The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-09-15
THE GOVERNORS ADVISERS.
Hon. 4. W. Hoch Tells Kansas Readers
| Much About the Men Whom LEVEL

| The Legislative war" is now as "a
tale that is told" 1t is strange remi-
niscence. To its participants, even, its
memory Is like romance. The cause
seems so insufficient that the effects
seems Incredible. So that while the
historians are carefully arranging its
thrilling events in chronological order.
and philosophers are specializing as to
its real character, ordinary mortals are
chiefly wondering who was responsible
for this tempest in a teapot" this
s'much ado about nothing"
| The salient fact stands out like big,
bald promontory, namely, that sixty
| four certificated members of the house
participated in the organization on the
one side, and only fifty-eight on the
other. A few days later the three
democratic members, who up to that
time had not voted at all, gave their
allegiance to the legal house and con-
tinued to vote with it to the end, Civ
ing it a majority of nine. Both law
and custom lodged in a majority of
those holding certificates of election
under the great seal of the state the
right to organize the house, so that the
question from the first was not ques-
ton of party supremacy. but question
of the supremacy of law and OF ma
| iority rule. Around this one great
| fact cluster all the stirring events of
this memora BILE struggle. Against this
| fact the governor hurled his thunder
bolts. A more causeless, partisan. I'M
patriotic and wicked exercise of guber-
material function has not been record
ed in this country. Was Mr.. Lewelling
alone responsible for his remarka bic
conduct, or was he himself, in some
way, victim of his own apparent fol-
! "? These are questions that leap to
the lip of every student of the legis-
lative struggle.
| All men, except cyclists and idiots,
have chosen counselors. Happy they
who have wise ones. Perhaps the
fortunes of party politics. rather
than his own Judgment or in
clination, drew around Mr.. Level
ling in this emergency class of advis-
ors whose well-known peculiarities
suggest the peril of his position amid
such environments.
There was that reckless partisan and
socialistic experimental, Mr.. John w.
Breidenthal, chairman of the so-called
peoples party state central committee,
and leader Of the mob that rescued
Ben. Rich by violence in an endeavor
to prevent a speedy and peaceful solu-
ton of the unfortunate trouble by the
courts Mr.. Breidenthal is not pleased
with our form of government, and on
Topolobampo bay, in the domain OF
Old Mexico, he has esta blished little
government of his own which is to put
to shame what we have loved to believe
the best government on earth. George
Washington and Thomas jefferson to
the rear! John w. Breidenthal to the
front! Mr.. Breidenthal was one of the
governors trusted advisers.
An ADLER exponent of similar here
sizes, and perhaps an adviser closer still
| to the governor, was my townsman and
neighbor, ex-Judge Frank Doster-
known, indeed, in current literature, as
the assistant governor. MIR. Doster s
socialistic views have been expressed
in language plain and startling. He is
a disciple of Karl Marx and Louis
Blanc, Edward Belramy and other
authors, ancient and modern, who have
taught that property is wrong. Within
the past two years he has boldly de-
clared in the public prints that 1.-THE
| rights of the user of property are para
mount to the rights of the owner;" that
"the only law which the user of CAPT
| tai is bound to observe is that law
which finds it's origin, end and sane
| ton in himself-the law of self-inter-
est" and that 1--WE have got to give up
the individual, industrial, competitive
! system" Reaching climax in the
unfolding of this system that is
| to supplant the government OF
| the fathers, he exclaimed: at is
coming, and the gates of hell cannot
| prevail against it"-just as if those
gates wanted to prevail against such a
! theory!
| Another confidential adviser of the
governor was that political adventurer
and accident of calamity, Mr.. Jerry
Simpson. Mr.. Simpson, who, by the
way, is product, thank heaven, not OF
the American soil or system, but con-
| tribution from abroad, is likewise out
| of harmony with our institutions. In
| the Congressional Record / learn from
this sage of reform that property in
land is as indefensible as property in
mani" and also find therein plan for
| the adjustment of this great evil OF
land-ownership-a plan to tax it out OF
| existence! Upon the stump" this i'm
| ported orator, who feeds upon sensa-
| ton, has brazenly counseled disorder.
| 1t even seems to be well authenticated
that he actually responded to the roll
call in what was politely called the
Dunsmore house, better known in the
! yernacular of the times as the rump.
Mr.. Simpson was an adviser of the gov
| ernor.
Ifanyone had more influence with our
! executive than the gentlemen already
named, it was the well-known Topeka
anarchist, Mr.. G. c. Clemens That
the time would ever come when a gov
| erpor of Kansas would take serious
J counsel of one holding such views OF
government as Mr.. Clemens, no one
/ would have believed two years ago.
But more surprising and humiliating
still, if possible, is the fact that another
person; just. now figuring in his nat
ural and accustomed role. bringing to the
cheek OF every decent Kansan what il
seems impossible TO bring to his own
| the blush of shame-was a confidential
adviser of the governor. 1t was my
fortune, or misfortune, in company
with such distinguished and digni6ed
gentlemen as Capt Seaton, Col. Warner
Mai. Remington, Mr.. Cubbison and Mr.
Lobdell, to call upon the governor, al
his own solicitation, in the early day:
of the session. Mr.. Legate sat beside
! ,-l ,o+al = he 10