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Image provided by: Kansas State Historical Society; Topeka, KS
Newspaper Page Text
8 COIOSNTEATD 0US3EDNESS. Ia there a Populist in Kansas who did not stand ready, after the resnlt of the election was declared, to take bis republican adversary by the hand and forgive him of ad the meanness that bad Jbeen perpetrated during the campaign, if the latter would only show a disposition to reform ? We think not, and we verily believe that even the democrats would have shown a similar disposition. But what do we find the prevailing spirit in the defeated party? Simply a spirit of double distilled depravity aud a dia bolical desire to destroy, all growing out of too long continued domina tion. In some localities this spirit even pervades the school room and the church, for we have heard of preach ers, since the last election, deprecat ing the farther success of the new political party, while teachers, whose greatest accomplishment is their prejudice, have driven the same into the minds of their pupils. And so it is not much wonder that while Kansas is the most enlightened state in the union, we have a class among us who have degenerated to the level of the criminal classes in the east and south. And no wonder that our state is disgraced by such occurrences as was reported from Troy last week, a better account of which is given below. A similar in cident occurred at Sedan, as shown by the following report dated No vember 19: This evening during a ratification meet ing, the carriage that went to the depot along with the toroh light proce?sion waa etoned, and upon the return of the pro cession a Mr. J. O. Lewis waa struck on the Bide of the head by a etone. Mr. Lewis ia a large man and somewhat resembles Hon. Jeff Hudson. The person who threw the atone that hit him was oat in a dark part of the street. Mr. Lewis is the man who waa interrupted by republican hoodlums at Cedar Vale while making a speech the wek before. This thing of throwing Btones and 6228 looks like a ecaroity of arguments and will probably prove a dangerous pastime in the future. These things have occurred at a number of placos, and they do not re flect much credit upon the rule or ruin element that stood up for Kan sas before the election, but now stand for anything that is contemptible and despicable and dastardly. De void of decency, their desperation has become a disease and they are capable of almost anything. The Troy Times of November 18 recites the following: At the time of the democratic parade, these ill-natured blaokguards were unable tore-strain their brutal propensities and showed 1 heir spite at the rejoicings of their neighbors by every means that a debased mind oould suggest, limited only by their fears of their cowardly heart. They took advantage of tbe darkness, at some times, and at others of the absence of the proces sion in other parts of town and alter the latter was off the streets and assembled in the meeting in the court house, to perpetu ate their malicious acta. A mere recital of a few samples of their rowdyism is enough. They snatched torohea and fireworks from the hands of small boys when they oould catoh them at a safe distance from the pro cession. They threw rooks at the procession from the cover of the crowd and darkness. They sneaked around, and when they were not watched, tore down several American flan and destroyed and burned them. They shot holes through the large flag stretched across the street and finally got an opportu nity to tear it down and make off with it; but the flag was recovered before it waa destroyed. The barn ess of Laws Mann's team was out. Jap Miller's harness was also out to pieoes. Frank Jacques' team was hitched in the outskirts of town, but they hunted it up and out his harness to pieoes and chopped off his horses' tails. They out the harness of several others whose names we were unable to leant. They broke Ole (Meson's windows. And they took lap robea from buggies hitched about and smeared them with filth and placed them baok in the vehicles, so that ladies and others get ting into them in the darkness had their clothes ruined. These are camples of the depredations that this gang of vagabonds thought to be a smart way to gratify their depraved and spiteful souls. It will be noticed that all the aots were such as oould be safely done in the darknes3 by even tbe most cowardly. These crimes were committed by a lot of fellows who would be considered a disgraoe to a well conduoted penitentiary. They were mostly yonng men and boys, Borne of them of respectable families, as ia usually the oase ip such low down villiana. Tbey should be arreBted, and doubtless will be, as some of them are known, and the whole gang should be severely punished for their misdeeds. That muoh oan yet be done for the credit of the town. As for the boys among tera, if they are not checked in their downward course, they are far along on their way to the reform school and the penitentiary where they' be long. They are already due there, and when there should not be allowed to pollute the society of ordinary thieves with too oloee an association. The only excuse that can be given for them, ia the poor, pitiful and cowardly one, that the ignorant fools may have been drunk at the time. The victims of the outrages were all well known democrat or Pet pie's party men, and the howling band of ruffians who an noyed the procession with hoots and jeers were all republicans. This muoh cannot be denied, however muoh it may be denied that the republican party is responsible for their act. While, of course, no respectable republican can endorse or be held respon sible for such outrageous proceedings as these, yet the republican party ia respon sible for them to a oertaia extent. The city and county ia under republican oontrol and all the means for the administration of justice are in their hands, and their officials know or can ascertain who the guilty parties are. They could have prevented the occur rences and they have the power to punish the criminals. OONOEENING ME. IVES. We desire to say a word at this time in justice to Attorney-General Ives. It is well known to readers cf the Advocate that we were opposed to placing his name upon our state ticket. This was for public and not private or personal reasons. It was our opinion at the time that it would improve our chances of success to nominate other men. After the ad journment of the Wichita convention, we had no motive for further opposi tion to him, and we do not approve the spirit with which he has been pursued by some parties since that