Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1894-07-25
Hon. E. B. Whaley's Letter.
TOPEKA, KAs., July 10, 1894

Hon. John W. Breidenthal, Chairman of the Peo-
ples Party State Central Committe, Topeka, Kas. ::
DEAR SIB-The duties of citizenship de-
mand a careful consideration of all public
questions, and the attitude Of the several
parties toward the same, that the right of
franchise be exercised for the best interest
of humanity.
The practices as we'll as the promises of
political parties should also be we'll CON
sidered by the voter before he places him
self in line with any party.
The above requirements l have endeav-
ored to meet, and the conclusion reached
by me is, that 1 cannot remain with the
republican party.
1t is with feelings of regret that am
compelled to make this decision, for it
sewers political associations of 10 years
standing.
My reasons for this change are as fol-
lows:
The practices of the leaders of the party
in the past were the cause of much COM
plant in its own ranks, and the tendency
seemed to be rather to aggravate than to
remove the cause; the Capitalization of
power into the hands of few selfish and
INSCRIPTIONS men who have been manip-
ulating its affairs for years; the entire alb
last convention; and the subverting of
public interest to railroad interest.
Ny position on the executive commit
tee of the republican party and in the state
auditors office gave me opportunities for
observation and investigation of which l
availed myself.
The enormous republican majority of
1888 was swept away in the election of
1890, but the Buchan committees unscru-
pulOus methods seated l.. U. Hump hrey
again in the governors chair.
The revolt by and the demands of the
people were alike unheeded by the repub
hcans in the senate that year, in refusing
to pass the REDEEM ption, chattel- mortgage,
and maximum-freight bills.
During the cam paign of 1892, the re-
volt was fully as strong. In Shawnee
county it was aggravated by the use of
large amount of railroad money to re-
nominate candidate for district Judge.
Governor Humphreys action in ap-
pointing the late B. W. Perkins as Pres
ton B. Plumb's successor, at the dictation
of the general attorney of the leading
railroad of the state in using the COVER
nOr's contingent fund to pay the ex-
penses of Lew. Hanback, in putting up
delegations for his (Humphrey's) nomi-
nation for congress in the third district !;
in hiring at the request of a railroad
lobbyist a supposed to be anti-railroad
lawyer to make up the case of the peo
pie against the Kansas Central railroad.
The action of the republican board of
railroad commissioners in giving $500,000
in return for $25, 900 to the railroads. The
action of the republican school fund com
missioners in purchasing $125,OOO of
western county bonds and paying par
for same to the railroads at the request
of railroad lobbyist, when the same could
not be sold for more than 10 cents on
the dollar in the Eastern market.
In 1892 the election returns showed a
deplorable state of affairs for the repub-
lican ticket, and the methods of the Bu-
chan committee were advocated. / WAS
asked how many votes Shawnee county
would furnish to make up the deficiency,
and replied that Shawnee county could
not go into that kind of business. A tel
egram was sent to q committeeman in
the northeast corner of the state asking
how many votes his county would fur
nish to make up the deficiency, and he
replied that he would furnish his share.
That man is now a prominent manager
of this republican campaign.
The plan was dropped, and the chair
man was cursed for his lack of courage to
carry it out.
lists had elected the governor and a ma
iority of the senate, and that the house
was very close, the scheming commenced
to at least save the house. The railroads
we're determined that the maximum-freight