Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-09-05
Personal Liberty against Public Lib.
0Pty.
BY PARpKE BUTLER.

This clamor for personal liberty, if j
should succeed, would be the grave of pub
lie liberty. The watch-word of the Amer
lean people for one hundred years has beeI
public liberty. A certain class of citizens
whose business is so odious that they hav,
TO do their work behind screen, and VIII,
are SO unpopular that no respectable gen
tleman would be seen walking with then
arm in arm on Commercial st rect, hav,
made the cry for personal liberty theil
watch-werd. Mr.. Click, who is in position
to be thankful for small favors, has adopted
this as the battle CRY of his campaign.
Personal liberty, Every hsrfot in Atchi
son is jealous for personal liberty to carr,
on her trade on Commercial street, with NJ
interfearance by the public authorities. Sc
is every gambler; SO are the men that sci
lottery tickets, bswdy pictures, and licen
tious literature.
Society pays small respect to this de
mand. A man found drunk on the street.
is locked in the calaboose. A few night.
ago the writer.was waiting for a train in the
union depot; and fellow drunk and noisy
undertook 70 walk into the ladies' waiting
roam; and policeman took him by tn,
collar and squelched his personal liberty il
short order. A man is denied the persona
liberty to walk the streets in the city o
Atchison naked, to dress in women's cloth
ing, or to build frame house within tn,
FIRE limits of the city. Restraint of persona
liberty is one Of the prime necessities o
civilized society. A savage in paint ant
feathers, and shouting, "Whoop, l big In
dian," or skulking, Ratchet in hand, ready
to spring like tiger on his enemy, is per
feet type and pattern of personal liberty.
1t all depends, however, on whose OK il
gored. Lawyers, doctors, grocers, mer
chants, mechanics, draymen and day labor
ers, that indicate purpose to vote for join
A. Martin, are forthwith boycotted, and ar,
ssysgely told by these patrons of persona
liberty: ~You vote that way and you ge
no more business from us" There is, how
ever, one kind of personal liberty that il
not to be allowed TO exist on this American
continent Fathers are not to be allowed
the personal liberty TO protect their owl
boys from the temptations of the dram
shops. This thing is to be like jug-handle
all on one side.
We have said this is Il conspiracy agains
public liberty. Fifty-fve millions of peopl.
here in America are the sovereign and gov.
erning power, and being this have becom,
the most honored and prosperous nation on
the face of this green earth. But among
these millions the old adage would be rea,
LIKED, "Many men of many minds" and
this would issue in hopeless confusion wer,
it not for the potency of one principle. Il
is mentally agreed that measure having q
ma jority of votes, or the largest number Of
votes, should be counted carried; and that q
man having majority, or the largest mum.
Der of votes, shall be counted elected
When the people cease TO adhere to thi.
principle our government ceases to exist
We assert then that Mr.. Click and his rab.
BILE following Of perjurers and law breaker,
are engaged in a conspiracy that is sheer
blank and unauthorized treason and REBEL
ion. But it is in harmony with the eterna
fitness Of things that Geo. W. Click should
be the leader of this reasonable conspiracy
against the most vital principles o.
our American government; for, he was
in heart traitor in the late war
only he did not have the courag,
and manliness to stand up and be shot at
but left that sort of thing to somebody else
and skul4ed away. Then, when returning
peace brought renewed prosperity, Atchi
son saw Monsieur Tonson come again, anc
after the old fashion he began to peel
ground for q chance to turn an honest pen.
nv. This man and his following are engag.
ed in reasonable conspiracy because that
alaw was enacted by almost a four-fifth.
majority of the Legislature, and was duly
signed BY the governor. BY the decision Of
all the courts in America, the right to enac,
this law belonged to the legislature, whethe,
the prohibitory amendment was a part Of
the constitution or not Mr.. Click and hi.
fellow traitors say: I'VE will not obey thi,
law" Indeed, if Mr. Click had not been an
ingrained traitor, he would not have beer
governor at all. Judge John A
Martin had too much manhood and
loyalty TO stand on platform
Of treason and rebellion; and it WAS because
Geo. w. Click was without manhood
without loyalty and without conscience
that he was placed in position TO reap the
harvest that came from the peoples revol,
against John p. St. John.
And now with the example Of the final
collapse of the slaveholders' rebellion before
their very eyes, is there any party in Atchi-
son county that viii follow this man in this
mad enterprise to overthrow the govern
ments
Jefferson Davis, George w. Click, and
Lots wife, transformed into pillar of salt
are predestined 10 be three everlasting mon.
uments of the folly of rebellion against =
just law.-Champion.