The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-10-27
WHY WE SAID SO.

selfish end to serve. 1t lnaugnrated
the fight solely in behalf of the people
of Wichita. in defense of their bust
ness interests and for their property
values. The Eagle did not stop. TO
count the cost to itself, nor TO weigh
the chances. knowing that such step
might wipe the paper out of existence,
or otherwise transfer it into the hands
of the city's enemies. leaving its pro-
prietors penniless. 1t did not stop 10
innuire whether this Democratic mer-
chant, that Republican property hold
er, or that Populist homesteader would
be benefited most. 1t did not hest
tate q moment because of the knowl-
edge that such a stand would array
three or four of the most prominent
ministers of the city and their sup
porters against the Eagle.
When powerful and far-reaching in
f1uences were brought TO bear 20 induce
its editor 10 cease his protest and let
the raid run it's course, coupled as
they were with promises for him and
his. there was no fiunking or backing
down, or concessions Of any character
upon the part of the Eagle. Realizing
that every commercial, corporate and
political interest Of the state were to
a greater or less extent enlisted in the
scheme to render it impossible, once
for all. for Wichita to ever become a
great center of population and COM
mercial competitor of Kansas City in
the iobbing and packing trade of South
Kansas; and, doubtful of our ability
to make the majority of the people IN
derstand that our fight was not one
against morality and decency, but one
wholly to save to Wichita and to her
good people all that had been acquired
in years of enterprise and honest effort,
the Eagle waged its war of offense and
defense, never faltering for moment.
There was no politics in it all No
attention was even paid 30 the Repubh-
can county convention or its ticket.
The political fortune, of the nominees
and the chances of winning in the
local campaign were all ignored and
Left to themselves for the sake of the
welfare and future chances of Wichita
as city. The Republican organs of
the administration criticized and said
hard things; leading politicians of
Kansas protested by letter that the
course of the Eagle would inevitably
defeat the state ticket in 1896; prom
inent preachers wrote letters to the
daily papers claiming and maintaining
that the editor of the Eagle was incul-
eating a spirit of anarchy, that it was
arrayed against the Christian church,
and that it was defying and Drawing
the law Of the land and defending i'm
morality and drunkenness.
None of these things moved us in a
fight which we knew was impossible
of waging to successful issue in the
absence of the far-reaching influence
of the Eagle. Wichita in the absence
of the privileges and chances held by
the river cities must shrink and
its metropolitan features be
its taxable values be cut
down by millions, IT'S homes deserted
and its business blocks emptied, only
that the impractical ideals of few in
dividuals, who had never done any
thing for the upbuilding of the city,
might be realized, that food
windy attorney general might be VIM
Dictated and that our commercial and
corporate enemies might be at once
both benefited and gratified.
So we said that the issue of the pres
ent local campaign is. prominently,
shall the Eagle be indorsed and sus-
tanned in its fight, or otherwise be re-
pudiated and let down by the people
for whose rights it battled. There is
but one way TO indorse the Eagles
course, and that is by the election of
Hatton and the entire Republican
ticket. The defeat of Hatton, and the
balance of the ticket, is not only re-
pudiati0n of the Eagles fight but
victory for the men who plunged the
city into the contention and expensive
siege. II through the distractions of
party politics and the work and the
pleadings Of candidates for themselves.
the Eagle should not be sustained, the
defeat Of Hatton and the election of
the other ticket VIII be defeat for
Wichita III which all that she has
gained win not only he lost. but the
victory viii be followed by such an
enforcement Of the rule and ideas Of
our enemies as will make Wichita not
only the dcieSt but deadest town in the
state. The election ofthe ticket head
ed by Hatton VIII not only be an in
dorsement OF the Eagle and guaranty
of victory for Wichita all along the
hne. but viii be such defeat for the
crowd which has blindly if not maliS-
nantly sought her ruin. as THAI they
willsneycr,be heard from again. either
in courts or conventions. They and
their attorney general and lf;S as-.Srs