The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-08-06
TEETOTALLY AGAINST FUSION.
Billy O'Connor Says He Can't Be Sold Out and
Delivered 10 the Alliance.

county attorney of Stevens county, was IL
the city last night on legal business, hav.
ing come down from Topeka where hi
also had legal matters TO attend to. Billy
is young man, but one of the true blus
Democrats whom Grover Cleveland ad
ministration selected for the internal rev
enue position now held by Robert Nc
Canse. He has taken an active part in
more in Kansas and no congressional con
yention and few state conventions
of the Democratic party have been
complete without his presence during the
past dozen years. Through the lack OF
Democratic papers out west which have
been killed deader than door nail by de-
structive fusions, corporations and en-
dorsements, very little is known about the
Democratic sentiment of that section OF
the state and the presence of O'Conner in
the city last night was like stray beam
of sunshine on u winters day to the local
politicians of Wichita
| How are the Democrats of the western
counties for Jerry Simpson," was the first
question put to him by the reporter for
the EAGLE.
I'VE have no use for Jerry Simpson or
nybody else except a straight Democrat
| and we propose to and are in position to
get one. If we succeed we will fight for
his election to finish.
'Who are the canddates?" Oh, there
are several mentioned and all of them are
pretty good men. Of Course we don't ex-
pect to elect him but we can do better by
voting for him than by voting for Jerry
Simpson.
What special objection have the Demo-
Gratis Of the district against Jerry. 1don't
know that they have any special objec-
| tions; but they have no end of general OBJ
| Jections to him. In the first place there is
no reason whatever why we should not have
candidate of our own and no reason
why we should take up Jerry. Can you
or anybody else tell me single thing
Simpson has done for the Seventh con-
gressional district since he has been in
congress? Can anybody cite me to single
bill he has introduced of special interest
| to his constituents since he left Medicine
Lodge? He has done nothing aud in this
respect he has no advantage over a de-
feated Democratic candidate so far as any
benefits may accrue to his constituents is
concerned. He has been to congress what
Dan Rice was to the circus--a mighty
clever clown-and that is ali that any man
can say for him and speak in the line of
absolute, stern facts.
what do you expect from a Democratic
candidate if you con elect hims" Well ri
tell you if you want to know it. Grover
Cleveland is going to be elected in spite of
Hail Columbia aud high water. Now
then al m. that ole limit
that the good Democrats Of the Seventh
convention desire to get some offices, who
are we to look for for the distribution of
patronage. Jerry Simpson can't do any
thing for is and if we have not a cand-
idate of our own won't we be compelled to
go crawling on our knees up to the Demo-
cratic candidate, of the First or Second
district asking for them. No sir, we propose
to have man in our own district who
shall have the say who shall be appointed
TO an Office, instead of a stranger to our
district having that privilege. The Demo-
Gratis of the district are against fusion, |
except Sedgwick county, and you fellows
here are for personal agrandizemeut. for
nothing else can be gained by the endorse |
ment of Jerry Simpson"
1T is very evident that you do not be- |
lieve in fusion then" suggested the re-
porter.
NO, do not; it would kill the strongest |
party in existence. | was in Mcpherson |
county at the reorganization OF the Demo !
cratic party and We started out in 1878 |
with 200 adhcrents, and by keeping in the |
middle of the road we had in a few years
!, 200 members. After accomplishing this, |
a few fellows, who did none of the hard |
work, kept on agitating fusion with this
and that and every wildcat party that
came along. and, as some of the old wheel
horses left the country, they got their way.
After six years of fusion they were in con-
fusion, and last year they had TO send out
west for some of the old workers to stump |
the county. They had been into fusion so
much that there was not a leader in the
county who had his hands clear enough of |
his past record to make a speech in the |
and it absolutely became nee
essary to send for some men who had
not been in the county for several years
TO talk straight Democracy The result
of their r-onkeying was that instead of
growing the party has dwindled down
from 1900 to about $50. Now then in 1883
Grover Cleveland came out with his tariff |
message and made the question of tariff
the issue. We fought along that line in
Kansas and Notwithstanding the fact that
the subject was not thoroughly understood
we got somewhere about 100000 votes |
Immediately great change came over the
people of Kansas. The more they studied
the question of tariff the better they took
to it u ntil great revolution took place
against the high protective principle In
stead of continuing TO do business at the
Did stand and profit by the
situation the Democratic party |
Of Kansas shut up shop and when the
came by the hundreds the party
stood in front of its closed doors and di-
rected the people to little peanut stand
Down the street run by party known as
the Alliance. The result was the Alliance
got boom while the Democrats lost not
only the new converts but their own mem
Oers as we'll. "Oh well, - the fusion Demo-
rats say, I'VE will turn in and beat the
Republicans this year and next year the
Aliancs will 60 to pieces and we will
gather up the wreck THIS idea is the
very summit of stupidity. the Alliance is
lot national party and never will be
without the aid OF the Democrats. For in-
stance, if Weaver carries the state this
rear the Alliance party will be a ma
ional party and Democratic votes will
that result. Do you think for
moment that after carrying state il
viii so to pieces? No, no man Of any sense