Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-03-26
WHISKY AND DEMOCRACY.
A Thin Dodge to Catch Republican
Support

II is human nature TO sympathlze
with those in distress and 10 pity, even
an enemy. that is made 20 vicariously
suffer. The Bescon. in its night be-
fore lasts issue. mandates itself on
the much-abused altar of personal lib
erty, an unwilling sacrifice to the
Democratic god, whisky. We say I'M
willing. because the editor of the city
organ is not such a slave to the bottle
as he would have us believe, nor Is he
such n friend 10 the saloon nor such
an enemy to temperance As his words
would seem TO indicate. The whole
secret of that columns wail, under the
head of GLOW often will the liberia
voter he roped in," lies in t8e fact
that the Republicans of Wichita pro-
pose to act for themselves and 10 NOM
mate and run their own ticket rather
than to longer play into the lands OF
a few week Democratic bosses who
have managed. fer years, by appeal
ing 10 unworthy prejudices and low
instincts. to keep control of this
city. Without whisky or the saloon,
Democracy is always al
disadvantage. No Democratic party
paper can make fight in the absence
of these elements, so we were not sur
prised TO see the Beacon Juggling in
the corpse of an issue that is so dead
so far Is the interests Of the present
city campaign are concerned that no
amount of stirring by the Beacon or
bv ANYBODY else can ever make II
stink. Had the Democrats of Wichita
the power to make Fritz SnitZler
mayor and he the power to select his
own council, no open or licensed Sa-
looms would be run in Wichita. The
personal views of mayor nor the
convictions nor desires of the city
council can possibly cut any figure in
the whiskey or saloon question. and
any man who thinks such a
thing possible lacks good sense,
and any politician or paper
who tries TO make il appear that 1t
does, is an unblushing demagogue.
The last legislature lifted that matter
beyond the control of any city or
county, beyond the actions, or want
of actions. of any or all local or coun-
ty officers. If this were not SO, why
don't the present Democratic mayor
and Democratic council make them
selves felt in the direction of licensing
a few sa7oon,? The city administra-
ton. in so far as that question cuts any
figure. is powerless. And IL makes
not a whit of difference whether the
EAGLE is a prohibition or an auti-
prohibition paper, 20 far as the city
election this spring il concerned. and
all long winded attempts of our d.
pairing ncighbor 10 drag it into such
a fight viii prove futile.
Wichita has AWAY, been an anti
prohibition town, but at every gen
eral election it has Just as squareiy
shown that il is Republican town.
Mediocre Democrats have taken ao-
vantage OF he large liberal Republi-
can element To get themselves int
Office aud 50 for years Wichita, re
publican city, has been run-we wiil
not say goyerned-hy the Democrats.
who have never neglected a chance To
use the power thus gained
against the Republican party
and Republican tickets of the county.
Republicans. having grown tired of
this game, propose now to look little
after their own interests and no whis-
Ky howl that the Beacon or the Dem
ocratic party can invent, or set up.
will deter them from voting for Re
publicans instead Of Dem ocrats.
As for the question of resubmission.
a constitutional convention, etc, these
questions will undoubtedly come to
the surface again IN future state cam
paigns. The state being overwheln-
ing Republican thew are questions
which will he decided by the Rcpubli-
can party. Bat they have no senii-
mental nor practical bearing On the
local campaigns of this spring.
For our own part we believe the ma
iority ought to rule and the Demo
Gratis are not in the majority in Wich-
tia. We believe furthc rmore that a
Republican is Just as good rs a Dem
ocrat and that no Republican ought
to permit himself to be whecdled by
specious pleas and smart lodges of
Democratic candidates to voting
against his own party and his own
candidates and TO voting for some
Democrat who sails under a false
flag, only To get into places of power
or tor some pretended Republican.
who is found working with the Demo
Gratis 10 beat his own party.
The ticket put up by the Republic
can convention, and found at the head
of these columns. is just as good as
can be la ched by the bosses. who
have for some time run this city. We
don't care what name they may con-
clude 10 sail under. how loud they
may call out "citizen>' ticket, or
Liberal ticket" or how many Repub-
licaus they may place on their ticket
10 catch votes. II will he all the same
a Democratic arrangement and IN The
int crest of the old ring, which gave
us the state Of affairs we had IN this
cItv last fall. when il was necessary to
form vigilance committee.
TOMMY HENDRICKS.
The Hoosior nf sore tee noioriety