Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-05-11
REPUBLICAN HYPOCRAOY.
Some good republicans of this cou

at more Cnan one SlO6 OF question
that involves the interests of the people
of the entire state of Kansas, have
questioned the fairness of the DEMO
Graf when it stated that the republi-
can leaders were behind the move all
along the line to organize ''law and
order leagues" and attempt to enforce
the prohibitory liquor law for pasrels
political effect. To such we desire to re-
fer the following editorial in recent
issue of the LeavenwOrth Times, one of
the leading republican papers of the
state:
Elsewhere will be found an extract
from Topeka dispatch to the Kansas
City Journal which indicates that the
State Temperance Union has discover
ed that there are joints in the state and
has determined to make vigorous war
on them. Now the query naturally
arises-why has the union waited so
long before opening hostilities. Joints
are no new thing in the state. They
have existed in parts of the state ever
since the adoption of the prohibitory
law, and they were made generally by
Governor Humphrey, who, though pos
ing as prOhibitionist, was the dead
liest enemy prohibition ever had in the
state. For three years past, joints have
t1ourished in nearly all parts of the
state. Why did not the State Temper
ance Union put some such earnest man
as D. G. Miner at the head of affairs
three years ago? The answer to the
question is, because the men who con-
troll the union are not sincere. They
are politicians, and, so long as the
Humphreys and the Higgins held the
offices the Kelleys and Campbells and
Hudsons prevented active work by the
union, and Humphrey and Higgins
were allowed to use their joints to fur.
sther their political ends. Now that
they no longer hold the offices the union
becomes active. But the suspicion that
there is greater desire on their part to
injure Lewelling'S administration than
there is to further the cause of temper
ance will greatly cripple DR.. Miners
work. DR.. Miner is an earnest man,
whose sincerity no man doubts. He has
kept up the fight through all these years
and made war on Humphrey when he
discovered Humphreys hypocricy, but
the men back of him only got their
eyes open to the prevalence of liquor
selling in the state after Humphrey
went out of office"
Here is statement from an IN
fuential republican paper which agrees
exactly with what the DEMOCRAT has
claimed for years: that the leaders of
the republican party in Kansas are
treacherous and insincere; that they
use the rank and file of the party as
dough in the mouldeTs' hand. and shape
the course of the party through its plat
FERNS and its papers, for personal ad-
vancement only, and without regard for
the wishes of the masses or the good
name or prosperity of the state.
How long liberal minded and con-
scientious republicans will continue to
follow such leadership time alone will
tell. There is always way open, for
those who are inclined to object to such
leadership, to cut loose and join party
which is ruled by the masses and in the
interests of the whole people, and that
way is the democratic party. Men who
possess a spirit of fairness and desire to
probe to the bottom of the prohibitory
liquor question will easily remember
the position of the democratic party ON
the question; its arguments in behalf
of the best interest of the state; its
of the ultimate failure to
enforce a law which it has been SO
fully demonstrated can not be enforced
against the will of the vast majority,
and its untiring fight for rehearing by
the people after the law has been tried.
The whipper-snapper republican
press; the fellows who have so long
sneezed whenever their leaders-the
Humphreys, Higginses', Campbells and
Hudsons-took snuff, will doubtless
continue to attempt ridicule of the idea
that prohibition is any issue before the
people. But let US tell you that it will
cut mighty prominent figure in the
state elections in 1894.
Our populist friends, too, are liable
to find it rock that is going to split
them wide open. Their leaders also are
won't to say that it is not an issue, and
must be ignored. But at the same
time, they have an element in their
ranks which is now working with the
same element in the republican party
who are being duped by the insincere
and scheming leaders. In some local
tiles the pcpulist papers are outspoken
in the matter. For instance, we find
the following paragraph in the Larned
Tiller and Toiler of last week:
1--WE are sorry to see some of our
populists weakening on the prohibition
question. Prohibition is one of the an
,critten planks of the peoples party, and it
is the duty of the party TO do every
thing honorable to maintain that prin-
ciple.''
You had just as well look the ques-
tion squarely in the face and prepare
to act openly and determinedly for
what you know to be right and just and
for the good of Kansas.
NVSSnT-DT hiS 1E-UQar