The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-08-08

souri, after he was notified or his ap-
pointment although Hi Lewis wanted
him to stay here and qualify
David, it appears, is between the devil
and the deep sea and it is limited that
he was pleased to have an opportunity
to go to Missouri so as to be able to
think over his new situation.
1t is said that he is in doubt whether
he ought to accept the place or not.
When he went into partnership with
George Douglass it was to practice
law and it is said he does not relish
the idea of being Douglass catspaw
in the latter's various political schemes
in addition to doing all the law bus
mess.
1t is said also that his Democratic
friends have been talking TO him.
They Go not want him to be a police
eventually make every man connected
with them political corpse.
Then again the fusion Democrats are
afraid that if he accepts the place it
Will hurt their ticket. One OF them
speaking with reporter yesterday said
4 hope Smythe will not make fool
of himself by accepting the place. He
is young man and maybe would
amount to something yet. This will
kill him if he takes it. He is contribut-
ing enough to the support of George
Douglass in taking care Of his law bus
mess without being his man Friday
in politics. Besides that if he takes
the place he will make our recent con-
vention look ridiculous. We put in a
plank in our platform condemning
Topeka interference in our local af-
fairs to catch the liberal vote. II was
a good hit, but what will il amount TO
when the man who seconded the motion
for its adoption is the very first person
to expose the insincerity of the plank
by aiding and abetting this outside in
reference III accepting office in it. If
he accepts it would have been better
for us if we never had adopted that
plank which we then thought was a
pretty slick way Of catching the liberal
vote. The longer 1 live the more 1
think that the Democratic party can
always be relied upon TO make a fool of
itself. I half way think that Dave
Smythe will back out yet
Dave Smythe is of quiet disposition
and has no taste for wrangling and 1t
is said that he feels delicate about
taking a place that wiki be one continu-
al wrangle from beginning to end.
He knows that there will be at least
three men who will want to run the
police affairs. Hi Lewis, Rudolph Hat
field and George Douglass all want to
run things and there is bound to be a
clash. OF course he believes that it
will be his duty to recognize his law
partner as the chief engineer of the
thing and that will crowd Lewis and
Hatfield on his back. They will never
agree to play second fiddle to George
Douglass, especially Hatfield, who has
a bee in his bonnet similar to the one
Douglass has. Then again If Hi Lewis
is made chief of police he and Rudolph
Hatfield will stand in together as
against Smytfe and Douglass and the
result will be a continual locking of
horns which will not be agreeable to
Smythe's disposition. Billy Smith will
also be with Lewis and Hatfield and so
will DR.. Winters when he returns
There are indications already that
there will be a denominational rivalry.
as to the control of the board and that
will add to Smythe's embarrassment as
he will be compelled to take sides
against his own denomination if he
stands by Douglass. Some of the DEM
ocratic leaders went down to the post
office yesterday to get Tom Fitch to see
Smythe when he comes home, before
anybody else would see him, and advise
him not to take the place under any
circumstances, but Mr.. Fitch had gone
to Colorado.
On the whole It is not improba BILE
that David Smythe will fail to qualify
and if he does qualify it will be for the
purpose of keeping the place until
George Douglass can flid somebody else
That is what Democrats who claim to
be on the inside think.