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About Corvallis gazette. (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 7, 1900)
- Supplement CORVALLIS GAZETTE. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7. 1i)Ot. IS NOT FOR BRYAN. ECKELSTELLS WHY HE'S AGAINST THE NEBRASKAN. Ex-Comptroller of the Currency Under President Cleveland Will Vigorously Oppose the Election of the Demo cratic Candidate. I did not support Mr. Bryan in 1800, and I do not intend to now. I shall op Jose his election this year with all the Yij-or and ability I possess. I do not feel that T could stand to my convictions by remaining merely passive and contenting any self with simply voting against him. Bryan the Issne. No issue set forth in any platform, no natter how cunningly devised and ar ranged, in this campaign can be made paramount to the issue of Mr. Bryan himself, his erroneous views of public questions, his numerous vagaries and his demonstrated desire to find popularity and votes in a never-absent appeal to class prejudices and supposed race ha treds. I am still a Democrat, if believing in Ttemocratic principles correctly interpret ed and properly enforced as an agency for good constitutes true Democracy; but I am not one if the utterances of the plat form adopted at Chicago four years since and just reaffirmed and re-emphasized at Kansas City are the rightful expressions f what modern Democracy stands for. Isms of Populism. The many isms of Populism were ab fcorrent four years since to my sense of vhat is 6afe and sound in the operations f government and the general well being of the people, because I viewed them as being fundamentally wrong, and, le!ng so, neither lapse of time nor er rors of the party in power reconcile me to their adoption or make it possible that I should support a candidate who not nly approves of them, but is their best embodiment and most vigorous champion. I have not read all of Mr. Bryan's utterances during the past four years, but I have taken note of enough of them to know that his views have not changed on any important question since 1896, and his determination to stir up class atrife is not less manifest. Throughout all his addresses, public and private, is ahown uniformly an apparent pleasure in preaching the desirability of discord be tween employe and employer, class and class. No appeal ever 1 comes from him which is not tinged with advice to those who must work to distrust those who must employ. T Harmful to Labor. I Ail this is not only un-American, but it is unjust, unfair and harmful, most of all to the laborer, for whose well-being be yond all others it is necessary that com plete harmony between capital and labor nd not continual antagonism should ex ist. The interests of labor are never in such great jeopardy as when intrusted to a man who has the gift of oratory coupled with unbounded political ambi tion and no business judgmeut or train ing No man is fitted for the presidency who flay in and day out proclaims, in the midst of a demonstrated better condition f affairs, the reverse to be true in order to foment a discontent, which will gain to himself aud party a political advan tage. Ignorant or Blind. Mr. Bryan, without the statesmanship to analyze the conditions as they exist, and find a remedy therefor, gives utter ance to nothing that would -improve them, but only to that which would make them worse and cause greater injury to the jreat mass of the people, whose fate he constantly bewails. I do not believe in the public value of any man who is, un der any and all circumstances, a fault finder and mere protester against all ex taring order of things. Mr. Bryan's friends insist that he is nothing if not intellectually honest and fearless. Granted that their contention la true, the inquiring public must then toe forced to conclude that he is either woefully ignorant or willfully blind. At o time since his coming into political power has he made an economic predic tion which has not failed of fulfillment, r laid down as truth an economic doc trine which has not in the eonrse of quick rents been demonstrated to be n econ omic fallacy. Dictation of Platform. If he does not study grave public ques tions in the light of past history and present facts and human experiences, but nly views them in the glare of his own preconceived notions and flame of his own fiery political oratory, he is unsuited eith er to advise the public as a teacher or guide them as a leader. If he was unfit because of his errone ous views and economic heresies, to be elected to the presidency in 1896, he is equally an unfit man now, for he boasts, with triumphant self-satisfaction, that toe stands to-day on all these questions exactly where he stood then, and to make more manifest and clearly defined his po sition he compels bis party to blazon such fact in a platform so constructed as to accord with his views and wishes. Alliance with Croker. . I can conceive of nothing more pitia ble than the sight of accredited dele fates of a once great political party in a national convention supinely surrender ing their own views on a vitally impor tant economic question at the behest of a once defeated presidential candidate, who only had brought that party into dis grace and disrepute, unless it be the sight of that presidential candidate .and to be nominee, appealing through his confiden tial agent. Richard Croker, Tammany dic tator, to be his chief aid, trusted