The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-02-17
Kansas Populists and Repub-
icans May Fight Today.
REPUBLICANS STAND FIRM.
They Will Not Yield to Gov. Iewell-
ing and Amend His Compromise.
Col. Hughes Refuses to Charge the Re.
publican Citadel and 10 Deposed-
Militia Commanders All Refuse to
Obey the Governor.

Topeka, Feb 7-At o'clock this (Fri-
day. morning. the situation remains un-
changed, save for the fact that = heavy
snowfall set in soon after midnight and
the militiamen are experiencing some Of
the pleasures of winter campaigning. The
Republicans are snugly ensconced in the
representative hail and are for the most
part soundly sleeping.
TOPEKA. Feb. 16.-The only thing needed
to make war in Kansas is fighting. The
conditions of war among all opposed
bodies of armed men-sOmething to fight
about and disposition to fight-are all evil
dent. But still the war does not open.
BeilicOse preparations were carried on
briskly by both sides all day, but the gov
ernOr, by Offering to compromise the
difficulties by keeping the two
houses apart, tapered the crisis Off
into very tame armed truce. A propo-
sitlon for a compromise was offered to the
Republican house. They finally amended
it to suit their own ideas and returned it
to the governor. who announced that he
would reply tomorrow, and in the mean
time an armed truce exists. This is the
situation late tonight. The whole
city of Topeka appeared during
the day 70 be under martial law.
Troops marched and cOuntermarched
through the broad avenues of the city,
men wearing yellow badges bearing in
scriptions deputy sheriff were hurrying
to and fro. and cannon were being dragged
through the streets. Hundreds of civil
ians arrived during the day from ali over
the state. Many carried guns in cases, a
few carried them under their overcoats,
but more marched boldly from the sta-
tons to the hotels with rife or shotgun
flung nonchaIantly over their shoulders.
The real sensation Of the day was the
disloyalty of the state troops to the COM
mander-in-chief, the governor. He twice
ordered Col. Hughes, commandant Of the
forces, to attack the Republican strong
hold, but Col. Hughes declined, and
was relieved. Then the governor took per-
sonal command and ordered that no pro-
visions be allowed to pass the lines but the
order was disregarded. Then Lieut.-COl.
Barker, of the Third regiment. was given
command of the troops, but still the gov
erno-'s orders were disobeyed. Finally
Brig. Gen. Hettiger arrived from Wichita
and took command. He let it be
understood that the Republicans had
nothing to fear from him. This
caused the governor great uneasiness and,
after council with the Populist leaders,
compromise proposition was offered to the
Republican house. At o'clock the gov.
ernor's private secretary appeared and
submitted a proposition in writing from
the governor, agreeing to withdraw the
militia and not allow the Republicans to
be interfered with bv Populists if the Re-
publicans would drop the legal proceed
ings against the Popullsts and the
sheriff disband his posse, the agree
ment to last until the close of
the session of the legislature.
The proposition ELECTED a great deal of
argument in the Republican house. After
lengthy debate proposition to the gov
ernor was drafted. 1t proposed the dis
missal of all contempt proceedings hereto
fore instituted; that each house should
arrest the clerk of the other house on a
charge of contempt; both parties to
apply to the supreme court for q
habeas corpus both cases to be
prosecuted on the sole question of the
Legality of the respective houses; the
governor to dismiss the militia and pro-
visional guards; the sheriff to dismiss all
special deputies, and the Republican
house to have free and undisturbed posses
sion of the representative hall pending the
decision of the supreme court. A COM
mittee was then appointed to present
these propositions to the governor in his
private office. He said that he was not
satisfied as to some of the legal points and
would not reply until tomorrow morning.
In the meantime the Republicans would
not be molested. but he advised them to
adjourn.
The Republicans hit upon a plan this
morning to strengthen their position bv
bringing 10 their aid the authority of the
sheriff, backed by posse. The sheriff
issued a proclamation. and by noon fu ly
900 men were sworn in. Not caring to
lake the risk Of arming these recruits with
firearms, the sheriff decided TO arm them
with clubs. All sorts of clubs were pressed
into use from broomsticks 10 baseball bats.
The sheriff announced that he would
make no move until fracture Of the
peace actually occurred. He explained
that ne would regard an attempt To eject
the Republicans, the legally constituted
house. as ne regards 1t, disturbance OF
the peace, and would then interfere To
maintain order. This action by the
sheriff, taken in connection with
the attitude assumed by the
militia, deprived the Populists of all fight
ing support excepting that afforded by
three provisional companies of militia and
some fifty assistant sergeants-at-arms.
But in the meantime the Popu-
lists began to arrive, and to-
nigh, they are strongly reinforced.
The governor may organize these into
provisional troops who can be depended
upon 10 obey his orders. IL is no, believed,
however, that he will take such ex-
traordinary action. The prospects for
tomorrow are that the Populsts will de-
cline to accept the proposition of compro-
mise a. amended by the Republicans The
general feeling tonight is one of renewed
uneasiness, and the prediction is freely
made that tomorrow will see the long an
,iclpated war inaugurated.
The Populist house met this afternoon
in rooms down town and took action con-
ttmplatlng the cheekmating OF Sheriff
Wiklnson's move by passing an emer-
gency bill empowering the governor TO re-
move the sheriff of any county for cause
and arpoint a successor forthwith, bu. the
specific cause. a" are no, stated.
The bill Will go to the senate in
the morning. When that body passes
II, the governor can relieve Sheriff VIII
kinson and disband his posse unless the
| sheriff resis;s the action on the ground
| that the bii! was not passed By legal
| house OF representatives. The sheriff said