The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-03-20
WHO WILL BE MAYOR?

question, the following is submitted:
Local politics are becoming intensely
interesting. It is so all over Kansas, and
Wichita is no exception. The late Alli-
ance upheavel has set all the old lines
and divisions awry and muddled up the
old parties into an entirely new mixture
and one of conglomerate nature. While
the autumnal cyclone was rural in its
origin and whistled bucolic lay, it has
not stopped at the urbane confines, but
has passed in and turned everything into
turmoil and confusion There is general
disturbance and doubt in the public mind
as to where this man is and where that
one, what that one advocates and what he
derogates; what his principles are and
where he stands on divers questions.
Truth probably is that there is no de-
termining and many position On ques-
ton is waiting for the lack Of the asking.
Any way, the state of affairs is in a dread
full plight and offers sore disappointment
to the inquiring civilian. Amy loyalty to
the old parties has disappeared, either en-
tirely dead Or smothered down temporar-
lily for policy's sake, and even
the oft recurring hybrid. the Citi-
zens' ticket, has no grumbling apostatic
following under such a name. There is a
general regeneration and reorganization.
The man who was Republican year
ago ls supporting a Democrat: and the
whilom Democrat may be gnawing the
political ear of one of his partisians of a
twelfth month back with unstaid ferocity.
Nobody exactly understands how he stands
when 1t comes to the party name. There
IS usually some insignia which is held
worthy of fighting under, if not fighting
for. But there is none here strictly speak
ing. The different factions are known by
the names of the men who are at the head
of the municipal ticket. If you will go out
on the streets, you viii discover that your
vote is not sought after in pledge to sup
port the National Alliance, the Farmers
Alliance, or the independents but the in
terrogation is who are you going to sup
port? There is no party name. In fact
there is such a hazy befuddled conclusion
III regard to the distinctions and
contradistinctions in these two cog
nomens of Alliance, that a modern
lMachiavel would throw up an
investigation into the matter in disgust.
The most thorough exposition is that one
is the ''Plug-Hat Alliance" and the other
the ''Sockless Alliance" but which is
which, you must discover for yourself, for
a representative of one side claims that
the other is. and the other recriminates.
There is great craze over the country
| just at present for the name Alliance"
and it is to satisfy those cravings of public
desire that these similar differences In
| titles have been tackled on.
1t is battle between the men who are
in the race for mayor, and it is growing
warmer every day, if not every hour. 1t
is all the talk on the street corners as well
as along the streets proper, where quiet
| little confabs are held in private or the
| fiXer and mixer has button-holed some
doubtful voter. Unlike politics usually, it
has not confined itself to sthe streets and
masculine haunts, but discussions have
entered into the homes, and sometimes, 1t
is said, turned domestic quietude topsy-
turvey. which is quite likely. This is
easily explained. The feminine portion of
the city can vote, if they so please.
A great many are registering voluntarily;
others are registering at the solicitation
of their husbands, others to vote against
the women's favorite, and some, SO rumor
goes. are registering their husbands. The
women, anyhow, are interested, and know
ing the honorable candidates, personally
or by sight, they are very eager to take up
a cudgel for their choice. A great many
who register will not vote, of course. But
should the enemy's fair auxiliaries become
alarming, they may be voted as a case OF
emergency. 1t was said yesterday that
the different candidates had carriages out
seeking fair voters to register, and 1t is
known positively that there are feminine
electioneers, and skillful ones at that. The
Farmers Alliance are said to be in the
lead in point of numbers of women regis
tered
However each candidate may run, or
whatever the final outcome of the inter
esting struggle may be, or what success
the individual plans of each candidate
may meet with, is all conf cture but in
all political poemics there is
this much definiteness-each candi-
date has in his own mind what
forces he may depend upon and what
| forces he must draw upon to achieve sue
! cess All of the candidates for mayor are
each sanguine of success and are backed
up in their hopes by long petitions The
following was gathered up yesterday by an
EAGLE representative, and shows IN
crude impartial state the forces of the four
candidates as they expect to muster them
on the second seventh day Of April. One
counts upon the support of the business
men and the citizens at large. He will
divide the Democratic vote with another
candidate This other candidate expect to
get the laboring classes and the independ-
ents as well as part Of the Democratic
vote Another expects TO secure the major
portion of the labor vote. Still another
claims the prohibition vote and part OF the
Union Labor. Three of the parties are for
resubmission. 1t will be seen from the
above that the fight is over the laboring
vote of the city. The man who holds a
fair show with the business men, and
makes the biggest inroads into the labor
vote, if the present candidates hold good,
will probably be the man.
THE BABIES BALL
The children's dress party. given last
night at the Armory hall by Miss Lucy