Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-02-09
Replying TO Mr.. Sem.
10 The Hon. Mr.. Sem:

attributable to his ability to observe
these rules:
"wri'e general platitudes, remain
absolutely noncommittal, state no
particulars, intefject little taffy, say
nothing" While your conduct as
legislator Ia calculated to contribute TO
the promotion OF Mr.. Cleveland's polit-
ical followers, you do not seem to have
modelled your letters after these Of the
president-elect. II is well that you
did not. BY your positive and forceiul
statements your constituents will be
better able to judge Of your ability and
the probable value Of your official SCI
vices.
Your last epistle which appears 10
the Monitor OF the 2nd inst. is not
quite 80 elaborate, aud We must say 1,
is not quite mp TO the same standard OF
elegance as the one you promulgated to
your constituents on January 10Th.
We judge from the tone OF your letter
that you imagine the REFLECTOR bas
done you wrong Ia some way and
that you desire to set yourself rigbi
before your constituents, II 10 hardly
necessary for us to say to you that II
the REFLECTOR has misrepresented
you In any particular it will be glad to
set you right again. Far be II from us to
misrepresent ANY one and more espe.
cially one whom the voters Of Clay
county have selected 10 misrepresenl
US Ia the State Senate.
Let us examine one Of your state
ments In the light Of reason and fo~
facts and see who Is intending ~
deceive and Intentionally misrepre-
sent"
While every man who heard your
remarks In the Senate reports you Ne
saying that you ibid not propose TO be
governed by the laws Of the State" IN
your official acts, you now put your
statement against all OF them and sine,
the REFLECTOR has shown you I'll,
fearful consequences OF such anarchist
&c language you endeavor 10 twist Ou
II II by saying that what you really
stated was this: Where there is b
conflict between the law and the con
5titution would choose 10 follow til,
constitutions"
II is well enough for you to back
down little on your reasonable utter
inces. White there may be q few OF
your followers who would be- willing u
20 the whole nihllistic hog, the masse'
are not yet ready TO take such fatal
step. but ii the light of the law ano
the facts 10 the case your explanation
IS very little improvement on YOU
original statements. You intend t.
cad your constituents to believe tha'
there "is n conflict between the laws
aud the constitution" rs to the methOds
Of organizing the house, wnen H.
truth and In fact you yourself know
that there Is no conflict whatever. TIL,
constitution says that the house shall
be the sole judge OF the eligibility Ol
,ts own members. In order that there
san exist n "hOuse" with powers to pass
upon the eligibility Of its own mem
Oers' there must be basis TO star
from. 1t would not do for any number
II citizens of the State to gather a,
Topeka on the 2nd Tuesday of Janu
1ry, and declare themselves "a "house'
with full power to judge of 1.-THE eligi
Dility of It's own members" The con.
stitution provides that instead Of lot
Of lawbreakers gathering themselves
together at Topeka and declaring them
selves "house" with full power T.
Judge of the eligibility of its ow,
members, there shall be an election
neld throughout the State, AID chance
given to the people 10 elect men TO y
o Topeka and organize legal house
70 do this 50 that every vote may b,
;ast and counted as the voter desires /
should lie, certain election method,
must be adopted. The laws prescrlb'
yhese methods, and when the result T.
declared those holding certificates o
election ale the only persons authorized
by the constitution or the laws Il
oIganise house" that would or coul'
have any legal power to judge OF thu
eligibility Of its own members" |
every Tom, Dick and Harry, who hap
pened to run for the Legislature, an,
get defeated, could go to Topeka an,
participate Ia the organization Of tn
house, then all the defeated candidate
might get together, organize house o
their own, determine the eligibility o
their own membership, vote themselye
in and an unscrupulously partisan
governor and senate might recoguz
them, while every man who receive,
majority of the votes OF his distric
would be sent home. The only possible
way that legal house Of representa-
tives can be organized and the libertie
: of the people preserved is to organize /
according to law.
Your residence in this country ha
not been quite AS long as some OF tn
readers Of the REFLECTOR, and yo
may not be familiar with some of tn
{ incidents connected with the earl
i political history of Kansas. 1t Nigh