friend and lieutenant in the emergency which confronted him. Heretofore Democratic presidential candidates have gained public respect and trength by having the open enmity of Tammany. Mr. Bryan, who more than any of them has boasted of his stand for principle and his integrity of character, has done what Mr. Seymour, Mr. Til den and Mr. Cleveland would not do. He has formed an open alliance, offensive and defensive, with Tammany, and that too, at a time when that organization is known to he thoroughly corrupt, and a constant menace to all the best interests of good government. Unity with Populists. Mr. Bryan hardly appeals to the thoughtful citizen, with whom political parties are only agencies for public good to the extent that they stand for funda mentally right principles and honest ad ministration, when upon the one hand he is presented by the Populists and on the other by Tammany. The joining hands with one constitutes an' offense against safety in governmental administration, the alliance with the other an offense against political decency, making it doubtful as to his ability, no matter how strenuously he might try, to secure hon esty in the conduct of public affairs in an administration over which he presided. l't is not difficult to prertfot what would lie the outcome of any administration based upon the socialism of Populism and the rapacity of Tammany. Reaffirm iriu of 16 to 1 I am told that not a few Democrats who refused to sanction the nominee and platform of the Chicago convention will aid the nominee presented at Kansas City. I doubt if there are many who will do so. Why should they? The same candidate has been named, the same doc trines announced, only in a more offensive way. It must not be forgotten thai, the re affirming of the principles of the Chicago platform was the repledging of an inten tion, when opportunity is afforded, to de base the country's currency. It was re assaulting the Supreme Court of the country. It means a realliance with the element of disorder, as against the prop erly constituted authorities of peace, in tegrity of property and person. It is the announcing once more of a desire to get into power that the sacred right of pri vate contract under the guaranty of law may be abrogated. It is the acceptance of those elements of socialism which work injury to both government and people. In fine, the reaffirmation at Kansas City was the re-asserting of the utter ances made at Chicago, which, revolu tionary then, are none the less so now. A source of menace to the country then, they are equally so now; and every man THE THE 'Senator Tillman in Congress - who stood out against them then ought not on some new issue, which does not in any degree lessen the danger of these for harm, fail to denounce and defeat them. I do not think that the fact that here and there may be some elements more conservative in the party than seemed to be the case in 1886, makes any difference. Mr. Bryan still gives official voice to the party's views, maps out its campaigns and writes its platforms. Mr. Bryan's intimates and advisers are still Populists and self-seekers, with the added contin gent of Tammany bosses. He has neither use nor care for any man who is con servative in his views or careful in his utterances. Kffect on Gold Basis. If elected President the public must be prepared to see Mr. Bryan as chief execu tive and those associated with him as cabinet counsellors construe every law bearing upon the currency and the pow ers of the Treasury Department in such a manner as to nullify as best they can its provisions in so far as they bear upon the question of the maintenance of the gold standard. His Populist allies boast that they seek power that they may bring about the repeal of the existing laws and to this end they are Mr. Bryan's cham pions and defenders. He can and will keep the country in a state of ferment and uncertainty in an attempt to bring about the larger use of silver as a redemptive money. The ex periment is too dangerous a one to be en tered upon by any on the grounds that the gold standard is so fixed injaw that it cannot be disturbed, no matter who may be President or Secretary of the Treasury. The law ought to be executed with a construction favorable to it to fully carry out its provisions and not in a manner antagonistic to them. l't is not a perfect law, but can be made so by its friends. It can be made abortive by its enemies once firmly entrenched in power. Bryan and Recent War. It will hardly do for any sound money Democrat or Republican to support Mr. Bryan because of a supposed better po sition he occupies than Mr. McKinley on the question of colonial possessions de spite his worst position on the question of the monetary standard, the Supreme Court, the enforcement of law and the right of private contract. Mr. Bryan's position can hardly be as satisfactory a one on an analysis growing out of the Spanish war. He and his friends, in order to put the administration to a political disadvan tage, urged on the declaration of war with Spain, and when it was over Mr. Bryan. personally at Washington, through personal advice and solicitation, brought Into line a sufficient number of Democratic Senators to ratify the treaty of Paris, despite the fact that it provided for the purchase and taking sovereign possession of Porto Rico, and the Philip pines, without any provision for giving them any home government whatsoever. The evils