The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-11-01

formulate platform Of principles or
to indicate in any way the advantage
to the county that might follow the
election of it's nominees. As there 10
no Union Labor newspaper In the
county to make good this oversight on
the part of the convention, will you
kindly send me q brief statement for
publicatio in the REGISTER, OF the
public grounds on which you appeal
to the voters of Allen county? BY
"public grounds" / mean, OF course,
the political reasons why you should
be elected, as distinguished from any
plea you might make on the ground Of
your personal fitn ess for the office.
Ishould be pleased alsoif you would
state whether, in your judgment, the
principles of the Union Labor and
Democratic parties are SUBSTANTIALLY
the same.
Hoping to be favored with an early
reply l remain
Very respectfully yours,
CHAs. F. SCoTT.
The foregoing is copy Of letter
addressed, as will be seen by the date,
two weeks ago to-day to the Union
Labor and Democratic candidate for
treasurer. 1t seems to us to be civil
letter. It was certainly written In
good faith. Yet at this writing WED.
nesday), we have received no reply.
What construction can be put upon
this silence? Can Mr.. Power give no
reason for the faith that is in him? Or
has he no faith? Can he not set forth
the principles of his party? Or has it
no principles? Can he not point out
the difference between the Union La.
Dor and Democratic parties? Or 10
there no difference? Can he not state
the public grounds upon which he ap.
peals to the voters for their support?
Or are there no such grounds? These
are questions that Mr.. Power might
have set at rect by simply replying
as courtesy demanded that he should
reply-to a civil letter. Why didn't
he do il?
~
The probability is that Mr.. Power
RETAINED from answering the letter be-
cause he found that to do 80 would
place him In rather an embarrassing
dilemma. He could only have replied
to the query about the difference be-
tween the Union Labor and Demo-
cratic parties, by saying that there Is
difference or that there is not, and
as the candidate of both parties, either
position would have been fatal to him
If he had said there is difference, he
would have been obliged to state at
the same time which party he thought
was right, whereupon the other would
straightway have rerudiated him.
while outsiders would have INDUCED
in ribald remarks about the discom.
fort that he must suffer In riding two
horses at the same time, each going in
different direction. If he had taken
the other horn and maintained that
there is no difference between the two
parties, he would have been In q still
worse plight, for the honest men in
both would have abandoned him.
Under the circumstances we don't
know that we can much blame Mr..
Power for keeping silence. And this
conclusion as well as the foregoing re-
marks will apply with equal force to
Mr.. Lindsay to whom a similar letter
was addressed and who likewise pre-
served golden silence.
~
The facts are-and the knowledge
of it, which is SO patent, ought to
damn both parties-there is no princi-
pie at issue in the fight against the Re-
publican party in Allen county this
year. In their views on N ational pol
itics there is an antipo dsl difference
between the Union Labor and Demo-
cratic parties. And yet here we find
them locked together in go close an
embrace that to try to stick a pin be-
tween them would only be to pin them
together. Both have trampled their
rightful banners i'm the dust and in
their places have raised the black flag
with the piratical inscription, "Any-
thing To down the Republicans!
That is the sole "principle" involved
in the fight made by the opposition,
"Anything to down the Republicans!
Are they to get the help of Republic
cans to do il?
~
That last question is one that we
ought to ponder seriously between
now and next Tuesday. For one
thing is certain: They will never win
the fight without Republican help,
If a single opposition candidate is
elected it will be by Republican votes.
And in what possible way can a Re-
publican justify himself for extending
this aid and comfort to the enemy?
Not on the ground that the county
would secure better officer, for take
them man for man and the Republi.
can candidates are the equals in every
case except where they are the super
Tors of their oppon entr. Nor on the
negative ground that the loss of one
or two officials will not weaken the
Republican party for it will. Nor
least of all on the ground of any prin-