Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-10-19
pace the Music. ="

two column reply which he publishes
in his Monitor. Herald. Mr. Gaines
adheres strictly to the instruction sent
out weeks ago by the administration
that under no circumstances are Popu-
lists TO engage with Republicans in q
discussion Of the Legislative troubles, !"
and instead Of facing the music" he
shirks and squirms In every conceivable
corner to get out of the way Of the
procession. He is very much In the
attitude OF the criminal, who while
admitting his guilt moved for his dis
charge on the ground that the officer
who arrested him used very bad Ian.
guage and he believed he smelled
whiskey on his breath. Instead Of
discussing the merits Of a controversy
In which the administration and the
Populista were driven in humiliating
disgrace from every position they as
sumed from start to finish, he devotes
his entire article TO discussing the
moral character Of one or two Of the
sheriff's posse, who were called In to
see that the Dunsmore mob did not
commit breach Of the peace. On the
theory OF Mr.. Gaines, a murderer, u
horse thief or any other breaker
would be justified in resisting arrest
and should be exhonerated, II per
chance one Of the deputy sheriffs en-.
gagged In his arrest should drink
whiskey or be addicted to the use OF
profane language. In other words
such men as Usurper Lewelling,
Fugitive Artz, Outcast Clemens, Con-
Wet Osborn and Anarchist Doster
belong to that higher order Of criminals
who ought not 10 be restrained OF their
liberty to overthrow the legal house OF
representatives and destroy constitu-
tional government In Kansas by any
ordinary common every day citizenl
Such distinguished criminals should be
arrested ouly by church members we
supposed
But Mr.. Gaines seems TO think the
greatest indignity was cast upon the
State of Kansas when, Zone Of these
same boys afterward came into the
state superintendent office armed
with u club, 80 drunk he did not know
what he was about, and threatened to
break down the door TO the private
Office II IL were not opened"
Mr.. Gaines sheds crocodile tears over
this unceremonious entrance into
his Office. lie does not tell us what
diIeful consequences would have re-
suited hal the poor inebriate carried
out his threat to "break down the door
to that private Office" but VIZ must
infer from the great prominence given
to 1t by Mr.. Gaines in discussing the
Legislative troubles" that that
"private Office" contained valuable
state secrets, which ifs discovered by
that poor drunken man would have
conclusively justified or forever COZ Z.
demned the course taken by the admin
istration In its supreme effort to rs-
tablish military dcspotism at To-
peka but doubtless the poor fellow
was too drunk aud the solution OF the
Legislative trouble" did not come
bout In that way.
Now, Mr.. Gaines, we want to say to
you that we take no issue with any
man who deuounces drunkenness, 1t
ls dire evil and when we read not
long since about one the Populist mill
tia pets going down to Wichita and
disgracing the administration and the
State, we did not undertake to defend
his course; and only two weeks ago
when we read about Populist United
States Senator Irby getting fined rs a
common drunkard in the police court,
we did not rejoice at the humiliation he
brought to the u. s, senate; but, Mr..
Gaines, you cannot evade the discus
sion Of the Legislative troubles nor
justify in the eyes of the voters Of this
county the Infamous conduct of the
Populist administration In its unlaw-
full attempt to destroy Republican gov
eminent in Kansas by any such subter-
fuge.
The people OF this county ARE not
caring now 30 much whether one of
the administration was drunk or sobe
but what the voters want ard what
they are going to have is an intelligent,
honest, unevasive explanation Of the
revolutionary conduct Of the Populists
at Topeka last January. They want
to know why 1t was that 1876 certilcated
members OF the house as laid before
the house by Secretary Of State Osborn
we're not permitted to organize the
house. They want to know what RICH,
Breidenthal and Ben Rich had to forge
the names OF fraudulent members and
place them on that roll; they want &c
know why after SO Of the legal house
had organized the house that So Pop
ulists went over into the south corne
Of representative hall and organized
themselves into mob and called then
selves the legal house; they want u
know why II was that for six lonl
weeks this mob encouraged by Popu
I list governor ana Popull-t senate pre-
vented the legal honse Of representa-