Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-08-02
OUR DEMOCRATIC CHAMPION.
Hon. David 0vermeyer Opens the Campaign
With Ringing Truths.

the redemption of Kansas from the
hands of theorists and Missionaries was
fred. The immense Chickering hall
was crowded to its utmost, and the
democratic leaders were greeted with
rounds of applause as they exposed
the shams of the republicans and point
ed out the weaknesses of the populists.
David Overmeyer spoke for oyer two
hours.
He touched upon the money ques-
ton, and the state control of enter
prises. He wanted to know how many
members are sent to the legislature
who know anything about laws and
society. Lewelling, he said, believed
in the people buying the railroads, but
didn't say how they should get them.
Mr.. Overmeyer thought if he and his
state officers should return their passes
and pay as he (OVermeyer) does there
would be more equity, and the railroads
would have a better chance to live.
Mr.. Overmeyer spoke considerable
length on the prohibition question,
| picturing the great injury that has been
done to the state by reason of it and
calling upon the loyal people of Kan
sas to wipe it out.
He devoted some time to the police
| system. The governor appoints the
police commissioner" he said. The
commissioner appoints the police and
you pay them. A policeman in city
is a man who possesses great power.
Your lives, your property and your
liberty are all largely in his hands.
1t is a wholly responsible power set up
! by man at the head of the state, not
to serve your interests or desires, not
to administer the laws that the people
of that neighborhood demand, but to
administer the affairs as please the
liking of the man at the head of the
state.
The republicans have gone SO far
as to undertake to teach republican
principles and platform in the public
schools of the state. ! say alcohol
properly used is emineptly beneficial.
| Base is the coward who will not say
that in public while he will act it in
private and not say it is true. Yet
they attempt to teach these republican
hygienie principles.
''At the advent OF prohibition Kan
sas was one of the best advertised
states in the union. It's capacity for
| raising grapes was heralded all over
the world and capitalists came here
and invested. Prohibition came and
the people quit coming. The evil fame
of Kansas in that respect has been
spread abroad to the world.
'Major Morrill,, when he went east,
said he was ashamed Of Kansas and
when the people ask him where he was
from he said from the west 1 am
not ashamed of Kansas, and when go
out of the state and sleep at hotel
[ walk boldly up to the register and
write it David Overmeyer, Topeka,
Kansas l have never been insulted
for it yet. The world does not blame
Kansas, only the fools that have cursed
| you.
This is an enchanted land after all.
| have travelled oyer many states, look
ed upon towering mountains and
limpid waters, but have looked upon
no scene beneath the sun that equals
the FURNISHED skies and shining plains
of great Kansas.
THE great, the liberal, the unfretted
genius of America can never be perrna-
nently tied down to a policy like pro-
hibition.
There is subject near to my heart
that desire to touch upon briefly.
They call it woman suffrage. The
republican and peoples parties wa8t
the proposition voted. The republicans
Of the state had not the courage to say
they were in favor of it and not the
courage to say they were against it.
The pops did come out for it after a
supreme struggle. The democrats, on
the other hand, holding fast TO the
government, say they are not in favor
of woman's suffrage. This thing is
wrong and right minded women do
not want it; and we do not propose to
drag them into the slums TO satisfy the
bold and brazen women who want to
display themselves before the world,
They say if you do not grant this then
you are practising great wrong; that
our fathers fought taxation without
representation. Is this true? If it is
We had better see about il. In the first
place there is no necessary relation
between taxation and representation.
The property that belongs to minor
children is taxed. These minors do
not vote. Is it possible we have lived
100 years in this good land of liberty
without our good women being repre-
sentated in the government and public
affairs and never knew it before? That
we never thought of 1t till the wise
Susan B. Anthony and other wise peo-
! pie from the east. from which all our
tortures come, came here and Informed
/ us of fhe faetp