The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-09-07

| list senator of Wyandotte county. who
was elected by l 200 majority, l call up
on the stand a populist lawyer of Kan
sas City, Kan, Mr.. A. j. Smith, and
produce in evidence his letter to Gov.
Lewelling, in which he says:
During the interstate fair at Kansas City,
! Mo-. your excellency promised me that an in
yestigation should be made, and that the pres
ent board OF police commissioners should be
changed. For some reason your excellency
changed your mind. The reason was that w.
! 7. Quarles and {. 6. King. the chief Of police
and police judge of Kansas City. Kan. had
/ been to Topeka with some money for your ex-
/ cellency. The pittance of $500 was then and
there offered to John W. Briedenthal il he
would withdraw his influence In favor OF the
change, and give it to them for their continu-
ance in Office He refused to take the money.
/ The money was then carried across the hall and
left on deposit with a person connected not
I more remotely than a thousand miles from
your excellencys office, subject to the ordt- of
John W. BreidenthaL At last accounts the
money was still there.
After the introduction of this testi-
mony 1 show that the administration
had Mr.. Smith arrested for criminal
| libel, that Judge Nicholson of Council
Grove, leading populist lawyer, was
/ employed to assist in his prosecution.
and he was tried and the jury disa-
| greed. That he was tried second
| time. and that Mr.. Briedenthal. the
chairman of your committee. and Mr..
| Close, the governors private secretary.
were both sworn as witnesses. | then
show the courts instruction as fol-
lows: IF you find from the evidence
! that the matters and things contained
/ in the letter charged in the informa-
| ton herein have been written and pub
| lished by the defendant were in fact
substantially true. then you must ac-
/ quit the defendant"
then read the verdict of the jury as
follows: I'VE, the jury, find the de-
PENDANT not guilty"
After thus showing that the admin
istration has been placed on trial
before jury for boodling. and con-
victed. call \. b. Weber. who was
populist candidate for sheriff of
! Shawnee county last year. who says:
| 1 do not indOrse the methods employed by
| the corrupt men who engineer the county and
state conventions of the peoples party of Kan
sas, and in my Judgment no honest man in
| dorses them.
w H. lOI- tppu-
| list. is put upon the stand and says:
A simple mistake is no crime. but 20 deceive
a friend and brother is treachery. and to play
into the hands OF the enemy i treason, ana he
/ tGOv. Lewelling) has been guilty Of both.
The New Era. a poFulist newspaper,
! is placed in evidence before the jury
and their attention is called to this edi-
torial paragraph:
! n hn nf S1t.>D0S hlW1V
houses and gambling dens commasS & premium
I in Kansas.
Mary E. Lease is put upon t&s stand
and testifies:
know that this administration is d.c,,oneSt
and corrupt. and that they received brlbes from
| the Missouri. Kansas & Texas. the Missouri
Pacific and the Rock Island.
Ed :. Waterbury. one of the Official
historians of your peoples party, is
called to the stand and says:
| There Is no permanence in the situation
! There will be an end. 1t will come quickly
An end to the party which toIerateS it. Popu-
! lists here regard him Gov. Lewelling) as
| traitor to his party. Will YOU all vote for him:
! In thunder tones you Will answer No. We vii
not support by our ballots that which We sc
! heartily condemn.
John q. Otis. former populist men,
! Der of congress. testifies with reference
| to the peoples party as follows:
! 1t opens the door to the saloons of the state
| and bids them enter in and occupy the field
! 1t SubordinateS to the lust of greed the indus
/ trial classes and levicS tax upon fraud &c
I feed vice and crime. In proof OF this we only
call YOUR attention to the fact that at this time
| bawdv houses. gambling dens and joints four
! ish in the state more luzuTiantly than for many
years past. in spite Of he fact that it has ever
been the claim Of the reform party that if the
people would trust ~ It'll the administration
/ OF government it womb elevate the standard
OF morals and look sTt / TO the peace Of the
home.
Cyrus Corning. 2 pioneer in the peo-
pies party. testlfies
| The violation of law touching the moral and
social question. nepot Sm and boodling have
never been excelled by any other administra-
tion since the dawn Of statehood.
| Benia min H. Clever, the origi nal
president of the Farmers Alliance, one
of the organizers of your party. and
/ for two years a Do)ulist member of
congress. is put upon the stand and
| testifies:
monthly stipend for campaign and personal
purposes is exacted from the gambling dens
| and liquor dives of our large cities. 1t has
/ organized the metropolitan police into revenue
1 collectors. who visit these loathsome places
/ and compel these dealers vice 10 OlNlNt tue
profits of their uuholy business. This is done
now by the leaders Of our reform movement
I The governor of the state and his political adj
viSerS are cognizant Of and parties to these
] political and official crimes.
Associate Justice Allen of the su
preme court. elected by populists, is
/ introduced as witness and teStihes:
! Within the past few days have learned. not
from the enemies but frop, the friends of the
/ administration of circumstances showing that
the administration OF Affairs in some. If not all,
Of the cities Of the first class is thoroughly
corrupt. and that 10 the knowledge at least OIL
/ the governor. I have also been told OF cIrcum-
/ stances which tend very strongly to indicate
! that this condition OF affairs meets with his
/ sanction. I fear that they can easily show sys-
/ tematic bcodliaS by the police departments
How much evidence then will be required &c
/ convince those Of our people who are especial
! IL interested in the enforcement OF the pro-
hibitory law that the administration is directly
/ connected with all OF these practices. Worst
/ OF all dread possible developments showing
/ the direct connection Of the executive Office
with these matters. We have all the matter &c
I defend Tint we caa possibly carry without hay
{ in- 10 meet charges Of corruption.
After hearing the testimony of q
/ large number OF populist witnesses. all
I of which corroJorates that which
I have quoted. the case is submitted &c
the jury. the people of the state, for
/ their verdict
! There are many things. Daniel. that
| / would like TO write about. but must
close by thanking You for this letter.
which will ena BILE me the more effectu-
ally TO puncture the disseminated BAN
ner of economy and reform displayed
! by YOUR party to deceive the people.
Gratefully yours.
(Signed) JAMES A TRoUTNAN-