Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-10-30
JUST BEFORE THE BATTLE.


With this issue of the DEMOCRAT
we have the last word to say to the
public concerning the election to take
place next Tuesday, and it is with feel
ings of pleasure and satisfaction we
make the statement; pleasure to think
that we will no longer be called upon
to witness the desperate and unwarrant
ed efforts made by the republican
managers to hoodoo the voters of the
land into again hosting them to power;
and satisfaction of knowing that i'll the
bitter fight that has been waged we
have done nothing or said nothing that
we cannot cOnscientiOusly now endorse
as being for the best interests of the
voters of Kansas.
The fight this fall has been one of
peculiar features. In the first place,
it was, on the part of democrats, a
fight for the principles of tariff reduc-
tiOn and anti-mOnOpOly, as laid down
by that great statesman Grover Cleve-
land, as against the high protective
policy of the Harrison administration.
On that line we have stood firm at all
times, and was pleased to note that at
last the farmers, the backbone and
main stay of this western country, were
awakening to a knowledge Of the true
state of affairs. They had united in an
organization of their own class for the
purpose of better working together for
their common interests, and we bade
them God-speed in their work, for we
knew, as all men know. that if the
farmers of Kansas, Though their
fraternal and social organizations,
could he brought to a realization of the
iniquities of the many laws that oppress
the people they would work together as
one man for change, and if they could
accomplish the reforms they saw were
needed and thus better their financial
conditions all other classes necessarily
depending upon the farmer and his
products would be in like manner
benefited. There was nothing politi-
cal in theix organization at that time,
but eventually the movement for the
peoples party was set on foot, and it
has continued to such an extent that
the old republican managers of the
state have, for the last few months,
been scared out of their boots at the
almost inevitable defeat that stares
them in TIE face. From that time on
until the present that party with a
formerly overwhelming majority in
Kansas has waged a bitter warfare
upon the farmers movement. Its
leaders and managers have resorted to
all the dark and questionable tricks and
schemes known to them to whip their
former voters back into line. How
well they succeeded will only &c known
when the votes are counted out.
The DEMOCRT has told it's demo
cratic readers in the alliance that these
efforts of the old republican manager:
would be made, and that there was
chance of such efforts succeeding a:
heretofore; and we have warned then
that they, as democrats in the thirt
party.movement, should look out thai
their republican brothers in the cause
did not play them false. This we did
not to disintegrate the alliance or t.
make brother mistrust brother; but WI
did it because we believed it duty t.
the men whom we KNEW to be hOnes'
in the good work they had undertaken
for the benefit of themselves and man
kind generally.
Because Of our position in this tn
opposition has changed us with at
tempting to play our readers as suckers
they have falsely charged us with urg
ing farmers to go into the third part.
movement and then deserting them
AS to whether or not we have deal
honorably and squarely by our reader
we leave you to judge for yourselves
We are not worried about the result o
your decision.
Following swift, one after the other
came the original package decision o
the Supreme Court and its attendan
free liquor; the excitement Of tn
change from prohibition to almost fire
whiskey; the vexed complications tina
the people of Kansas had to cOnfron
as ruslt of that decision; the deman
of a respectable element of the republ
can party for a resubmission of th
prohibition question to a vote of th
people, ard the treatment they receive
from the governor of the state; th
passage of the Wilson bill, and the
the decision of the courts which mad
it ineffective; all these things followe
one after the other so swiftly and wit
such startling effect, that the averae
mind became greatly puzzled to whs
was really the best thing to be done.
In the meantime, the democrats
Kansas and the resubmission republ
cans met in convention and place
before the people a ticket composed
capable and honorable men,, the dem
Gratis and resubmission republicans