People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1893-02-24
The POpuIist Side.

TOPEKA, Kan, Feb 21-The follow
ing was given out at noon by the gov
ernors stenographer, having been pre-
pared by populist editor and being in
the main approved by Gov. Lewelling:
Now that comparative quietness re gns and
republicans are clamorous IN their boasting and
AFFECT TO believe that the have gained their
point 1t will be well TO make inquiry and note
the facts.
Such inquiry will establish that the populists
have never lost sight Of the one great essential
In this contest and come out Of this embroglio
secure in its position That essential is "the
preservation Of the populist house"
To suppress this, 10 destroy il, 10 wipe II out
Of existen e, was the dastardly and far reach.
ing purpose Of the republ cans, when they pre-.
cipitated the late insurrection Could they
have accomplished the suppression Of that
house they would have thwarted all possibility
Of any reform legislation. They know that
laws passed by the assistance OF that house are
valid They know that the supreme court that
would declare otherwise would have TO reverse
all respectful precedent "immoate itself TO
the basest partisan demands and face war Of
public Indignation unparalleled since the days
when the notorious Judge Tresilian was fol.
lowed 10 the scarold by an outraged people,
where they beat him with stones to make him
ascend, and then exulted at his Just but shock.
Ing execution
Corporate greed is determined TO prevent the
enactment Of the reform measures Of the popu.
lists. No supreme court in these days Of sus.
piciOn ana imputations against the integrity Of
courts cares to assume the responsibility OF de.
claring those laws void One happy solution
presented itself to the neiarious and atrocious
schemers and that Was the extinction and sup.
presslon Of the populist house. They did not
merely intend to prevent it from meeting in
Representative hall, but they intended TO pre-
vent it from meeting anywnere-to deprive 1t Of
existence, so that no official acts could flow
from IL
The first Of series Of contemplated steps to
this end was the attempted arrest OF the chief
clerk of the populist house This was TO be fol-
lowed by the arrest Of a sufficient number Of
populist members in order to break the quorum
Of the populist house Resistance by the popu.
lists to the execution Of this republican scheme
precipitated the armed rep lblican insurrecIion.
Now that peace has been declared 1t should
be borne well in mind that the populists have
carried their point and have wrung from the re-
publicans solemn pledge TO cease all further
attempts TO molest or attempt the extinction
Of the populist house. The compulsory vaca.
ton OF Representative hall may not be pleasant
10 the personal feelings Of populists but 1t Is
the price the populists pay for believing that
republicans have no part In loyalty or respect
Tor law and Official oaths
When the governor found himself confronted
by the sheriff OF Shawnee County and horde
Of drunken, rufisnly deputies said largely 10 be
from Missouri, present he also found that the
militia OF the state ION whom he had 10 rely)
we're almost to man stained through
and through with treason. Tho commanding
ofhcer was first 70 make known his con-
tempt for his Official oath and that he would
not obey orders from his superior oificer.
Hence when 1t is said that the governor has
made terms with power, which, but Q short
time ago he termed lawless body, he frankly
admits and says he did II lust as the union men
lid at Fort Sumter when they recognized Jen
Davis, or the loyal people Of Lawrence when
they recognized Qusntrell.
The disloyslty OF the present militia tells the
whole story. Good republican authorities pri-
Vately admit that for the past two years the
militia has been weeded, recruited and doc
tored TO this end This fact explains the ne
iarious conduct Of the Shawnee county sheriff
! The constitution Of this state says: THE
governor shall be commander.in-chief and
shall have power 10 call out the militia TO en-.
force the laws, 10 suppress insurrection and to
,epel invasion" But the partisan sheriff after
involving himself in evasions and gross contra
iictions, perceiving that the governor was help
ess in the midst Of cowardly and disloysl
militia raised an army Of deputies many Of
whom were the most vicious and depraved
characters, filled with rum and continually
talking about hanging the populist leaders
Backed by this motley crowd the sheriff de-
MES the governor the powers conferred on him
/ oy the constitution. and under threat Of blood
she'd and an assault upon the state house and
the governors feeble force, compels him TO
| treat with the lawless and treason infected re-
publican party.
Although treating in the face Of such adverse
circumstances the pOpulists have not surren-
lered one iota Of thai essential
So far as Representative hall is concerned,
many populists and popuist papers advised
weeks ago that the populists vacate Repre-
sentative hall and retire to where they are now
going Had they done so, populist legislation
would be much further advanced than 1t Is now.
| Beyond the indignity the vacation Of Repre-
sentative hall amounts to nothing, and the un-
masking OF republican treason, perjury and
general lawlessness richly compensates The
popuiists for all the indignities they have SUI.
tered
What the populists must not surrender is the
populist house. This is vital Whether the re-
publicans have really abandoned their inten.
tons to forcibly strangle the pOpulist house re-
mains 10 be seen