The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-06-01
SCANDALOUs INDEED.
LewelIlng Condemned Out of the
Mouth of Populists.
HOW THE LOTTERIES HAVE GROWN

Under the Fostering Care OF the IRE
FORM GovernOr-SenatOrT Taylor Eek
poses the Condition OF Affairs at
Kansas city, Kan
Senator Taylor of Wyandotte. who is
one of the best informed and most intel
ligent men in the Populist party and
man of good judgment, is strong OPP
ponent of the Lewelling administration.
In his speech before the Populist county
convention at Kansas City, Kan, he said:
"When see the prohibitory law rented
out by the month to be violated as it is in
this city, all with the governors conniv-
ance and apparent consent, then 1 am
convinced that so valuable a concession
was not handed down for charity or for
love.
During the campaign two years ago
a prominent politician told me negOtIa-
tions were on foot with the gamble OF
this city which would elect the POpulist
ticket / dismissed the story then as an
idle tale, but recent event have caused
me to reverse that conclusion. And If
any of you are under the impression that
there was no deal on then, 1 ask you to
account for the phenomenal growth of
the lottery business in this town since
Lewelling became governor.
eUnder Governor Humphrey it was an
Insignificant affair. 1t IS now, in the ex-
tent of its business correspondence, the
amount of money it handles. easily the
foremost business in this town after the
packing houses, smelter, railroads and
stock yards are excepted.
ave have the biggest Touring mill in
the state, with a capacity of $500 barrels
of -four day, but our mills handle less
money than our lotteries. Add to this
that those lotteries are fakes, that their
prizes are a joke, and the whole thing a
10 nv.1 rr1I hnvr- e. oh
acterize reform governor who lives in
apparent harmony with them. A straw
which indicates the direction of the
wind in Topeka was furnished when
the governor, having a little deputy
coal oil inspectOrship in his gi #, for
this city, instead Of looking around for
worthy Populist engaged in a legitimate
calling he gave it to a man who, if COM
mon report is true, is himself a gambler.
"There never was a time in the history
of this town when gamblers, policy-shOp
pers, booksellers, lottery people, crap
shooters and lointers 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 i'm
portuned for the sake of the party and
for the sake of-common decency to strike
a higher note than he is sounding. / am
reluctantly forced to the conclusion that
he continues in the double bass because
it pays him On what other hypothesis
can you account for his, or any other
mans permitting such a damaging
appearance of collision if he is not
enjoying the reality. The conditions
here are such that nine-tenths of our peo-
pie believe that the administration is in
some way a beneficiary of the lawIess-
ness of this town; and we owe it to our
selves from the standpoint both of patriots
and partisans to turn down officials of
whom such charges are true or whose
conduct is such as to render them proba-
BILE.
"The Peoples party in Kansas must
prepare for reform within itself or de-
feat 1t can't be tided over by sharp
practices or unworthy partnerships. The
smart thing in politics is the right thing
The tie that binds a party which is to en-
dure must be something more than an
office grabbing conspiracy. A party
which does not commend itself to the
public conscience by its official practices
need not hope for length of days. But if
the Peoples party will once bring up
its public performances to a level with
the honest hearts of its rank and file,
hearts quivering with sympathy for the
unfortunate, and with loyalty to Ameri-
can institutions then, and then only, will
its future be secure