Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-31
A Very Lively Triangular Fight
Waged.
POPULISFS SET A hot PACE.
Meetings Being Held in Every
School District.
LOOKIN TO NEXT YEAR.
Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.


TOPEKA. Kan. Oct. s.-Before the peo-
pie Of Kansas engaged in politics as a busi-
ness there were of years when, by COM
mon consent. the local politicians Of the
counties were allowed to run their politics
in their own way and without much of an
effort to stir up enthusiasm Under the pres
cnt populist regime. however, there Is no
rest and every year Is a fighting year.
From this time till November Z, the cam
paign will be hot in this state The popu-
lists are forcing the fight and carrying the
war into the republican strongholds. From
Gov. Lewelling down to the janitors In the
state house the stumpers are at work, and
II a speaker Is not big enough Intellectually
to go to a county seat and address LOO
people the state committee measures him
up and puts him into the school house cam
paign in the back districts, where he can
have ample opportunity to test his lung
power. The aggressiveness of the populists
has forced the the republicans to make
stronger fight than they had intended.
Heretofore they have not deemed 1t neces-
sary to make much Of an effort in the odd
numbered years when only county officers
and few district judges are to be elected.
But when Gov. LeweIling declared on his
return from the worlds fair that this would
be the same kind OF a campaign that was
fought last year and that the on year
business had played out in Kansas, the
republican managers got together and con-
suited and decided that they must keep UP
with the populist procession or sufrer de-
feat.
The result was that terrific campaign
was mapped out by both parties and for
ten days it has swept over the Kansas
prairies like a cyclone with Gov. Level
ling, Mrs. Lease and Mrs. Diggs leading
the van The contest is for county officers
and fourteen judges of district courts. Sew
eral Of these districts and forty-four or the
los counties are very close, the majorities
on last years vote being less than one
hundred.
Gov. Lewelling opened his campaign at
Marion week before last. He denounced
corporations as robbers and interest
vampire" His speech was more radical II
possible than any utterance he made last
year. He charges the republicans with
stealing the last legislature and the su-
preme court of the state with being an &C
cessory to the crime.
Mrs. Lease follows with a bitter denun-
citation OF Wall street and eastern money
sharks, and closes by paying her respects
to Senator John sherman She says ne IS
the Benedict Arnold of America, and as
Arnold was buried in England, so ought the
bones OF John Sherman, his patron saint.
be laid in the same cemetery. For British
gold" she says, John Sherman has be-
rayed the people OF the United States, and
stands before the world confessed crimt-
nal"
Speaker George L. Douglass is the leading
republican campaigner in the field. He Is
travelling over the state denouncing the
populist position during the late lesisla-
tive war. and challenging Gov. Lewelling
or Mrs. Lease to meet him in joint debate.
but they have declined. At recent meet
ing held by Mr.. Douglass at Chanute ex
Speaker Dunsmore Of the populist house
walked into the hall in the midst Of one Of
Douglass denunciations of that body and
took a seat In the front row. Douglass
noticed the entry of the Bald Hornet OF
the Neosho." as Dunsrore Is called. but
he did not modify his language on that ac
count: For one hour he scored the ex-
populist speaker and his house" and at
the close Of peroration a republican In the
rear OF the room asked him why he did not
throw the bald hornet ont Of the speakers
stand? Before DOUGLASS could answer
Dunsmore replied that ''he wasn't big
enough"
The Rest of the Fight to BE Fierce.
The remainder Of the campaign will be
red hot Day and night meetings will be
held by both parties in every community in
the state. Lights will flicker in the win
dows of the $500 school houses before cleo
ton day rolls around While the leaders
hold forth in the towns and cities the local
managers will call the faithful together in
the country districts. and both sides will
appeal to their hearers to redeem Kansas
and save 1T from everlasting ruin.
H. E Taubeneck of Illinois will make
twelve speeches in the state. beginning at
Hutchinson on the 18th. He announced
that he would confine his remarks to the
Omaha platform. and gave Chairman
Breidenthal to understand that he had no
sympathy with fusion This question,
however. Is rarely referred to in Kansas
Democrats and populists both declare 1t Is
a dead issue, and will never occur again In
this state, except in local county elections.
next year. and already the latter are pre-
pairing for a thorough rganization IN the
state. and have straight tickets in seventy
seven of the one hundred and five counties.
Democratic Prospects.
1t IS possible for the democrats to carry
Kansas next year. Party fealty rests very
lightly on the shoulders of the average
Kansan. In 1883 the state gave Harrison
5000 plurality. Two years later 5000 OF
that plurality was wiped out by new
party. and four years later the state gave
Weaver the electoral vote The republican
party Of Kansas Is easily demoralized
Many OF the active members have grown
tired Of prohibition, woman suffrage and
other issues that have been thrust into the
platforms and only desire chance to give
these disorganiZing issues black eye. Next
year the republicans viii probably incor-
porate both in their platform. and IL is GER
tain that the populists will champion wo-
man suffrage. In this event the democrats
will select ticket of clean and aggressive
men. declare against all fads and issues for
q business administration of state affairs
which will restore the good name and credSt
OF Kansas, and make the fight to win
Such a campaign would bring back to the
democracy thousands OF voters now affili-
ating with the peoples party. not as a mat
ter of choice. but as a protest to republi-
canism and republican rule.
On the other hand there are at least
10000 republicans who will not again take
their repubicanism mixed with prohibit
ton, and Will naturally vote with the DEM
ocrats on platform declaring only for the
business interests of the state
Speaking Of the situation today q repub-
hcan who has been prominent in the party
said: Next year We will have the Austral-
ian ballot system. Then a voter can go in
% a booth with nothing in sight but his
heels. and with his pencil and his God, vote
as he pleases."
Looking to Next Year.
Already democratic sentiment is CRYSTAL
King in favor of David Overmyer of To-
peka as the strongest and most available
candidate for governor. The young democ-
racy IS for him. while ex-Gov Click, Gen.
c. ". Blair and many OF the old leaders
have declared him to be the logical and
most available candidate for governor
1t is believed that Overmyer could poIl
iVo.Oo votes. and If he should he would be
elected Last year the total vote of the
state Was $4,000. Since that election fully
z5.VO have gone into the Cherokee strip and
the states from western Kansas on account