Western Kansas world., 1892-09-03
HON, A. w. SMITH.


by the People In Opposition to
Railroad Influences.
Many of the fatalities that occur in
water are caused by men losing their
confidence when they discover that they
are beyond their depth. They strike
wildly about, waste their strength, and
hasten the very result they would avoid.
So it is with the opposition press at this
time. Unable to attack the character or
record, public or private, of A. w.
Smith, they have raised the old cry of
railroad influence" appealing to all the
worst prejudices Of voters. This appeal
is their last struggle. the wild throwing
of their arms in the air before they
sink, unmindful of the strong, steady
strokes of the confident republican
swimmer who is fastening to their
retcue.
Railway men certainly have q right
to take an interest in the control of
state affairs. They have yielded up
none Of their good citizenship in assum-
ing positions with the great corpora
tions. They, as we'll as all other citi-
zens of this commonwealth, have inter-
ests at stake that can be sustained only
as the reputation of Kansas can be
maintained.
But as regards the nomination Of
Mr.. Smith, what are the facts? There
were 720 delegates in the state conven-
tion, 300 of whom were farmers and six
we're railway attorneys. Two hundred
and forty-fve of the former voted for
Mr.. Smith, and every one Of the latter
voted against him on every ballot.
More than this, the strong lobby
present was composed in part of work.
ing politicians who represented the
Santa Fe, the Rock Island, the Union
Pacific and the Missouri Pacific railway
companies. They were not in Topeka
as official representatives of their COM
panies. but who can say that George r.
Peck, w. A. johnson, A. A. Hurd, John
Motif, Chas Foulks, T. N. Sedgwick,
81. A. Chamberlaine, G. J. Peckham, J.
W. Hamilton, VIM. P. Hackney, and
their friends, all of whom opposed the
nomination of Mr.. Smith, were here in
opposition to the interests Of the COM
panies they represented!
Some Of these gentlemen supported
Mr.. Murdock, while others favored the
nomination of Mr.. Morrill, It was con-
ceded that they were all acting as indi-
viduals, and in no instance was the sham
cry of railroads" raised.
The papers of the opposition, which
have with wonderful unanimity raised
the cry that Mr.. Smith was nominated
by railroad influences, know that every
railroad mar taking part in the work
his selection as the candidate for gov
ernor. These papers, in seeking to add
fuel to the fires fed two years ago by
tho demagogues who famed them into
. quick blaze. apparently do not care
for the results that might come from
placing prejudice and ignorance in
power. The security of property and
the safety Of society are nothing to
them-they see only the possibility OF
possessing some of the Offices.
In their blindness they arc now
charging Mr.. Smith with being rail-
road agent, regardless OF his open
record in 1867, when, as a member
of the legislature, he was foremost IN
the efforts then made to regulate the
railroads and compel fairness and just
ice 20 the farmers and other shippers
az Kansas In the committee room
and ON tho floor Of the house his
strength was given to those seeking TO
control the railroad corporations and
reduce their freight rates
There is a. much reason and sense m
thie cxy a. thsre was in the platform
aaouted BY tie populists st Wichita h