The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-04-04
REPUBLICANS IN IOWA AND IN
KANSAS.

IN Kansas WOulu soon De 1eeInlg lone
some with their prohibition, and in tn
very near future, should the party in he
sister state Of Iowa keep on in their pres
ent course demanding local option. low;
and Kansas have been the banner Repub
lican states of the Union, but Iowa ha
been practically lost to the party Of free
dom through prohibition, andnO man car
tell where Kansas viii land in the mex
campaign. SeGgwick county, the mos
popuIous county in Kansas, cast as big
Republican majority in proportion to hel
population as did the state at large in the
last national election, yet Sedgwicl
county's two thousand Republican ma
iority was wiped out, completely, at the
last election because the party bosses re
fused the county convention permission
to put a resubmission plank in its plat
form. The question now is, viii not the
same thing happen to the Republican
party of the state at large if the party in
its convention, the coming summer, re-
fuses to declare in favor of another vote
on the question Of prohibition.
This seems a pertinent question and
we believe it is, although Kansas Repub-
lican politicians and Kansas Republican
newspapers have now, for more than a
year, almost unanimously laughed to
scorn the EAGLES declaration that po-
litical rebellion and revolution was inev-
liable in Kansas. No facts nor statistics
viii convince these newspaper editors
and these political bosses that there is
any danger TO the Republican party. not
even in the threatening attitude of the
alliance. The EAGLE has, however,
never changed its opinion, talking to and
hearing from more people in Kansas
every day. as it does, than any other Re
publican paper IN the state, and than all
the political bosses combined.
The anti-prohibition movement in the
Republican party of Iowa ought to serve
as pointer to the Republican party
managers of Kansas, even if they won't
listen TO the EAGLE. That the meaning
of that convention at Des Moines day
before yesterday, presided over by a life
long Prohibitionists, and conducted by
earnest temperance Republicans can not
be misinterpreted. 1t means that Iowa
is going TO follow, and in this or next
year, in the steps of Pennsylvania and of
the other Republican states on the ques-
ton of prohibition, by RELOCATING the
the moral phazes Of it to purely moral
forces and influences and by regulating
the sale Of intoxicants in all communities
where the local sentiment will not
thoroughly prohibit its illicit sale.
Ex-Governor Kirkwood's letter to that
convention, the words of that grand old
war governor and temperance man, en-
compassed the whole prohibition policy
as political question, when he said that
il was too much like bull doing and
that Republicans are not built that way.
The comparatively small coterie of pro-
hibition bosses in Kansas like st. John
of one kind and Barney Kelly of an
other, together with their allies, and slls-
tanned by a cowardly crew of Office
holders, have been doing just that thing
for the Republican party for years in
Kansas-bull doing it. Only such great
and independent men as Governor Kirk
wood, who asks no Office, and who can
only be a Republican, dare put such
honest convictions down in black
and white. They "buIldoze."
Because the EAGLE a little over a year
ago commenced to sound the alarm to
its party, as modestly and softly as pos
sible, intimating what was coming to the
Republican party of Kansas, Snd because
later on in reply to the tests and sneers of
Republican newspapers. 1t plainly said
that the rebellion would defeat the party
locally and as a state organization not
only but probably effect the presidential
campaign of'92. It's editor was subjected
10 insulting letters, and called a rummy
in public meetings and a quasi Democrat
training with the Kansas City Times. bv
Republican papers, and at one county
seat at least in southwest Kansas. a
speaker boldly proclaiming that the
editor of the EAGLE was a common
drunkard staggering almost daily about
the streets Of Wichita. Bulldozing!
But enough of this The party lead
ers and Republican editors, not only. but
the thinking, temperate men who consti-
tute the great body who has stood Nv and
upheld the Republican party of Kansas
IN its extreme prohibitory measures, are
asked, in all kindness and seriousness.
to read the proceedings of the anti-Pro-
hibiton Republican convention in Iowa,
in connection with a reelection over the
action of other Republican states of late
on that question, and then analvze re-
suits.
There Is one thing that the Republican
party of Kansas must make up its mind
10, and Immediately. and that Is the next
state convention must cOncede the PEG
PIE of the state another opportunity to
vote on the question Of prohibition or
otherwise the people viii deprive the
Republican marty of Kansas the mower
Of making that or any other concession.
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Two lahnrrrs m Wichita On, Nm nho,,-