The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1893-02-24
KANSAS SITUATION.
The Relations Between POpulists and
Republicans Strained to the
Highest Tension.
Much Uneasiness is Felt That an Ami
cable Adjustment May Not BE
Reached Without BlOOdshed.

thing needed to make war in Kansas il
fighting. The conditions of wal are al
present. Opposing bodies of armed men
something to fight about, and a DISPOSE
ton to fight are all evident; but wal
does not open. Bellicose preparations
were carried on briskly by both sides all
day, but the governor, by Offering to
compromise the difficulties which are
keeping the two houses apart, tapered
the crises off into a very tame
armed truce. The proposition for
a compromise offered to the republi.
can house at . p. m. by the governor
private secretary, Ben. Close, VINO stated
the governor proposed it as a last resort
to avert bloodshed. If the republican
house declined to accept it then the gov
ernor would be forced to drive the re-
publicans at the point of the bayonet
out of the house and he added: Their
blood be on your head"
This oath had been made so often that
the republicans received 1t with jeers.
They received the proposition, however,
and it at once became the subject OF
earnest consideration. After debating it
three hours, the republicans finally
amended it to suit their own ideas and
returned it to the governor. The
committee charged with that duty being
instructed to inform the governor that
the blood of innocent men, slain by rea-
son of his refusal to accept the amend
ments, would be on his lead. The COM
mittee had been u IA few moments
when it returned and announced that it
had performed its duty; that the gov
ernor desired time to consider the
amended proposition and would give
the committee his nswer tomorrow
morning at Q o'clock, He proposed that
in the meantime an armed truce should
be established and that neither side
should make any hostile move before
that hour; that the republicans should
be allowed to come and go as they
pleased. This struck the republicans
favorably and they agreed to it.
The whole city of Topeka on its face
appeared during the day to be under
martial law. Blue coated troops were
marching and counter marching through
the broad avenues of the city; men,
wearing tiuttering yellow badges. bear
ing the inscription, deputy sheriff.
armed with guns and clubs. visible every
NuClt' uullslus w anu llo' SuulOu
were being dragged through the streets.
here and there a company of militia or a
squad of deputy sheritfs could be seen
drilling. Hundreds of civilians arrived
during the day from all over the state.
Many carried guns in cases, d few car
ried them under their overcoats, but
more marched boldly from their stations
to their hotels with a rifle or shot gun
flung over their shoulders.
The sensation of the day was the dis
loyalty of the state troops and their
commander in chief. IT was. of course,
upon them the governor and his fellow
populists depended to carry the day.
The governor had planned dislodging
the republicans from representative hal!
at the point of the baycnet. In fact he
twice ordered Col. Hughes, the com
mandant of the forces, to attack the re-
publican stronghold. The colonel de-
clined to obey orders and was relieved of
his command. Then the governor took
personal command of the troops. He
ordered that no provisions be al
lowed to pass the lines. His or
der was d~isregarded and provisions
were taken into the republican
fort without the slightest attempl
to keep them out or the part Of the
guards. Then Lieut.. Col. Barker. of
the third regiment was given command
Of the troops, but still the governors
orders were disobeyed in slight partic-
ulars. Finally Brigadier Gen. i1ettinger.
whose appointment had just been con
tirmed by the senate, arrived from
Wichita and took command Of the
forces, While making no public state
ment to that effect, Gen. IsttInger gave
it out to be understood that the republi.
car had nothing to fear from him.
1t was not until then that the govern
or became Impressed with the fact that
he could not rely upon the militia to aid
the pOpulists. This caused great uneasi-
ness Of mind and all the leaCers were
summoned TO give council. The result
of the conference was the compromise
proposition offered to the republican
house. this, too. in the face of the fact of
the declaration to the house that the ]
governor had done with compromise. ;
and that the only alternative left to the
republicans was an unconditional sur ;
render.
The republicans hit upon a plan this
morning to strengthen their position and
that was to bring to their aid the au-
thority of the sheriff of the county, back
ed by a posse Of at least one thousand
men. The sheriff issued ID proclamation
summoning the posse at 10 o'clock. BY
noon a thousand men had been sworn in.
Not caring to take the risk of arming his
recruits with firearms, the sheriff decid-
ed to arm them with clubs. All sorts of
of clubs were pressed into use-clubs
made from broom-handles, feather dust
ers, with the feathers pulled out,
chair-legs and table-legs. Still not
enough clubs could be %improvised
to arm the entire posse and the sheriff
finally bought all the baseball bats 10
town and placed them in the hands of
those unarmed. 1t was at first the OBJ
ject OF the sheriff to take possession OF
the capitol and make the troops members
OF his posse. The plan was abandoned
as unnecessary and dangerous, and the
sheriff decided to take no action with
his posse until a fracture Of the peace
should occur. He explained that ne
would regard an attempt to eject the re
publican (the legally constituted house,
as he regards it,. a disturbance Of the
peace. and would then interfere IN main F.!