time. Mr. Ives desires to remain with the People's party. The party needs his vote, his influence, and the influence and votes of his friends, and it is not good politics or good sense to pursue any member of the party to such an extent as to force him over to the opposition in order to maintain his self respect Mr. Ives' proposition to participate in the re cent campaign might have been more generously entertained than it was without injury to the party. How ever, tbe past cannot now be recalled, and we should in the future pursue a policy that will unite and consolidate our forces for the next contest. Let ua practice no ostracism and pursue no man with anything like a spirit of persecution. The very opposition which has been persistently waged against him by a few individuals has caused his friends to suggest his name as a candidate for the United States senate, and while he has other things in view, and does not design entering the senatorial race, opposi tion which may appear like persecu tion, will create sentiment in his favor. The Advocate has no candidate for the United States senate; and while it will from time to time have a good word to say for all worthy candidates, it regards the legislature (if it should be a People's party legislature) as fully competent to make a proper se lection from among those whose names will be presented for the position. STAND UP TOE KANSAS. The stand up crowd has manifested great solicitude for the credit of Kansas. There has been great fear expressed that the calamity howlers would say or do something to impair its good name. At the same time all the scandalous reports concerning Kansas and her people that hava gone to the country have emanated from those who have expressed so much anxiety lest the credit of the state should suffer in some unaccountable mauner through the success of the opponents of republican rule. This was the case in 1890, and it is the case in 1892. The following special from Topeka to the Lansing Evening Neics of November 22 is a fair sample of this kind of work. This is the ar ticle to which Mra. Emery refers in her letter which appears in another column of this issue: CRY FOR BLOOD. SEEDS Off ANABOAT SOWN IS KANSAS. REVOLUTIONARY DOCTRINES Off INTEMPERATE OBATOBS. MRS. EMERY SAYS THE PEOPLE ARE PRE PARED TO KILL, Iff THEIR DEMANDS 70R RELISff ARE NOT GRANTED. From a Special Correspondent Topika, Kas., November 22. Socialism is rampant in Kansas as a result of the Alliance campaign of recent months. It began with denouncing the "Shylooks," the "Wall street Jews," the "money sharks," the "bankers." Thia cry waa taken up by speakers and lecturers. Their text books were the writings of George, Donnelly, Bellamy and Most. Little by little the peo ple have become used to the doctrines of anarohy until they are now preached every where and Kansas ia literally in possession of the anarohista. The first speech of the new dispensation was made six months ago at Caldwell, by a comparatively unknown man advocating the ''bayonet and the toroh." Three months later, Mrs. Emery, a goddess whom western Populists apparently worship, entered the state for a series of meetings. Iler first speech was the one repeated all over the state, and everywhere she aroused un bounded enthusiasm. In that speech she predicted an uprising of the masses, who would cause the streets nd lanes to flow with blood if their demands were not granted. She said: "I predict that the next administration at Washington will attempt to establish an empire founded upon wealth nojuetly wrung from the people, and I now warn the potentates of the great conspiracy, that we are prepared to burn, kill and destroy, and that our land will be bathed in the blood of our oppressors." Even as late aa last week the chairman of the state central committee declared that if the returns by the county boards were not in strict accordance with those he had received from Populist agents, he would cause the violent death of every commis sioner so offending. The principal Populist candidate for United States senator, and the one likely to be named by that party, is the man who, while a judge on the benoh, declared publicly that the user of property has prior rights over the owner, and is en titled to UBe such property without molesta tion as long as be deems it to his advantage to do so. In brief, the doctrine advooated is to take from those who have and divide with those who have not. T. A. Mrs. Emery's letter is a sufficient criticism of this special. Further comment is unnecessary. ' HOW T2E COUNTIES VOTED. The counties of Barton, Miami, Eussell, Sumner and Wyandotte gave, in the aggregate, 719 more votes for Harrison in 1892 than inl8S8;but these only five counties of the 10G in Kansas, which thus increased their vote for the republicans, gave Weaver 2,710 more votes than the united vote of Cleveland and Streeter in 1888. In Sumner the increase for Harri son was 3; in Barton, 28; in Miami, 73; in Eussell, 154; in Wyandotte, 2G1. For Weaver, the gain over the com bined vote above named, was 135 in Eussell, 285 in Miami, 485 in Barton, 619 in Sumner, and 1,18G in Wyan dotte. The Harrison increase in four years was 717; the opposition increase was 2,710; only the alight difference of 1,991. And yet our republican friends, two weeks after the election, continue to boast of their great gains. Great Harrison leads in forty-six of the 106 counties of the state; Weaver and Field in sixty of them. The "Copeland" farmer of Mc Pherson has pluralities in forty-nine of the counties of Kansas; the philan thropic, sensible business man of Sedgwick leads in fifty-seven counties. The total vote cast in Michigan for president this year is 25,000 less than it was four years ago. The decrease is surprising, indeed, in view of the increase of the population meanwhile, which has been sufficient to warrant a total vote of 65,000 in excess of the vote of 1888. The republican party suffered the most, as thousands of re publicans, while they would not vote for Harrison, could not vole for Mr. Cleveland, and the only way left for them to express their dissatisfaction with the administration was, as they thought, to stay at home. They did so. The official count of the vote in Kansas began at the secretary of state's office Monday morning, and is not yet finished. WTe shall probably be able next week to give a tabulated statement of the whole vote. Renew your subscription to the paper be fore your time expiree, and thus save the printer the trouble of taking your name from the list. This is also a good way to prevent misting a number. ( J