Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-02-14
Ed Hoch's Warnings.

rather severe on some points and
places imaginary construction on
some acts, yet on the whole it can
proftably be read by all who have
the welfare Of the party at heart
He says in part: at was mis-
take, yes, it was more, it was
crime, for prominent members OF the
state central committee to cripple the
party in its great struggle to regain
public confidence, by ilippant and
promiscuous betting on the result oil
the election, known Of all men. That
was gambling. 1t was unlawful. 1t
is bad enough for individuals to DO
such things, and the fact that it is
awiully common, makes it none the
less wrong. 1t is demorallzlng to
society, and destructive Of the basic
principle Of our goyernment--the IN
telligent, unbiased will Of the people
expressed at the polls. But it was
much worse for such things to be
prominently and olliciously done at
headquarters 1t is no palliation Of
this mistake to say that the other
fellow did it, too. They did. They
did it by the wholesale.
Sat the Baker banquet all the
accounts agree that liquors flowed
freely, and were served as a part OF
the regular menu. II this is true, it
was an outrage. Prohibition was en-
acted to remedy, as far as it could,
this evil, It is the law Of this State.
We believe it is not an exaggeration
to say that three-fourths OF the ke'
publicans OF Kansas believe in this
law, and are hurt when anything Is
done to bring it into disrepute, es-
pecially by their own party But
here were all three departments OF
the State government, the Legislature,
whose business it is to make laws and
set an example Of respect for them;
the governor and State officers, whose
duty it is to enforce the laws and
certainly to obey them; and the chiei
Justice OF the supreme court, whose
business it Is to interpret the laws,
all these present and participating
without protest in banquet where
the law and the wholesome sentiment
back Of it were treated with contempt,
for that is practically the fact. Now,
aside from the moral questions in
volved, viewing the matter merely
from a standpoint Of party policy
what sense was there in itp What
necessity was there for it9 Why
needlessly pull all the departments
Of the State government into this
seeming attitude Of sanctioning even
BY their silence, this contempt for
law and for the opinions Of thousands
of voters, yes, we believe great ma
jority of those who elected them2
This thing was particularly UNI
fortunate because it occurred at
Senator Bakers home. Mr.. Baker
has suddenly become u chief leader of
the party. As such he needs to
counsel mutual respect for differences
in the party, and to promote har-
mony rather than discord. We want
to say to him frankly and kindly, but
emphatically, that he can not do this
by ncedlessly offending thousands OF
his fellow Republicans who are GER
tainly as conscicntiously in favor OF
prohibition as we concede he has
been in his opposition to it. Mr..
Baker Is u man of brains, and Of per-
sonal worth, and because Of these
facts and because Of their desire for
harmony prohibition Republicans,
with wonderful unanimity and with
wonderful generosity, hailed his cleo
ton with pleasure as a happy solu-
ton of what seemed Il muddle danger
Gus to the party, in spite Of his record
of opposition to his party, upon this
question, so late as 1890 If they can
afford to do all this, he and the rest
of the minority on this subject can
afford to at least meet these, his
party friends, half way. We hope he
was not responsible for this I'M
fortunate affair We wish he had
prevented 1t.
at may as well be understood now
as any time, and better now than
later, that the prohibition Republic
cans, who constitute large majority
Of the party, have made about all the
concessions they propose to make to
the minority or anti-prohibition
wing"