circumstances also show the political
degradation that has overtaken there
jubllcan party In Kansas when a gov-
pin, .in,, ii v -if . . , i m n.'.ji'. )f.v'.,;"! r ;,;.,': ;,r-w' "
t ;
i.i.i I .,,,, h.n.,ni , i Wi ' IV, . .. jil.-.iiM,i.i,,t,iill,i !,, ,il'.,'l.n 'i
Hi. d. lkwelling,
PEOFLl'S N0MI3B FOB GOVIHNOB 07 KANSAS.
look out for these purchased desertions.
The fact that free speech in the south
Is almost impossible at this time is not
denied by both General Weaver and Mrs.
Lease. But the crime Is not and has not
been confined to the south. In 1890 and
1891 Col. Polk, the president of the farm
ers alliance, while on a visit from North
Carolina to Kansas, was used as brutally
by republican ruffians In Kansas aa was
Gen. Weaver by the democratic hoodlums
of Georgia.
The brutality of the Kansas republi
cans in 1890 and 1891 was merely dupli
cated by the Cleveland ruffians In Macon
and Columbus, Ga. Gen. Weaver warns
the great west to pay attention to princi
ple and let the Cleveland-Harrison party
take care of themselves.
Gen. Weaver says:
Never mind the ruffianism of the
south, never mind the utterances of the
republican rowdies who drove CoL Polk,
of North Carolina, and president of the
farmer's alliance, ou. of Kansas. Never
mind the wrongs of the two corrupt old
parties: stand firm for the right and for
the cause of the people."
ernor uses his appointive power to make
political trades and fills the vacant seat
of a deceased senator with a scalawag
who has been repudiated by the people
of his district W. P. Hackney was one
of those who came to Topeka to oppose
the appointment of Perkins, but his
efforts were In vain, because the trade
had been made before the body of Sena
tor Plumb was laid to rest On being
asked why he opposed Perkins, Mr.
Hackney repeated to several reporters
the reasons he had but a few hours be
fore given to Oovernor Humphrey.
When his statement was put in writing
he looked it over and approved it Here
It Is:
"I want to say to you as your friend
that you cannot afford to appoint B. W.
Perains, an it would be the political mis
take of your life. He has been in con
gress from your district for eight years.
When he first went to congress the re
publican majority In that district was in
the thousands, and from that time it
dwindled until his final defeat The
crowd that came here from that district
to help him was composed of office hold
ers and men whose friends through him
had been appointed to office. Yet, not
withstanding that fact they were actu
ated far more by personal friendship
for you In getting him out of what they
thought was your way, than by any de
sire to elevate him. But the thousands
of men In that districtgood and true
republicans who don't want him are
not here.
"I was in Washington last winter for
nearly a month, for the purpose of se
curing the passage of the bills opening
the Iowa and Sac and Fox Indian lands
for settlement The administration was
favorable to the bills and the Indian
commission and Keokuk and other Indian
representatives were there for the same
purpose, and there was not a living soul
in opposition thereto1, either In congress
or out He had been ordered by the
Indian committee, of which he was chair
man, to report these bills, but would not,
and I was sent there because I had been
a resident of his district and had always
stood by him; because It was thought
that he would report the bills for me,
when the Indian committee and nobody
else could get him to do It He had been
notified before of my coming and the ob
ject, and when I met him he received m
In a surly manner, and I was Informed
by him to go home; that he would re
port them when in his judgment the
time came; that he had served the people
faithfully and well, and" they had gone
back on him, and, G d d m them, he
did not care whether he did anything
more for them or not. I had not been in
the city twenty-four hours until my
rooms were thronged with leading west
ern lobbyists, who were familiar with my
relations with him, who informed me
that he had cut loose, and was bound to
make all the money he could during that,
his last session; that there was a bill
pending before his committee, appropri
ating some $3,000,000 to the Chlckasawa'
and Choctaws for claims for lands that
they had long heretofore been paid for
In full by the government; that there was
$500,000 In boodle in that bill for Its pas
sage, and that he was into the steal to the
tune of $75,000; and demanding that I go
to him as a friend, and make him promise
them a portion thereof, or they would
publish the facts to the world and smaah
the passage of the bill, and that they
would fight the passage of the bills I
wanted passed unless I did. I did not
want them to fight the bills that I rep
resented, and in order to prevent it I told
them I would speak to him about it; but
not wanting to be a party to the scheme,
I never did It
"I was told by congressmen when urg
ing their influence upon him to make
(Continued on jaga i.)