The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-05-26
Troubles in Kansas.

1t Is not probable that the Hon. jon
JAMES INGALLS, is greatly disturbed by tn
J revelations which our esteemed contempt
rary, the Kansas city Times, has been max
ing about the singular resemblance between
certain passages in one of his funeral ora
tons and certain passages Of Bishop Mas
SILLoN. There is question of much more
immediate interest to him than Il defence
against charges of plagiarism.
Mr.. INGALLSs term as Senator in Con
gress expires next year, and Just now the
Republican politics OF Kansas is a mixture
hard to be analysed. His friends have ap.
parently been working hard to keep local
branches and conventions Of the Farmers
Alliance from falling upon him. but at pres
ent the Farmers Alliance seems bent upon
his discontinue. He is reported to be pre-
pairing speech upon farm mortgages in
| Kansas with view, doubtless, to showing
his interest in the Kansas granger But the
| Kansas grangerS are queer critters. They
have some Of the most remarkable financial
and economic notions that have ever found
acceptance outside Of an insane asylum.
Mr.. INGALLS, has great intellectual elas-
ticity and deXterty. but he is VIGOROUSLY
man of too much intelligence to have his
advocacy Of Bcdlam nonsense accepted as
genuine. even il he were inclined to swal-
low his pride and try to conceal his intelli-
gence until the granger clouds roll by.
His very briliancy. cleverness, wit and ora
torical power make him an object of slls-
picion to the excited persons who are trying
to have their private grievances abolished
by act Of Congress. Then he has made him
self conspicuous as a supporter Of in
discriminate pensions; and the Kansas
grangers who are not themselves actual or
possible pensioners are said to be aggricvcd
at the effort to swamp the surplus upon
pensions. They think that the Government
is doing too much for the veterans and too
little for tho grangCrs. This sentiment
makes it little hard for Mr.. INGALLS, to
lay out safe course to steer by.
Then the everlasting prohibition question
is stirred up again, and it is in fair way to
make trouble for the Republicans. For some
time, and especially since the defeat of the
Iowa Republicans last year. there has been
a demand among the Republicans in the
cities and large towns of Kansas for re-
submission Of prohibition to the people
Last Friday Il convention of rcsubmission
Of asking the Governor to call n special ses-
sion of the Legislature "to resubmit the
prohibitory amendment" 1t was attempted
without success to induce the Governor to
appear before the convention and hear the
memorial read He agreed to receive and
consider the memorial and return Il written
answer. but further he would not go. Cpou
his refusal there was some pretty warm talk,
and the present management OF the Repub-
lcan party OF Kansas was sharply attacked.
Finally resolutions were adopted opposing
prohibition and the proposed law for cOun-
teracting the effects Of the decision of the
Supreme Court OF the United States in the
Iowa "origlnal package" case. State
Republican Central Committee was an
pointed, and 1t was agreed TO support only
rcsubmissionists for Office
So there Is n pretty kettle OF fish. There
are two Republican parties in Kansas there
is n separate Prohibitionist party. there is the
Farmers Alliance with blood in its eye, and
there are the Democrats, happy in the pros
prct and looking for very large cut in the
Republican vote.
AS Mr.. INGALLS, muses. on these things.
and adds to the obstacles in his way the de-
cided unpopularity Of the Administration,
he may have need for al his philosophy.
But he Is quick and bold fighter, and may
get more fun than blows in the shlndy that
seems inevitable.