and burdens of the present mo ment growing out of the Spanish war are to be laid as much at the door of Mr. Bryan and his party as at that of Mr. McKinley and his. His explanation of his reason for wishing the treaty ratified is wholly superficial and does not bear analysis. Policy on Philippines. I imagine that self-government will come quite as readily through the admin istration of 'Mr. McKinley as through that of Mr. Bryan. It will not come un der either until the Philippines are fitted for it, property rights safe and personal ones protected. I hardly believe Mr. Bryan could do more than send a com mission there, as the President has done, in order to take steps looking to sup planting the military government with a civil one. The country will not sanction the im mediate abandonment of those islands to disorder aud pillage. When a time comes that there is safety in a constitutional home government, only remaining within tlie sphere of the influence of the Unit ed States, and public sentiment is to this end. it can be Tut down that Mr. Mc Kinley's administration will readily grant it, for I believe it is generally admitted that no one is more ready to put himself in touch with pnblic sentiment than the President, or act in accordance there with with more alacrity. If Mr. Bryan means an immediate abandonment of our control in the islands he must certainly fall of support, for no thoughtful person will sanction a policy which will make the country ridiculous in the eyes of the world. . Would Not Trust Him. If Mr. Bryan and his party had stood out as they should have against the Span ish war and had opposed instead of as sisted in ratifying the Paris treaty;, they would be in a better position to confront Republican plans and purposes, for they would at least be consistent with their action. As it is now, they urged the war, but now wish to avoid the consequences in order to gain political power by so doiug. As it is, I don't see that Mr. Bryan is less of an expansionist, through force of circumstances which he assisted in creating, than is Mr. McKinley. The NEGRO DISFRANCHISED FIRST STEP INTO A NEW SLAVERY "? do our best to Keep euery negro difference is certainly not great enough to make any man surrender his convic tions on other great questions to accept hiin upon one. It may also be fairly doubted whether a man with so many erroneous ideas as to the conduct of the domestic affairs of the n a I ion can he trusted to have right ones when it comes to managing our foreign properties. As to Porto Rico. As to the question growing out of the Porto Rican tariff, I believe the admin istration made a most egregious error, but as Democracy is now constituted and con trolled it stands for nothing so far as a tariff policy is concerned. It has aban doned all the advantages of its position on this question, by advocating in its sil ver policy the very worst kind of protec tion. Mr. Bryan stands responsible for making it a party unable to manfully advocate a Democratic tariff doctrine. It is to-day under Mr. Bryan's leader ship, a party emphasizing a desire for special privileges and class legislation, ap pealing" for the support of every element of discontent by falling in with and ad vocating the particularly special legisla tion which such element stands for. Its demagogy is manifest on every hand. Raisins the Boer Issue. What thoughtful and inquiring" person can possibly believe that either Mr. Bry an or the delegates at Kansas City are really deeply solicitous to the extent which it is made to appear that they are as to the alleged wrongs of the Boers in South Africa? Is it not manifest, through the thin disguise of a love of human freedom, rights and republican form of government, that Mr. Bryan and his fol lowers hope for the German and Dutch vote as a determining factor in the elec tion because of racial affiliations with the Boers and a supposed race prejudice Against Great Britain, and not because the question or the integrity of the Boer republics is so dear to them? It is absurd that the great questions with which we have to do affecting the vital interests of the United States shall be overlooked in a debate upon how Great Britain shall conduct its own affairs, es pecially in the face of a proclaimed reaf firmation of the Monroe doctrine, which means, properly interpreted, that the people of the United States shall attend to their own affairs and let European na tions look after theirs. Confidence in German. Having voiced such a sentiment, the Kansas City convention, under the in spiration of Mr. Bryan, immediately pro ceeds, for. political effect, to express a wish to interfere with a European gov ernment in a matter strictly its own. I think such politics cheap, and unstates manlike, quite beneath the dignity of any great party or leader. I shall be surprised if any German vot er, heretofore the bulwark of the coun try, against every assault upon the in tegrity of the country's currency system and protesting against any debasement of the country's coin, will aid and abet such a proceeding because of a belief in any injustice done by Great Britain to some affiliated race ten thousand miles away. If Mr. Bryan was a statesman and not a mere declaimer, and dealt in a states manlike manner with American problems, we would 'not be treated to the floods of petulant fault-finding and appeals to pre judice which are manifest in all that he says, but would have instead