Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-08-16

the metropolitan police law extends
think and candid man must ADM
that whether it has been extended :
them out Of friendship or not 1t !
theirs My conclusion Is that 1t Is no
mere benevolence. Artemus War,
said that when he saw 'snaix' rul
into hole he acted upon the supposi
ton that the hole belonged Il
that 'snaix.' And when seq
the prohibitory law rented ou
by the month to be violated as 4
is in this city, all with the governors
connivance and apparent consent, ther
! am convinced that SO valuable con
cession was not handed down fol
charity or for love. During the cam
paign two years ago prominent poll
tician told me negotiations were on
foot with the gamblers Ct this city
which would elect the popdlist ticket.
! dismissed the story then as an idle
tale but recent events have caused me
to reverse that conclusion. And II any
of you are under the impression that
there was no deal then, | ask you TO
account for the phenomenal growth Of
the lottery business In this town since
Lewelling became governor.
There never was time In the his
tory OF this town when gamblers,
policy-shoppers, booksellers, lottery
people, crap-shooters and joinists were
In such force or In such clover as now.
Under the metropolitan police law
the keynote Of local government is
struck at Topeka. The governor has
been importuncd for the sake Of the
party and for common decency to
strike higher note than he Is sound
ing. | am reluctantly forced to the
conclusion that he continues In the
double bass because 1t pays him. On
what other hypothesis can you account
for his, or any other man permitting
such damaging appearance OF col
fusion II he Is not enjoying the reality
The conditions are such that nine
tenths Of our people believe that the
administration is In some way bene-
ficiary Of the lawlessness Of this town;
and we owe it TO ourselves from the
standpoint both of patriots and par
tisans TO turn down officials Of whom
such charges are true or whose con-
duct Is such as TO render them probable.
MRS. LEASES COMMENT.
Mrs. Lease, who probably did more
to create the populist party in Kansas
than any other one person, who was
the original high priestess Of It's tenn
pie and the most eloquent defender Of
It's shrine, said in speech at Leaven-
worth on January rs:
Never in the history Of Kansas has
crime, lust and Doodle stood forth so
boldly as now under the present state
administration"
She told of the threats by the state
iouse crowd TO blacken the characters
II populists who did not follow the
bidding of the ring.
In letter to the Sterling Champion
few days earlier she said:
For this was maligncd and perse-
utcd last year. After | had run the
OF republican and democratic
lars the traitors in our party turned
pom me. And 1t is this class who are
ghting me now-men who were
lected by the liquor vote and fusion
otc who have no higher conception of
eform than getting and holding office,
nd appointing all their relatives to
raw u fat salary. | have facts In my
ossession to prove that this admins
alton IL the most dishonest and COR
apt that has cursed Kansas. They
now that know these things, hence
hey are raising the cry that am
'orking in republican pay just as the
,publicans raised the cry that | was I
orking In democratic pay when / was
uilding up the peoples party"
In letter to the pleasanton Herald,
ritten from Wichita under date OF
lnuary IS, 1894, she speaks Of the pres
1t administration as "this crowd ,
ected by liquor and fusion votes; that ,
ok bribes from three companies
ock Island, Missouri Pacific and Mis- ;
uri, Kansas & Texas Il have proof; |
lat are In partnership with saloons
I'd gambling houses; that are the most !;
shonest and corrupt gang that has
or cursed Kansas"
In an address issued TO the reform ;
ess club in the latter part Of January, i
o proceeds. to touch up the present ,
form administration in the following =
gorous style; !
Immoral men elected to Office by the
d Of the liquor vote and the fusion
tie will be partners in the iniquity of u
'th. Your homes are in danger. Your S
,erties are in jeopardy, and the party v
hose principles you love, for whose Il
ccess you sacrificed and labored, is ;,
ing merged into democracy ,as known ~
d practiced now, the foe of human v
'erty, wall Of granite in the path of p
ogress, Your party Is being used to p
ep unworthy men in office, and men /,
principle and patriotism and human a
cency are ignored or forgotten" :"