Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-01-19
POPULIST POSITION
A Statement of Their Attitude
in Kansas.
LEwELLINe DOES THE EXPLAINING.

Infiammatory and False Reports Sent Out
The Republicans Told That Law the
Courts and Precedent Are Against
Them and That They Must subside-Ini-
nois Senators Vote for an Open Sunday
Fair-Progress of the Contests for Sem
atorships-A Democrat from California
Other Elections.
TOPEKA, Kan, Jan. 10 Governor Lew
slling yesterday prepared a statement COW
ering the legislative situation as he sees it.
He begins by stating that the reports here
tofore sent out from this city are partisan;
said reports wereinflammatory and wholly
unreliable, made so purposely, to create
public sentiment against the Populists.
The mass meetings, also which have de-
nounce the Populist tactics, have, he SAYS,
been managed by the corporate interests,
and addressed in every instance by corpora
tion attorneys, who have withheld facts of
which they could not have been ignorant.
The public has consequently only heard one
side of the case, and he proceeds to give the
other.
Republicans Not Fairly Elected
To the Republican claim that a majority
Of the members of the house having Ger
tificates of elections signed by the proper
officers are Republicans, the governor re-
plies that certificates OF election were is
sued to men who clearly had not received
a majority of the votes cast and that the
board violated the law. He saws represer-
tatives were elected who were constitu-
tutiOnally ineligible to membership in the
l1t nr,tc 4yn11 1,ol -. 81
Indiana senate in 1871, the Alabama legis-
.ature and the United States house OF
representatives in the Twenty-sixth con
gress are cited to sustain the Populist po-
sition.
Not Prima Facie Evidence.
The governor insists that certificates of
the canvassing board are not prima facie
evidence of the right O. the holders to par
ticipate in the organization of the house.
In brief he holds that the governor has (.
right to ignore the decision of the canvass.
ing board, go behind the returns and for
himself decide which is the legal Iegisla-
ture. And believing this way and that
majority of Populists had been elected
he recognized the Populist house regard
less of the possession of a majority of the
certificates by an opposing party.
Looks Like an Implied Threat.
He then goes on to say that the Raput-
licans in the Louise have been acting in de
fiance OF law and precedent, of the decis-
ions of the courts and of the legally consti-
tuted authorities. Says he: IF il were
for moment granted that their claims are
valid. still the authority competent under
the law to pass upon them has decided
against them. As law-abiding citizens.
therefore, Is their duty to submit to tb :
decision, and if they believe in
justice has been done then to appeal
to the higher court-the people of the state
1t is my desire that there be no
further complication growing out of this
unfortunate affair; at the same time it is
my duty to see that the authority of the
state is respected by all citizens, and it
must not longer be disregarded by those
who are now engaged in the illegal pro
ceedings in the house,
DoinSs in the Legislature.
There was talk that the Populists would
unseat five Republican senators in cases
where there were contests. but as the Re
pubhcans would Immediately unseat seven
Populist members of the house this would
hardly pay. All that was done in the
house yesterday was the introduction of
many bills by both factions The Popu-
lists have introduced. a bill appropriatinC
$4,000 for the Worlds fair exhibit This
bill will settle the legal status of the two
parties, as the Republicans will immedi-
ately take il to the supreme court. The
Populist election committee has reported
in favor of unseating Ballinger, Republi-
can, who was seated, under the Law pro-
viding for tie votes, by lot