suggested solutions, grounded upon principles, and in accord with the facts of national his tory and national experience. Distrust His Wisdom. I am sure the American people rightly distrust the wisdom of one who thus far in life has been a living expression, in every address he has made of that best definition of the essential elements of stump speech, namely, to claim every thing and denounce well. I am not unmindful of the fact that there are many conditions in this country requiring careful, thoughtful and states manlike dealing with. There are many evils to which labor is subject that need to be remedied. Likewise there are many prejudices unjustly entertained against capital, but in neither instance can they be dealt with to the good, of all by any one who brings to them none of the ele ments of a statesman and all of those which wholly make up the successful stump speaker and campaign orator. Where Remedies Lie. I believe that more of the remedy lies without the pale of enacted legislation than within it, and that neither labor nor capital is benefited by public utter ances on the platform, in legislative halls and through the columns of the press to the effect that there is an irrepressible conflict between them. I do not believe any man benefits his country by being a preacher of discon tent, strife between classes, social and political pessimism, financial disorder and continuous financial gloom, despite sur roundings and widespread prosperity, and therefore V do not believe in Mr. Bryan. There are some things in President Mo Kinley's administration and official acts I am not in accord with. I do not accept in our State from voting Republican doctrines as against pure Democratic ones, rightly interpreted aud incorporated into the administration of public affairs. But as between Repub licanism and Populism, filtered through the channel of Bryanism, I prefer Repub licanism. llenie His Democracy. There is no Democratic doctrine pre sented this year and no Democratic can didate. Mr. Bryan was first named by the Populists because he best stood for Populistic doctrines. He was only in dorsed by the convention at Kansas City, called under alleged Democratic auspices, because Bryanism, Populism and Democ racy as now made up are synonymous terms. The combined forces of the elements of discontent of the country having gathered in one fold and found without a dissent ing voice a candidate so in..u u .is to respond with an equal degree of satis faction to each one's peculiar ism, it seems to me the part of wisdom to meet them in another election, and again dem onstrate that the electorate of this conn try in every critical time always stands ready to do that which is wise, putting down the wrong thing and putting up the right. To Vote for McKinley. I am going to vote for President Mc Kinley, and do whatever I consistently can to aid in his election, not because I favor all his policies or approve of all his political acts, but because tinder all ex isting conditions I believe the affairs of the country will be better off in his bands than in those of Mr. Bryan. I hope some time to sec the Democratic party re-created, advocating Democratic candidates and Democratic principles, but it cannot be more than a disturbing force in the country's daily history until it rids itself of a leadership which has brought it to its present low estate and ceases making itself the lying-in asylum of those elements of discontent which, if once entrusted with governmental pow er would work injury at home and loss of standing abroad. Advice to Democrat'. It can live under defeat without com plete and ultimate destruction, but a vic tory gained by it with a candidate holding the views of Mr. Bryan and a platform pledging the party to carry out the things advocated at Chicago in 1896, and in Kansas City this year, would work such results to the country that it would pass out of political power at a recurring elec tion, without the smallest minorities to do it honor. "Unwept, unhonored and unsung." The Democrat who wishes to save his party's future will only aid that end by defeating Mr. Bryan and burying his platform. Its ultimate recurrence to pow er and prestige lies in the independence of Democrats who are such on principle, and not through expediency. JAMES H. ECKELS. ASSENT OF GOVERNED ARMY OF A MILLION VOTERS DISFRANCHISED IN SOUTH. Government by Force Imposed by the Democrats at Home, While They Denounce Republican Administra tion in Our Colonic, (From the New York Times.) Four-oars ago, in the sor-called Demo cratic convention at Chicago, Senator Benjamin R. Tillman of South Carolina, in offering a resolution to denounce the administration of President Cleveland, made an attempt to convert the conven tion to his view that the campaign about to begin was a sectional one, in which the South and West were to be combined by a common sentiment against the North and East, to overthrow those sections and make their financial opinions odious, and to destroy their domination in future national financial legislation and opera tions. - Tillman has learned something since that day, when he was deservedly hissed and hooted in a convention otherwise none too sane or sensible, and the merit ed rebuke administered by Senator J. K. Jones possibly convinced him that sec tionalism is as hopeless an issue as se cession to divide the country. But he was still a man of impulse at Kansas City. Restored to favor