The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-02-28
AN ESTIMATE OF LBWELLING.

From the Emporia Republican.
Lewelling, recently from Iowa, entire
ly unknown to the people of Kansas,
was taken up by the Peoples party and
elected governor. 1t appears that I'M
principled and desperate politicians,
Socialists and Anarchists, had control of
the Wichita convention at which Lew
cling was nominated, and they knew
their man. The farmers and solid men
of the Peoples party were thrust aside
and stranger, unknown to the "tran-
quill masses" but evidently known to the
Socialists and Anarchists there assem-
bled, was put in nomination for the
highest office in the state by criminal
from Colorado. Blindly he was taken
up and the farmers and laboring men,
very generally, fell into the trap set by
Socialists and Anarchists and Lewelling
was elected governor. In his inaugu-
raj address he declared that "the citizen
is greater than the state This is the
declaration of an anarchist. The citizens
of Kansas make the state. No citizen is
greater than all the citizens. Even the
governor is not greater than the state.
as he has found out in the "late war;
brought on by his foolish and revolution
ary course. The first thing he did
officially was 10 appoint the fugitive
criminal this stranger like himself
adiutant general of the state. The next
thing he did was to exert all the power
of his official position to force the ma
jority of the house OF representatives to
yield to the minority, and called out the
militia to aid i'll his revolutionary
schemes. Had the militia officers obeyed
his orders the whole state today would be
in arms and a deadly conflict raging.
1t is no credit to Lewelling that blood
shed was averted. He did all he could
to bring on conflict of arms. He had
ignored the judicial branch of the gov
eminent and attempted to make himself
dictator. He has overridden and
trampled upon the laws of the state.
The course he has pursued has cost the
taxpayers of the state 100000 and there
is not a thing to show for this amount Of
expense but disorder and confusion in
all the affairs of state. His administra-
ton, of one month, has been disastrous
and costly failure. His influence is dis
troyed and the Peoples party must cut
loose from him or go down with him.
The militia of the state will never re-
spond to his call or obey his orders. He
is powerless. He can do nothing dur
ing the remainder of his administration
but skulk and sulk. 1t is doubtful
whether a respectable citizen would take
a notary commission with his signature
attached to it. As we said yesterday his
election is one Of the most impressive
demonstrations of the incapacity of the
people for self government ever made in
this country. 4 man who will attempt
to set aside the courts and force the
ma jority to yield to the minority ct the
point of the bayonet is a revolutionist
and petty despot. Martial law was
declared in the capitol and provisional
troop" Populists-were sta
toned at the entrances of the capitol
building, and no citizen of the state
was allowed to enter except he carried
pass from his royal highness. now the
chief Anarchist of the state. In addi-
ton to the expenses of the legislature,
which, up to this time, he has prevented
from doing anything, and the transpor-
tatiou of the several companies of mill !
tia that would not obey his orders, the
claims for special services of individuals, |
it is not improbable that all the insane,
deaf, dumb and bind, the inmates of
tn reform schools and possibly a num-
Der of the convicts IN the penitentlary. !
will have to be returned 10 the counties
to be taken care Of, and all other insti-
tutions of the state closed and abandon
ed This condition of affairs, making a
wreck of the state, is likely 10 follow The
mistake of taking up stranger and
electing him governor of the state.