Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-08-27
CALCITRANT KANSAS
There Are Half Score Of Parties
in the Field.
INGALLS, OUT FOR TEE SENATE
-
The Republican Campaign Pro-
crosses Favorab|y.
UTCOME UNCE r T A I N
OUTCOME UNCERTAIN
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
TOPEKA, Kan, August Is. 1885,
There is young lady In this city. daugh-
ter Of prominent democrat, who is noted
in state musical circles for her sweet
voice, which she readily lends for the
amusement of her friends. She was
among some young society people who
went for STRAW ride Monday evening,
and concluded to serenade lady friend,
who, because OF illness, was unable to Join
them in their merrymaking.
I'VE will sing Shine On. Silver Moon
Miss Bessie, you start it," said one Of tho,
men of the party, who is president Of a
recently organized young voters" Bryan
ard Sewall Club.
Indeed, but won't" returned the young
lady, very promptly. Papa would turn
me cut of the house If he caught me sing
ing the praises Of silver anything
OF course, there was immediate remon-
STRANGE, and remarks that Bessie was
silly goose" and from others that she was
pure gold,' but the proposer of the song
said to her somewhat gravely that he con-
sidered her remarks almost an insult to
him. Whereupon she pulled of his ring
and returned 1t, with the remark that she
couldn't think of marrying a man who
was d!sloyal to his flag, and dishonest in
his financial theories. anyhow. The straw
CRYING, and the men iercely prodding each
other with campaign pixies and worn-out
sha!ts OF argument. and now that par
t1cular rtrata of society is in daily erup-
ton, and the end not in sight.
Populists and Grnsshoppers.
Such Is the political situation in Kansas.
1t may be bad in other states; 1t is worse
here. Every political ism of the country
for half century has sprouted in Kansas.
The greenback party found strong for
tress from which to fight in Kansas, when
Senator Plumb for time gave the issue
his earnest attention. The union labor peo-
pie once had their grip on Kansas but the
reign was brief and unproductive of re-
suits. save the spirit of unrest 1t left be-
hind. The prophet of the prohibition party,
Gov. st. John. sowed that seed on Kansas
soil while he yet occupied the gubernatorial
chair, and the few thousand votes that
party yet casts is only a thorn In the flesh
of the republican party.
When the populist party Matched out
with the grasshoppers six years ago and
ravaged Kansas, along with the drouth
and hot winds, the last straw seemed to be
laid upon the long-suffering citizens of the
sunfower state. The fall in Kansas secure
ties, the distrust in her financial stability,
the withdrawal Of eastern capital, laid the
pride OF the state low, and when the in
candescent ingalls, was retired from public
life to make way for PETER and populism it
seemed, as one old pioneer remarked, las
though Kansas was ready to curse God
and die" 1t is more than probable that
she would have given up the struggle and
gone back to primitive ways-abG1cated ut
terIy-if the Constitution of the United
States had only recognized a contingency
wherein state might like to quit house
keeping to get rid of undesirable servants
Republican Gold Cure.
There is something. however, that seems
to somewhat stir the blood more than pop
ulism or the Peferian reign, and that is
the silver madness. There Is now but one
party in this state. The republicans are
doing rushing business at the old stand,
administering the gold cure to all who will
take 1t, and though 1t Is q nauseous dose
to many Of their own party. they have
swallowed it. and. recanting since the
barn storming'' play in Madison Square
Theater, when Mr.. Bryan so unctuously
Endorsed populistic theories Of finance hun
dreds have come back to the party, declar-
ing that Iscariots itch for silver led him
a dance they do rot care to initiate, and
that the view from the top of the high
mountain Is not as pleasing a prospect as
they had anticipated. Since taking the
gold cure they are happy.
The other parties prohibition democratic
and populist. have fused. That is, they
call it fusion, but sometimes it doesn't fuse
democrats delivered them, but they are SO
riddled and ragged, where counties, sena-
torial districts, representative districts and
congressional districts have refused to
fuse that fusion Is raw as q f1ea-bit-
ten horse, and worth about as much. The
democratic party In the state split on the
money question. The silver wing in state
convention assembled, representing only
about half the counties in the state. met and
waited week for the populists in a town
on the other side of the state to get
through their wrangling and put ticket
in the field and then the democrat tic con-
win led to Il
of the counties, nominated the same ticket
For this sell out the democrats got the
Bryan and Sewal electors and the popu-
lists gave the lie to Jerry Simpsons as
surance at st. Louis that kansas would
nobly support the young Patrick Henry OF
the South, Tom Watson
Simpsons Grip.
The holy alliance of the west and the
south" got a black eye also, whereat Mr.
Watson wrote q spicy letter to Mr.. Simp-
| son. 1t is reported, asking the sage Of Sock
| vile If he had lost his grip, and II he was
going to let the republicans take the state
by default. The reply of Mr.. Simpson has
not yet been made public just how Mr.
| Simpson himself will vote is not made pub
lie. either. In his speeches he refers to
Mr.. Bryan and the others on the ticket
A vague evasion of the question, because
1t is well known to those who associate
with him that Mr.. Simpson Is q populist
All iSNSioS. AZ O. state WueIe tHe ueInO-
| cratic vote in it's palmiest days was never
over GO,0OO. but that he is a democrat ir
principles.
While fusion that does not fuse Is the
order of the hour, even the fusionists are
turbulent and dissatisfied. In several of the
congressional districts democrats have put
up tickets, with no earthly show of elect.
ing single man. Not half the counties In
the state have fusion tickets, the demo.
Gratis. poDulists, prohibitionists, the two
wings of each party, have tickets in the
| field for the legislature, and it is so in the
| senatorial districts.
All Split Except Republicans.
| In party convention each of the ole
| parties has split in the state, just as they
did in the national conventions. except the
| republican party. A few hundred silver
| rer,hIIcar,s ont off to ha