after a civilizing ordeal of four years of service In the Senate, he helped to prepare a platform exposing his party to the charge of gross inconsistency or insincerity. To Tillman was assigned the task of reading the platform. He docs not lack dramatic sense, and he has a large voice. With prodigious volume and vehemence he rolled forth the references, In the opening phrases to "the inalienable rights" of men guaranteed by the Declar ation of Independence and the Constitu tion. As a sweet morsel he mouthed the language of the declaration that govern ments must "derive their just powers from the consent of the governed.'" "Any other government," he shouted with so norous intensity, "is tyranny, and to im pose upon any people a government of force is to sustain the methods of impe rialism." The case of the Porto Ricans was described as appealing "with pecu liar force to our justice and magnanim ity." These sentiments were prepared and emitted by Mr. Tillman for application solely to the question of imperialism and the conduct of the administration in en deavoring to deal with the new problems that vex the country. But they seem to have a more interesting meaning, as ap plied to Southern States, than they would as interpreted only to denounce and em barrass the administration in its effort to establish free governments in the Phil ippines, Cuba and Porto Rico. Alabama' population in 1890 was 1, 513,017. There were upon the common calculation of one voter in five, 302,203 voters in that State in 1896. Alabama gave to all candidates for President 193, 6r3 votes, Bryan receiving 130,307. Lou isiana's population in 1890 was 1,118,597. The State was entitled in 1896 to at least 223.000 votes, l't cast 102,046,-and Bry an had 77,000 of these. Mississippi had 1.289,000 population in 1890, and pre sumably 257,920 males of voting age. In 1896 there were cast for President in Mississippi 70,545 'votes, Bryan getting 53.859. North Carolina was reported in 1890, in the census of that year, as hav ing 1.617,947 population. The State cast 331.210 votes in the presidential contest of 1896, or a little more than the reason able ratio for 1890. South Carolina, with a reported population in 1890 of 1,151,149, and with not less than 230,000 voters, cast for all condidates in 1896 68,907 votes, and 58,798 of them went to Mr. Tillman's man Bryan. What became of the 600,000 votes that appear to have been missing from the election returns of Alabama. Louisiana, Mississippi anil South Carolina? Were these .600.000 voters to be governed, in case Mr. Bryan was chosen or defeated, without their consent, thus subjecting them to the "tyranny" referred to by the Democratic platform? Have those miss ing voters been since found and required to give their consent to the election of Representatives in Congress in order that they should not be taxed without nation al representation fairly secured? Or has their consent been obtained to new re strictions of the suffrage? Has there lieen shown any tendency in any of those States to exchange "the methods of im perialism for those of a republic?" How have Alabama, Louisiana, Missis sippi, North Carolina and South Carolina qualified themselves to reproach the ad ministration for imperialism? Have not three of those States formally and com pletely aud the two others by progressive steps undertaken to deprive some 860, 000 of "the governed" of the opportunity to give or withhold that consent guaran teed as a right according to the Demo cratic application of the Declaration of Independence, and secured by the Con stitution? Why waste hypocritical platform senti ment on the people of Porto Rico be cause they have "a government without their consent and taxation without rep resentation," when 600,000 voters in four States, all Democratic States, are depriv ed of the right to consent, and about 1,000,000 altogether, if we consider Vir ginia, Georgia, Florida and Tennessee, are in like manner subjected to "tyran ny." Mr. Tillman's platform also de clares its opposition to "militarism" for the reason that "it means conquest abroad and intimidation and oppression at home. It means the standing army that has always been fatal to free insti tutions." What apology does Senator Tillman offer to the standing army of 1,000,000 voters disfranchised in South ern States? Were "intimidation and op pression at home" practiced to bring about that result, peculiar only to one section of the country? Does not the con dition of these silenced voters "appeal with peculiar force to our justice and magnanimity?" Labor Prosperous in New York. Iu New York State the Bureau of La bor Statistics shows that the number of employes in 3,553 of the largest factories in the State has increased in the last three years by 56,321," or 18.7 per cent, while the increase in wages is $21,400, 804, or 15.2 per cent. Wages on the Great Lakes. Wages of employes conected with the shipping on the Great Lakes have been generally advanced. BRYAN'S SOLILOQUY. (Dedicated to soft citizens.) I favor Free Sliver and paper, I honor Free Trade and Free Gold, In fact, I shall play any. caper That brings me a vote, young or old. 1 preach "the consent of the governed," And practice "Imperial sway," I'll promise all things to the voter Who stands on my platform to-day. I know I'm a talker from Way Buck, And gifted with "gall" and with "mouth. It matters not how I maneuver, I'm sure of the lted, Solid South! I favor "Expansion" and taxes. But don't wish to justify wrong, And believe in the riot of "Kcd Shirts" If they vote for me often and strong. I'll promise all things If elected, And do what 1 please when I'm in; I favor all virtue In office, But wink at tough Tammany sin. I know I'm a Blower aud Actor, By hiding my "Sixteen to One" Behind Antl-lmperial humbug, That soon, like Free Silver, is gone, I know I'm a Howler and Hoodoo. But the Farmer and Miner don't Bee That my Antl-Imperlal clap trap Is a Paramount Fraud, just per ae. A Dictator, I'm bold to my party; I force them to do what I think, And still to the trough I can lead them. But can I Induce them to drink? And when the election Is over, If I should the White House attain, I'll turn and twist with the Rabble Bamboozle and fool them again! JOHN A. JOYCiS, Washington, D. C. VXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXy "Dear Boy" Letters it-rJr-fTTT-f-r TTr-f ttTtt My Dear Boy In your last letter yon, say that old man Skinner, your employ er, says that he "doesn't see what a farmer can be thinking of to vote for McKinley when the trusts are squeez ing the life out of the farmers and the country is drifting right into imperialism every dav." You want to know how to answer him. Well, I will tell you what to say to hira and then I have a few words to say to you. Ask Mr. Skinner if he remembers that in 1896 he sold that sorrel mare that used to work on the nigh side with old Jim for $45. Ask him whether the sorrel wasn't a better horse than that bay that he sold to Crawford the other day for $80. Remind him that he sold his wool in 1896 for 14 cents and that he sold this year at 27 cents, and kicked like a steer because he didn't get 30. Gently suggest that he sold a couple of steers in 1896 for $3.25 per hundred, end that they were as good as those splendid fellows that he sold last week for $5.10. The old man runs a huckster wagon in to Nelsonville and sells produce to the miners' wives. Ask him if he remem bers that four years ago a woman would come out to the wagon and say: "Can you let me have a peck of pota toes and trust me till John gets work?" Remind him that the same- woman comes out now and says: "Give me three dozen of eggs and two pounds of butter. What are those peaches worth? I'll take a basketful of them. Giye me a peck of those tomatoes. How much does it all come to? Here's your money. When are you going to bring in some veal? John likes veal for breakfast." Ask him if he doesn't know that more money has been paid out as wages t working men during the past year than la any other year in the history of the Hock ing Valley. Ask him whether a consid erable part of this money hasn't found its way into his capacious pocketbook. Remind him that he told me that when ever the Mayhew farm is put up for sale he intends to bid on that upper eighty that joins his, and that he has wade enough money in the. last two years to pay for it. And then gently suggest that he does not appear to be suffering much from imperialism or trusts either. Tel! him that perhaps he had better let well enough alone. Tell him no! to vote for what he doesn't want. Tell him thst when trade is good and business confi dence strong and healthful, it is not wise to tear the whole thing down hv giving the administration into untried hands. I think that this is the only kind of argument that will touch old man Skin ner, but you, my boy, have a larger soul. I want to say some other thing to you. My hoy, thank C!od that you live 1b a country prosperous at home and honored abroad, and never so prosperous and honored as now. When you come to vote this fall, re member that the national credit ha reached its highest point, that the work of American laborers has gained its high est reward, and that the glory of Ameri can arms on land and seit has been moor widely maintained under the wis-v, thoughtful, patriotic administration of William McKinley. Remember that his administration is carrying out the principle and policy at the Republican party. Remember that the blood of four fen erations of American soldiers runs In your veins, and then vote so that yoa will not be ashamed of your vote on the day after election. YOUR FATHER. Farm Mortgaces and Interest. In 1890 the farm mortgages of the State of Kansas amounted to the vast sum of $240,000,000, much of it bearing the exorbitant interest of 12 per cent, was reduced in 1899 to less than $41,000, 000. certainly a remarkable evidence of the prosperity of the farmer. The pres ent rates of interest on Kansas farm loans are the lowest ever known. Prosperity Proof in Money Orders. Postoffice statistics are significant. From June 30. 1895, to June 30. 1899, there was a gain of 7,000,000 in the num ber of money orders issued, while their value increased by $55,000,000, and the average amount of each order from $7.00 to $7.40. This is another proof of the existence of McKinley prosperity. Labor in Mi higan. Labor Commissioner Cox, of Michigan, says in his 1899 report: "Wages show a decided increase over those of 1898, and an average of more than 10 per cent in crease over 1S97. The greatest gain is in the fact that all idle labor is now steadily employed at remunerative wages." Sheep Worth Money Now. Sheep are higher than for twenty years and worth about double what they were four years ago. What Cows Are Worth. The total value of the farmer's and dairyman's milch cows is 53 per cent greater than in 1S96.