Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1894-08-18
Populism Described by Consist
ent Member of the Peo-
pies Party.
The State Administration Shown to
Be TreacherOuS, Corrupt and
Incompetent.
How Conventions Are Packed in the Inter-
est of Designing Oficials-Polfce
Boards ManipuIated-The Mill
tia Fund Squeezed-An In
the Name of Re-
form.


form.
Topeka, Kan, Aug. 9.-The voters
of Kansas who have not yet decided
with which party they will align them
selves in the pending campaign, and
who may be unwilling at this time to
accept the opinions of republican
speakers and newspapers regarding the
shameful administration of public
affairs by the present officials, can find
ample and indisputable proof of every
charge made against the integrity and
capacity of Gov. Lewelling and his
subordinates by consulting or reading
honorable and consistent popu1ists in
the state-men with whom populism
stands for a governmental principle
and that much-abused word reform"
stands for something else than pelf,
perquisites and plumber.
Every issue of the Topeka New Era,
edited by Cyrus Corning, an advanced
and observing populist, contains far
severer arraignment of the present pop
ulist administration and popullst meth
DDS generally in Kansas than has
emanated from the most partisan re-
publican source. Mr.. Corning charges
the members of the peoples party with
ignoring the very spirit of the Omaha
platform and with the complete ADAM
donment of the fundamental law upon
which the party was elected to power
in this state. This opinion is shared,
although not openly adopted, by such
well known populist leaders as John
G. Otis, Mrs. Mary E. Lease, Percy
Daniels, John +. Willis, w. H. Ben
nington and other conspicuous mem
berS of the party, some of whom do not
hesitate to declare that Lewelling and
his official associates have treacherous-
ly forsal1en the real peoples party in
the promotion of their own selfish ends.
Mr.. Corning boldly asserts that the
populist state convention this year was
packed in the interest of the state
house junto, that the facts had been
kept from the people and honestly-in-
clined delegates were deceived and be-
trayed into an endorsement of the
present officials. Lieut.-Gov. Daniels
and Secretary Osborn were left off the
ticket because they did not take kindly
to the deals of the bosses.
Passing to the consideration of the
reform governors record since his in
auguration, the New Era introduces
sworn statements to establish the
charge that appointments in the large
cities have been manipulated for the
protection of liquor dealers, gamblers
and lottery agents, from whom the
populist officials, high and low, have
received substantial assistance in
perpetuating themselves in office. by
his official acts says this excellent
populist authority, ''the governor
has declared himself in favor of, and
has pledged the peoples party to, the
maintenance of the saloon, the gam
bling den and the bawdy house against
the home and the sacred interests of
humanity. In proof of this we have
only to refer to the governors appoint
ments, especially of police commission
ers in cities where the metropolitan po-
lice law is in force. These commission
ers connive with the slums in the vio-
lation of law. The result: Prostitu-
ton, gambling and drunkenness, with
kindred vices, are made to increase,
and they derive their right to exist,
wreck society and curse humanity, di-
rectly from the. consent of the gov
ernor, but in violation of law.
A more specific or direct charge is
offered by Mr.. Corning in connection
II 0f 41n
great military arm of the state. While
Gov. dwellings, career is illustrious
in the regulation of the police force,
his most enduring fame will rest upon
his military achievements. Here is one
of them as detailed by Mr.. Corning,
populist in good standing:
''Mr Davis, now adjutant-general,w was
appointed to the position of assistant
adjutant-general by Mr.. Artz, April 10,
1898, but the governor issued his COM
mission bearing date February 10, 1893,
thus giving him two months extra pay
for doing absolutely nothing. This Is
the Lewelling idea of equal and exact
justice for all and special privileges for
none, and this is the kind of business
the populist convention Endorsed under
the crack of the party lash welded by
Car Briedenthal & Co."
In another column of his paper Edi-
tor Corning draws very faithful pic
ture of what he designates as the Kan
sas brand of reform-the kind that is
in the saddle and holds the reins of
government. He says:
kansas populism stands for unre-
stricted operation of saloons and Gov.
Lewelling SO declares it.
81 CT nd
bling dens and policy shops and Gov.
Lewelling SO declares it.
kansas populism stands for more
bawdy houses and more prostitution
and Gov. Lewelling so declares it.
kansas populism stands for moral,
financial and material ruin and Gov.
SO declares it.