The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-04-03
NO TIME FOB MISTAKES.
The Candidacy Of George L. Douglass
for Congressman at Large

clean men, but it also demands men of
brains, ability and fighting qualities
to take the lead in the campaign next
fail.
Sedgwick county unanimously asks
the nomination Of Speaker Douglass for
ongressman-at-large The record OF
George L. Douglass in the year 1893 is
known throughout the borders Of Kan
sas and far beyond; but his record In
preceding years is equally creditable.
In 1889 he was chairman of the judici-
any committee of the house and much
of the best legislation of that session
was his individual handiwork. The
fight be made in 1891 for his bill to pun
ism Legislators and other public officers
for accepting brides, attracted wide at
tention. Through his efforts the same
bill was again passed by the house
in 1898 but failed to pass the Popu list
senate. If boodling is still a legal pas
time in Kansas it is no fault of Douglass.
He fought with untinng presidency to
strange the system. Pa succeeded in
winning the enmity of every boodler in
Kansas; and he is entitled to the sup
port or every man vino believes be- was
right.
No less should be said of his untiring
efforts in behalf of honest elections. He
| tonight long and hard during two sess
! ions for what is now known as the
Douglass election law" 1t encOun-
/
ures always do. Yet this law and the
new ballot law (tho passage of which
was largely due to Douglass supp0rO
have already done more 10 give US clean
elections in Kansas than all previous
! legislation combined. Every candidate
for Office ia Kansas is, and will be In
debted to Douglass for his persistent and
successful work; and, if he had never
done anything else than this, he would
| be entitled to the everlasting gratitude
of every believer in clean politics and
good government.
The record of candidates this year will
| be closely scanned. Ii any candidate
has been in the legislature, let the
! Republicans ask what has he
done or tried TO do in the interest of
good government? The candidate for
congress at large should not only be n
man who has done something to show
| that he is on the right side of such
questions, but he should also BIZ man
who has the adaptability for the
work OF legislation. Douglass went to
the front the first day he entered the
Kansas Legislature ana he stsid at the
| front until the last hour Of the last ses-
sion of that body. 1t Is no experiment
to send such man To congress.
Douglass idea of Repubhcanism as
| embodied in a few sentences from one
of his speeches last fall, is a good and
healthy one:
Remember that Republicanism means
good Recommendation and honest adj
| ministration of public affairs in every nook
| aud corner OF the nation where the flag
| flies and Republicans rule. Remember
that RepublIcauism means everything that
| is good in politics. Let Us make it mean
| that-nothing less aud nothing more. To
/ be a Republican man must first be
good citizen. III so far AS he falls short
| of being good man and a good citizen,
| just to that extent does he fall short Of be-
| ing a Republican. Time-servers. trick
sters, boodlers are never Republicans. If
| they ever call themselves such they are
wolves IN Sleeps clothing" The e--
sence of ReDublicanism Is eternal opposi-
| ton to such things as these"
There Is no better theory of Republi-
can politics than that; and the EAGLE
has never known Mr.. Douglass to
swerve from If either in word
or act under any circumstances. His
record is absolutely clean.
Douglass election as speaker in the
memorable session of 1893 is still in the
minds of all. The desperate and revolu-
tionary attempt OF the governor and the
Pop senate to force 4 rump house upon
this state was instantly met by Mr..
Douglass with speech of defiance that
was published all over this country:
| Gentlemen of the House:
| Allow yourselves no uneasiness. The
| A m -.h;y has wisely reserved the power
OF C cation to himself alone. All the
powers on eaIth-seDates aud governors
| lncluded-cannot make sixty three men
| out of fifty-eight; aud in every free repre-
| sentative body IN the world the majority
| governs. The principle of seif-govern-
! ment Is on trial in Kansas today As 1t was
| once years ago. But 1t trIumphed then, and
il will triumph now. The friends of the
| constitution and the laws will soon stand
| as one man In Kansas. regardless of par
| ties. The constitutional house of repre-
rentatives. with sixty-seven lawful mem
| bers, is here aud ready for business, and
here 1t will remain. uuterritied and IN
awed. lGreat applause What is the
! further pleasure OF the house?'
In that little speech Douglass struck
the keynote OF the situation and from
it he never varied a hairs breadth DUR
| ing the entire struggle. As the lea DER of
the Republican side in that contest, vast
responsibility rested upon his shoulders.
A single nlisstep might have re-
| suited In disaster and disgrace; but he
made no misstep, and, in the end, the
cause he champloned was triumphant at
every point. In referring TO Mr.. Doug
lass during this trying period the Atcii-
ison Champion said:
NO speaker has ever occupied a position
more delicate or more over-borne with
| great responsibilities. His GOODNESS Under
| the most trying circumstances has teen
| marvellous aud his courage sublime. One
| iDdiscreet act of his might have precipitat-
| ed most dissraceful riot, aud unwise
1 counsel from his lips woRld have led 10
| disaster.
| His action as speaker has been manly
and his words have been wise, brave and
| patriotic. He has stood at full stature in
| the ful and furious blaze of rhe contest,
the center OF observation for every lover of
/ the stale. He has held the forsn for the
cause of justice and law. against the
howls aud jesrs of partisaDship run mad.
| He has maintained his manhood against
| the mean and malignant malice of AN I'M
| scrupulous and revolutionary foe and
never Quailed when the executive and CO
ordinate branch OF tbs legislature Joined