The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-02-17
THE TEMPEST IN THE KANSAS
TEAPOT.

Rival Legislatures are no new thing in
Kansas. Men still flourish who were in
active life when the free-Sta men held
their Legislature at Topeka, and the pro-
slavery men held theirs at Lecompton. and
the chief business Of each was to repeal the
acts passed by the other In those days,
however, the Kansans had. as the children
say, something to cry for. 1.-THE pro-slavery
leaders had succeeded. slavery might have
been firmly entrenched on American soil
from the Mississippi TO the Pacific, aud from
the gulf to the Canadian line. in which case
the slave-owners would have had nothing to
gain by a war. When they failed, the
doom Of slavery was sealed, and the only
chance of preserving the Institution was
the provocaton Of war. in which the vic
tory of freedom was obvious to far-seeing
men from the first.
In comparison with so moment0us q con-
test as that of 1870. the present cOntro-
versy is a petty squabbe between small
beer politicians. The present Legislature
of Kansas is g tie between the Republicans
on one side and the Populists and Demo
Gratis on the other. Instead of proceeding
to organize by mutual concession and COM
promise, the members of the Assembly
have spit into two houses. each of which
claims to be the only true. genuine and
original Jacob In an early stage OF the
contest the Populists got possession of the
hall of Representatives, elected their off,
GERS and claimed TO be the sole Assembly.
They resolved to make good their claim by
excluding the Republicans from the hall,
and in this policy they enjoyed the support
Of the Governor. who is POpulist. twas
a case Of what used to be called at board
ing-schOols barring out"
But the Republicans refused TO be barred
out. Having fortified themselves with
c0pioUs breakfast they marched in serried
file, with their Speaker at their head. to the
door of the hall. Being denied admittance
the Speaker gave the command, Push,
bOysw Confronting him stood an officer OF
the ad1utant-generaPs Office with power
full staff. But when it came TO pushing
the POpulists couldn't push worth cent,
while the Republicans, who have always
been pushing fellows, easily pushed their
way past the officers Of the State Govern
ment got into the hall and organized, the
Speaker brandisbng a sedgehammer in
lieu OF gavel. He turned the Populists
out into the cold and entertained motions
for the government of the commonwealth
Of Kansas. In all this seuffling and push
ing no one was hurt and no weapons were
used Il appears TO have been contrary TO
the rules of the game 10 indulge IN a wicked
effusion Of blood.
Meanwhile the PopuliSts. contemplating
the scene from the vacant places around the
Capitol, concluded to besiege the enemy and
to reduce him by famine. The Republicans
might hold the fort. But the Populists
| shut off its steam, its water and its gas, and
surrounded it with Gordon of sentres. who
| were Instructed to let no food pass. How
! long this blockade will last now remains to
| be seen. Beleaguered garrisOns have been
| known TO hold out til they ate their boots.
/ aud till fat people avoided the public gaze
| for fear Of stimulating cannibalistic appe-
/ tites. 1t will depend upon the tenacity OF
! the Republicans whether they carry their
| defense to this bitter end. Those who
| lived in Kansas in 1876 have had taste OF
famine and know how it feels.
The reason why the members Of the
| Legislature cannot come together in a
rational way and 60 on with the business
| they were chosen to transact is that peeu-
| liar conditions In the history Of the State
have evolved eccentric political action.
| When the Missourans poured into Kansas
| 10 oYerslaugh the real citizens Of the terri
tory il was evident that the effect of their
course would be to make Kansas as solidly
| Republican as Vermont. And again when
land-grant railroads peopled Kansas at high
| pressure, and capitalists at the Eass we're
seized with mania to lend money on Kan
sas land in amounts far beyond the legiti-
mate capacity of the young State to digest,
/ it was evident that a reaction would ensue.
/ that couple Of crop failures would cause
! almost unexamDled poverty, debt and dis
tress, and that these would generate a
school of politicians which would try TO
cure adversely by empirical methods. The
outcrop has been the organization of tn g
| POpulst party. which, starting out with a
denial Of all the sxiOms of political science.
may well reject the time-honOred rules of
procedure which govern legislative bodies.
1t is no wonder at all that where 1t gains
supremacy it should provoke deadlocks
which are rather ludicrOus than grave.