The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-11-01
FOURTH WARD MEETING.
HON. GEORGE L. DOUGLASS REVIEWS
THE WORK OF TIE LEGISLATURE.
Giving Some Attention to. Current Mis-
representations and Local
Issues Discussed.

anu bhu NOoCIo k4NC UNUSUALLY KOOQ dIbt0
ton to the speakers of the occasion. Th,
meeting was called TO order by Mr.. C. H
Brooks and Mr.. S. J. Castator was made
chairman. Without delay Mr. Castato
presented the Hon. George L. Douglass
who was received with cheers In par
Mr.. Douglass spoke as follows:
Fellow Citizens:
| ask your indulgence, to talk for a few
moments upon matters largely local AMI
personal; after which you will hear some
good speeches by other gentleman present
upon the general issues of the day.
believe the people have q right to full
account by all public servants of wha
they have done, and no man in public
place can complain because some people
criticise him. They have a right to crit
else, and all that any man can ask is that
he shall be fairly judged in the light o
what be has done and what he promises tC
do. He has right to protest against
false statements and against ignorant, un
fair and malicious assertions, but public
servant who is unwilling TO have the truth
known in regard TO every act of his public
life ought to fall, and will fall; and am
here, my friends and neighbors, to give
an account to. you OF anything that
have done as your servant in the legisla-
ture, asking only the same fair treatment
that each of you would ask If you were In
my place.
Against my Democratic opponent, Mr.
Mathewson, or the Alliance candidate, Mr..
Brown, have not one word to say. / have
been friend of Mr.. Mathewson for years,
and nothing that shall say can ever be
used to destroy our friendship in years TO
come. A man who cannot be elected upon
his own merits had better be defeated.
Two years ago you sent me to Topekain-
structed to favor a constitutional conven-
ton, which of course would have carried
with it a resubmission of the prohibitory
amendment At the very first opportun-
lty / introduced the necessary joint resolu-
tiOn. At the very first chance | obtained
a unanimously favorable report from
the judiciary committee. The resolution
was made the special order on my motion:
and in support of the measure | made as
earnest a speech as | ever made in my life.
That the resolution failed to receive the
requisite support was no fault Of the
Sedgwick county representatives. 1t had
our earnest support; and it is a curious
fact that, when this opportunity to obtain
resubmission was Immediately at hand,
every Democrat in the house was either
absent and not voting or voted against it.
But your represent aUives were there faith
iul TO their promise and true TO their
trust.
anu 1 WISH 10 Say 10 YOU, my lTleIuS,
that this year ! stand upon a r publican
county platform, which instructs for re-
submission. did not need any instruct
ionupon this point. for | have repeatedly
stated my position on this questi n; and,
in a letter to Col Lewis on Sept. 8, |
said, what ! now repeat, that having
pledged myself TO vote for resubmission,
If elected to the legislature, intend to do
so even if every other member of the legis-
lature votes against IL.
do not want any man to misunderstood
me on this or on any other point. l do not
want to wriggle or squirm into any office
on earth, and if have kept my pledges in
the past you will judge from this whether
| will keep them in the future. do not
believe in making all kinds of promises
before election and forgetting them after
wards, for l am old-fashioned enough to
believe that a political pledge is as sacred
as a personal promise. 1t was upon this
principle that two years ago in the legisla-
lature also contended for the bill to lower
the legal rate of interest. The bill was
an agonlzed by many ang powerful inter
ests; bu' il finally became law in Its es-
sential features exactly as l drew it.
The platform was our first promise, and
the statute is our promise redeemed.
Then there was the antitrust bill We
had promised the people to pass measure
to strange trusts and cOmbines-so far as
state legislation could do it-and | had the
honor TO report from the committee of
which was chairman, and to support,
one of the most stringent measures ever
placed on the statute books of any state
Here is the printed house bill in my hands
with that report. And 90 look at the
statutes of 1889 and you will find this bill
in the legislation of this state
Again the platform was our promise and
{ be statute is its fulfillment.
Two years ago the people of Sedgwick
county were complaining of the enormous
expense of the grand jury. But since we
the law at Topeka, year ago last
winter, there hasn't been a grand jury nor
one penny extended for a grand jury IN
Sedgwick county. DO you approve of this?
Then there was the bill for the protec-
ton of children-the first piece of legisla-
ton of the kind ever placed On the statute
book of Kansas j had the honor to intro
duce il and press it through, together
with the bill for the prevention of cruelty
to animals, and also the bill relating TO
the control and management OF destitute
an iriendless children. There was no
politics in these bills; but they filed
PRESSING want in the statutes of this state,
and they cover subject that ought to en-
list the sympathy and support OF every man
and woman in Wichita. And now | ask
II YOU nothing more than to remember
hat they were placed on on the statute
books of this state by the earnest, active
labor of your representatives.
| cannot go even over half the list. vet
here few other things l wish to refer
10. A year ago last winter
defect in the sewer law was discovered
All work on the sewers of Wichita was
stopped Hundreds of men We're out of
work Mayor Allen and Pat Healy came
lp TO Topeka to get some immediate legis-
alton TO relieve the situation 1t was
ate in the session, and there was vast
number of uillS ahead of the bill they
handed TO me TO have passed. But in about
hree days time we had the bill introduced
aud through the legislature and the work
II the sewers went on and the laboTing
men We're paid
Then there was the school question. The
Did law was considered seriously detective;
and the number of schools existing under
10 wholly insufficient. We took hold Of
hat matter and passed new school law
.Or Wichita, under which all csc fine
throughout the city have been
erected To accommodate thousand of child /
ZEN, and the construction of which |
yave employment. in the hard /
ines. 10 hundreds Of lSboring men. !
And that bill was passed in the house, in [
he rush and crush Of legislation, at the /
very heels OF the session, by the special eff !
ort of your representative.
/ ask no credit for these things whatever. !
lut do ask you TO remember them when !
men in ignorance or malice stand on the 4
treet corners abusing me and asking, 1
w hat dld Douglass ever do for Wichitss' !
l tried TO do some other things for Wlch- I
Ia | fought the bills that were largely I
aimed at and calculated TO crusa the stock I
md packing interests of Wichita. upon 4
which the growth and prosperity of our 1
.ity so largely depends; and with what sue /
eSS let those men speak who can remem- 4
)er two years back.
/ suggested, reported and passed through 4
he house a bin providing whenever a 4
Mortgage was foreolosed for non /