Wichita eagle., 1886-08-22
THE FIGHT ON GOVERNOR MARTIN

The Democratic press of Kansas, as
sisted by the Bourbon press of the Missouri
border, have started in with very con-
temptible and miserably flimsy line of op-
position to Governor Martin, it being line
Of lies and misrepresentation, not only as
to his administration, but as to his life's
record, which is open as a book. With a
renegade Republican, as their nominee, and
whisky felt, if not expressed rs their in
spiration and platform, these Democratic
papers stop at no Misrepresentation. They
lie about his record on the prohibition ques-
ton, lie about his official acts so far as they
may have touched the enforcement of the
law, lie about his earnest and most success
full and honorable policy touching the labor
troubles of last spring, to degree which is
not only sIanderous but brutal. Some of
the third-party papers are no more decent
in this respect than the other sheets. Why
this kind of warfare against man whose
whole political record is without a stain or
blemish, we are puzzled to make out,
unless it arises from the fact
that the editors of these papers rec
ognizing that never in the history of that
party in this state had such such blunder
been committed as the nomination of dis
gruntled ex-Republican as their standard
bearer, and the putting on their ticket for
responsible and honorable position, a blus
tering and loud-mouthed negro. of whom
no one outside of the saloons in his own
ward in Leavenworth had ever heard, feel
therefore, that something desperate must be
done
Now, the whole Democratic and third
party press of Kansas is challenged to point
out single instance in the political or per-
sonal career of John A. Martin justifying
in the remotest degree the miserable and
whelp-like fight attempted to be made.
Governor Martin, for the quarter of a
century in which we have intimately
known him, was never before charged with |
a corrupt, dishonest, or hypocritical act,
and for one, we are getting tired of this
senselcss howl True, no doubt, the Re
publican papers will almost unanimously
say that such fight is unworthy of notice,
in that the Democrats themselves know bet
ter; still we think, in view of the fact that
it is an off year, and in view of the further
fact that the third party combination are
seeking to destroy the Republican party
in Kansas; these yawpers should
be silenced; that their misrep-
resentations should be promptly
and properly branded as lies; lies as tissue
less as they are mean, otherwise by their
continued reiteration good, honest men may
be misled.
The truth is, and it is known to every
older inhabitant of the state, John A.
Martins personal and political record is not
only stainless, but in thought and conviction
ne is abreast of all the nObler and more
sentiments and principles OF
he times which in any way tend to the ele-
gation of humanity, and the lettering Of
human nature its ideas and convictions.
Governor Martin would sacrifice his present
honorable position a thousand times before
he would stoop to such tricks and misrep-
as are being employed by the
opposition press, thousand thousand
lines before he would resort to subterfuge
)r hypocricy in any matter or in any :
interest public or private