Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-16
ABLEST SPEAKER IN KANSAS
David Overmyer, the Democratic Candidate
for Governor.
Something About a Man Who is Not
Much Known I'm the East-A Bit
ter Opponent of Prohibition.


On the 9th day Of July, 1892. the demo-
| Gratis Of Kansas met in convention and
| nominated as it's ticket the electoral and
| state candidates Of the peoples party. Sell
| ator Martin stood upon the floor of that
| convention and declared that it was the
| duty of every democrat in the state to cast
| his vote for the electoral ticket named by
| the populist party and thus take the vote
| Of this state out of the republican column.
| To this appeal there was general acduies-
| cence. This action taken, Senator Martin
| said: Gentlemen of the convention, let us
| go further and indorse the candidates on
the populist ticket for state officers and as
| sist in driving from the state house our
arch enemy. the republican party, that has
| for more than a quarter of a century con-
| trolled the destinies of Kansas" This was
| the beginning Of n fierce battle, but Martin
| and his friends won, and in January fol-
| lowing the republican party went out of
business In this state.
Instantly the republican press of Kansas
and the country announced that the democ-
| racy Of this state had surrendered to the
new movement and that hereafter the sole
opposition to republicanism would be the
peoples Narty. few days ago the demo-
| Gratis Of Kansas met in convention in To-
peka to nominate ticket. Every county in
the state was fully represented. The friends
VI IoV LeWelunS We're there as Specta tors,
expecting to see similar action to that taken
two years ago, but when Chairman Jones'
| IN mis- opening speech, declared that the
conditions were entirely different and that
ms year the democracy of Kansas mus,
| turn neither to the left ror the right, but
| treat all parties as enemies to democracy a
| shout went up from the 400 delegates that
made the convention hall tremble This
hearty applause was notice to the pop,,lIst
| Leaders, who hal been hoping for fusion
that the democratic party of Kansas had
not been swallowed up by the new move
| nent and that 1t proposed to do business
| along old established lines
| David Overmyer, the nominee for COVER
| nor, Is by all odds the ablest platform
| speaker In Kansas, John J. Ingalls, not ex-
| cepted. He>fs a remarkable man and nos
sesses oratorical powers which enable him
| to sway his audiences at will. His personal
| magnetism Is something wonderful. He is
| aggressive positive and firm, and when he
| takes stand for the right as he sees IT no
power on earth can swerve him. And still
he belongs pre-eminently to that class of
men OF whom the poet says:
| THE bravest are the gentlest
The loving are the daring"
| Mr. Overmyer Is forty-fye years old He
was born In Indiana and was ardent re-
publican until he came to Kansas in 1883
| The republican party Of Kansas had cham
pioned the prohibition cause and that was
more than he could endure. He gave notice
OF his departure and declared he was hence
forth democrat. Since that time he has
4
| approaching campaign he will discuss the
prohibition question in all its phases.
Prohibition I'm Kansas.
In a recent talk he said:
| AT the advent of prohibition Kansas was
| the best advertised state in the Union.
| While it. like all other places. has its draw
| backs. 1t is after all an enchanted land in
| which salubrious air. fertile soil and sub
Unity of scene are so blended that the eye
lnf ts,
| by the raoturous charm Of FURNISHED sky
| and shining plains, and yet in twelve years
| we are short a million of people by reason
| or prohibition. People will not make homes
wnere they cannot be free Tear prohibition
| from the constitution and hurl 1t into the
dark vortex OF things accursed. Do this
and Kansas will rise from her lethargic
| condition and take her place among the
prosperous commonwealth of the nation"
| While many Kansas democrats have to
a certain extent, become inocuated with
| populist virus, Mr. Overmyer has remained
| firm and steadfast in the democratic faith
AT speech delivered several months ago
he proclaimed his views with reference to
| the new party, which he will reiterate on
| every platform in Kansas during the ap-
| preaching campaign.
On the Populists.
He said: THE Ocala platform is forgot
| ten, the st. Louis platform is forgotten,
| the Omaha platform is forgotten, by
contain many generous and noble sentf-
| ments. but the men who framed them.
though patriotic, were for the most part in
experienced. unwise, inconstant and I'M
stable. They were mostly Of the empirical
ana experimental school of politics. which
always opposes democracy. Phosphorus
cent and evenescent, their pronuncia-
mentos flashed across the political firm
amcnt, but as they recommended moth
ing within the present constitutional
powers of the government, and as
their authors had neither the patience nor
the mental, nor the moral discipline to set
tie down to the slow and determined work
or Changing the Constitution; as they had
been led upon works of political fiction
which led them to accept the miraculou
ana the impossible, they found the re-
straints of the Constitution an fnsurmount-
able barrier; and the thought of the labor
the patience, the solid argument the long
stern battle, the appeal to the cool tudg-
nent OF the people which would be involved
| In an attempt to change the Constitution
| by ordinary political action, appalled, them:
and we no longer hear of government loans
and subtreasuries and commodity cur
fency; nor OF government ownership of
railroads. nor Of fiat money, except as 70
this latter. as stealthy and remote ulti-
mate. The great economic facts the pres
sure of which produced this spasmodic ac-
ton still remain; their complex and difficult
problems still confront us. Wealth is still
concentrated, poverty is still prevalent and
ihdFhelS are sun monopollZcd. Before the
stern, unyielding front and frowning actu-
alities Of social problems the populst party
lies down and trembles with dread and con-
scious incapacky. 1t could not be other
wise; there comes a time when arraign-
ment and accusation must give place to
suggestion and remedy, when the des.ruc-
tive process must give way to the construct
I've. When that time arrived then was the
hour of responsibility. The popul;sts had
nothing to offer within the range of the
Notwithstanding but rsvolution-and
the country was not ready for that They
propose to cure concentration with counter
concentration; private monopoly with pub
lie monopoly; corporate and consolidated
evils with the commune; state abuse with
state socialism. When they became con-
WINGED that there was something wrong
with the country and that 1t was mainly
the result of republican policies and prac-
tices they turned upon the democratic
party and denounced 1t as equally RESPONSE
BILE, when in truth the democratic party
had opposed every measure of which they
complained with all its power and had.
step by step, inch by inch contested every
foot of ground with the republican party
through quarter of a century with a stub
born valor, born of intelligent conscience.
and civic discipline rarely, IL ever.
eQualed in the history of the world and