Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-02-09

the election, and others elected by the
voters from the State of Missouri. But
like you, Mr.. Sem, the members cid
not propose to be governed By the laws
but by their common seuse." They
proceeded to organize themselves into a
"house" with power to judge OF the
eligibility Of Its own members. The
committee on credentials reported that
they could mot entertain either the
certificate OF the governor, or a certified
copy of the judges Of the election, or
even the original return OF the election
as filed in tue Office OF the secretary"
aud recommended that the house rs
organized by the mob proceed to deter
mine who was entitled to seats. The
recommendations Of the committee
we're adopted, and, as In the case Of
your rump organization In this late day,
this model legislature, which like your
self was not going to be controlled by
law but by common sense" was very
soon purified OF all members having
the faint Of opposition in their gar
nents. Being untrammeled, as Is
your rump house, by any restrictive
power, from the executive or president,
II had but to pass such laws rs 1t saw
dt. Its work will ever stand as mon
ument Of the worst specimens OF
legislation that unanimity aud unre'
nricted license, obtained by fraud and
force is capable Of perpetrating.
But, dear senator, you ought not to
cease your historical Investigations nj
he point when the organization AFRO.
,antly and unlawfully by force and
iraud disregarded the laws in the
organization Of their house. Further
inquiry may reveal to you some whole
some intelligence, which may enable
your party TO avoid some very rough
places In its future career. Thes,
zane fellows having started on The
road to disregard law, rushed headlonR
IN their madness, aud just as one steT
IN crime always leads TO another Il
uphold themselves in their iniquity
they were compelled to resort to armi
and to carry out their unlawful design
and to enforce the illegal acts Of theiI
illegal house, they each carried revol
YER aud they armed their sheriff with
4hotguns instead OF legal writs. Fol
'everal years the beautiful territory Of
Kansas was the scene Of strife, blood
,hed, anarchy. Those were the times
IN Kansas when men who did moi
propose to be governed In their ofliciaI
acts by the statutes, bat by common
sense" ruled. The political battles
we're fought with other than moral
arguments. Men went prepared foI
the worst and every man, whether met
upon the highway or far away on the
prairie, l istincliyely put his hand n
his revo YER and at night slept with it
under pillow. The last browning act
Il infsmy In which any Of these men
Who proposed to be governed by ICON
non sense" instead OF law In organiz
ng the Kansas house participated wa:
when two Of them were shot to death
while sacking the city of Lawrenc,
nder Quantrell, the guerilla of Mis-
,Ouri.
During all these years OF common
'ense" rule, these common sense
rulers found few Sympathizers in Mis-
'ouri an throughout the south, just
where your lawbreakers are lacking fol
ympathY I'd encouragement today
| We do MT wish to predict any sucf
nnfortun .te result either to our STATE
or to the party to which you adhere
but jutt AZ certain as effect follow
cause will anarchy and rum follow thu
unlawful proceedings of the rum
louse, now presided over by one Duns
nore, II such proceedings are INDUCED
oany extent.