Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1888-11-21
ANOTHER REASON.


1t is not difficult now 10 trace out
causes for Mr.. Cleveland's defeat
There are many Il told you so's.r and
there are lot of disappointed individ-
uals who happened TO lose money dur
ing the past four years, in the regular
course of business, who now attribute
their bad luck To the Democrats being
in power. The latest we have seen is
in the Kansas City Times, prominent
Kansan talking to the GOssiper in that
paper. Said the Kansan:
Mayor Hewitt is responsible in a
great measure for the defeat of Presi-
dent Cleveland and the Democratic par
ty. He-has had 1t in for the president
since 1888, and has been abiding his
time To get even. You remember in
that year great howl was made about
the cattle barons having possession of
Indian territory lands and that their at
tempt to rob the Indians of their rights
was about to cause war with the Chev-
ennes.
There were large syndicates of cat
tie men who had hundreds of thousands
of dollars invested not only i'm stock but
in improvements maze upon these
leased lands. At the head of one of
these syndicates was Abraham Hewitt.
and Ed. FenlOn, of Leavanworth, was
managing the great interests involved.
The sO-called outbreak of the In
dams compelled the president TO take
steps for an investigation, and SO he
sends the lieutenant general OF the army
the late General Sheridan, down there
to investigate and report with recon-
mendatiOns. Sheridan was accompanied
By General Miles, who was Just then as
signed to duty at Fort Leayonworth.
General Sheridan got to Fort Reno. but
the reported Indian outbreak he found
to be side show. At any rate he COM
menced an investigation on Saturday
morning and after he interviewed the
most restless Indians, the minority, he
recommended the same night to the
president that the cattlemen be given
forty days to leave the territory. This
meant absolute destruction of property
for it was almost impossible to remove
the interests at stake within that period.
On the Monday following the Arapahoes
and other good Indians were interviewed
and they all favored the leases as any
man of good common sense would.
Mayor Hewitt and partners and all
the other leading men, Colonel Hunter,
of st. Louis aI1Ong them, knew the in
"A Il Il
sheridan had his mind made up as to
how to act before he went to the terri
tory. lie might just as well stayed in
Washington and made a similar report,
thus saying the government a large ex-
pense. Miles was opposed to the forty
day order and it was known that Colonel
Hunter. who was at Reno, couldn't get
a hearing by Sheridan.
You should remember what terri
bic cOmmOtiOn Sheridan raised in Leav-
OnwOrth. The cattlemen organized and
sent a committee Washington TO call
on the president. Hewitt was then in
congress and he was made the spOkes-
man. The case was presented clearly
To the president and he was informed as
to what destruction of private capital
and investments would take place If
such an order was enforced. Their
statements were not only well founded,
but came true, as many of the smaller
moneyed men were broken up and the
wrecks can be found in many places in
Kansas to-day. Me president was firm
in saying to them: Il have sent General
Sheridan, the head of the army, to make
the investigation. lie reports to me
that SO and so would be the proper
thing to do. accepted his advice. To
now go back upon what | have publicly
proclaimed would 60 out as an impress
sion that the president Is the willing
tool of the cattlemen as against the in
terest of the people. l am satisfied you
gentlemen have a good case. but have
been placed in position where / can
not 90 back
Again and again he was appealed to
but ian vain. Hewitt's temper knew no
bounds He was wild. He had given
$4,000 towards the election. To be
thus used in the house of his friends
was more than he could bear and he at
once gave them all to understand that
day of reckoning would come. 1t has.
Hewitt is revenged. but at the expense
of the Democratic party. Had he cared
more for it and less for personal griev-
ances. the party could have been re-
turned to power. Hewitt knew the
mayOralty fight would cause a loss of
votes TO the national ticket, and under
the plea of personal vindicatiOn conclu-
ded TO stick It out and thus aid in de-
feating Cleveland That is just what
he has done. / think the president was
right and General Sheridan very
wrong"