Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1891-11-25
That KiOWa Raid.

ED, INDEX: I am not disposed. to vie with
or bubble with the Cresset in regard to its
characteristic misrepresentation and cute in-
nuendoes regarding that Kiowa raid, for in
these exquisite accomplishments l acknOw-
ledge my inferiority; but there are some things
in connection with that raid, whether 1t were
successful or not, that deserve the thoughtful
and unbiased consideration OF every sober,
patriotic, law-abiding citizen. Say what you
will. il was an honest attempt to enforce the
law, and as such, should receive the moral sup
port of every man and woman who does not
wish to ally himself or herself with the law
def1ers of our community.
Admit, If you please, that these constables,
inexperienced and suddenly snatched from
the toll of their farms, and poorly understand
ing the extent and limit of their duties and
powers, were slightly inefficient; what then?
1t should cause blush of shame and a feel
ing Of Indignation to every upright citizen,
that it should be necessary to employ unskill-
ed constables in order to have a search war
rant executed without tell-tale kilograms go
ing ahead and giving timely warning to put
everything beyond the reach Of a tardy execu-
ton, as happened when warrants were placed
in the hands of our county sheriff. Suppose
these constables were hsmpered by the slurs
threats, bluffs, and demonstrations of q howl
ing mob, half-drunken; suppose they were I'M
able to procure single weapon of defence or
a single conveyance from the "good people" of
Kiowa, to assist in carrying away the plenti-
full store Of Liquid damnation and fixtures is
that any reason why the Cresset should give
vent to its Uriah Heep chuckle? Is it not
rather cause to blush that such a condition
should exist in a civilized community?
Would it not seem more official II the county
sheriff, who was at least once in sight of the
scene of action, and could hardly have been
ignorant of the existing confusion, had been
on hand to lend hand?
How can we wonder that the mob was bold
in their threats and even leading "good peo
ple(N" we're free in lending a moral support to
the half-drunken crowd, which tended to In
cite them to deeds of violence, when these
| jointists have 50 long and so successfully de-
| fed law and order, def1ed q city ordinance
shared and hoodwinked a preacher under
| sham proceedings, and elected their sheriff?
Here the matter assumes q more serious as
pect. 1t is not difficult to recall the unholy
concubinage that took place between the
pseudo-temperance republicans and the joint
| stock democrats. The fruits thereof we're
pair of twins-Dobson and Nixon. The evi
dence of this is the fact that In every precinct
where liquor VIGOROUSLY ran free, or rather
| where men were VIGOROUSLY drunken, or II
you wish me to be more technical, ''whert
breath was rotten and faces flushed Funl
| lost and Dobson gained. Under these circum
stances is 1t at all illogical to infer that DobsoI
is head and shoulders of the Neutrality-suspicious.
stock ring? Is it any wonder then that tn,
jointists are defiant when their faYorite chilt
q, 1oGo
by the mouth-p piece of the hypocritico-t temper
ance-demo-republico-jo int-stock association?
But to turn from these justifiable inference
to the most undeniable facts what can we ga,
in justification of the base and lying insinua
ton that one Of these constables was bride,
! by five dollars. As it and some of its CORES
pondents haYe done in the past so this black
guard sheet, called the Cresset now attempt
| again to besmirch the character and reputa
ton of some OF the truest and best citizens O
| the county. AS for myself, i care not for thu
opinion of such a mongrel sheet; but as TO
my friends, desire to say that they undoubt
eddy have a character and manhood highe
| than the moral perception OF the editor of tn
Cresset has ever been able to penetrate.
The astonishing feature Of it all is that PEG
| pie will continue to tolerate such an organ a.
the spokesman OF the great temperance repub
lican party. We can account for 1t only on thu
theory on which the poet accounts for the ex
| istence of crime:
''Crime is a monster of such hideous mein,
That to be hated needs but to be seen,
| But seen too oft, familiar with its face,
We first endure, then pity, then embrace"
However, trusting that the common sens
and moral sentiment of the community canno
be perverted by such puerilities we can for
| give it all on the grouno that Whom the god
would destroy they first make mad
| LEON BEALs.