The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-01-28

That the AK is Ready for Them-Okla-
homa News in General
Guthrie, o. T., Jan. 27-(Special0-
That there is great trouble founded on
the greatest party ruin among the DEM
Ovcrats over Marshal Nix's removal No
greater suspicious and likely 10 lead TO
one can doubt
The official and administration Dem
ocrats are dumbfounded. Why was
Nix removed? Who removed him, that
is, who was the power in Oklahoma
that caused his removal at the hands
of the Washington bosses?
The administration does not like to
be nonplussed in this particular Incl
dent. Their exclusion from the facts
IN the case indicates 10 them clearly
that they are not in good repute in
Washington and that they are in i'm
minent peril of the ak themselves.
The Guthrie Leader, the aVOwed or
gan of the territorial officials puts out
the following editorial utterance which
Will be intensely interesting as II IS
Semi-official utterance:
Mr.. Nix asserts with vehmence that
ne mas not been given a chance 10 meet
the charges preferred against him. If
this is true, then the removal OF Mar
shall Nix has no parallel in the history
Of the federal procedure. Without
court, judge or jury, without arraign-
ment or any opportunity for defense a
high ministerial officer is ShOrn Of pow
er and branded with malfeasance in
the community where he lived and built
up an honest name.
If an employer had determined to
discharge one of his employee is would
certainly be against every principle Of
right, contrary TO all custom, and op-
posed to every dictate OF conscience to
dispense with his services without due
notice and power of opportunity to ac-
quit himself, if charged with wrong
doing. The individual employer is but
an atom of the broad sense of justice
which animates American people. Yet
this great government, which is the
embodiment and the aggregate of that
love of justice so predominant in all its
citizens, sees fit to peremptorily eject
an officer hitherto clothed with an i'm
portant trust without allowing him a
day in court and upon charges which
could not be met, since their nature is
TO this day unknown.
This newspaper has no criticism to
offer upon Mr.. Nagle or his appoint
ment. He is unquestionably a DEM
ocrat and has, no doubt, proper quail
fications for competent discharge Of
the duties of the Office. Nor does ii de-
fend Mr., Nix. If a party to a fraud
he should be stripped of office. For
aside from a principle of right and the
foundation of good government, no
party, man or set Of men can afford to
cover a wrong or conceal d wrong
dOer. But our contention is that he
should be given a hearing. Not be-
cause the accused is Mr.. Nix, or be-
cause he is a Democrat, but because it
involves the principle which underlies
human 1iberty-the principle which de-
mands for an accused the right to be
confronted with the witnesses and the
facts which bear against him, and the
right to be heard in his own defense.
This the constitution guarantees to
every man born under its sovereignty
or who takes an oath for its support.
The Democratic party is as old as that
sacred instrument itself. and il lives
because it holds inViOable the equal
rights of all. It asks justice freely
without sale, fully without denial and
speedily without delay. That princi-
pie is the bulwdrd of the republic, and
when it is invaded the integrity of the
nation itself is threatened.
The Democratic party was given
power by the people because Of its
known fidelity to the rights Of the in
0ividual; that it would resist any en-
cCOachment to the last and with every
energy at its command. 1t guarantees
liberty to every citizen. of such high de
gree as TO only leave off where the liber.
ty of another citizen begins. That pO-
Icy successfully maintained means
perpetuity in government; despite
form. preSages an ignominous burial IL
the potter's field of political history.
This is no more intended as a re-
Election upon Mr.. Shelbley than as 4
defense Of SIr. Nix. Mr. Shelbley, al
though q Republican, does not appea"
to be the character Of a man that would
permit party prejudice 70 creep into
color or distOTt his report. So far as
ascertained he has given no evidence
Of other than an horOna BILE man di-
rected by the purest motives in the con
scientious discharge of his duty. But "A
wrong has crept in somewhere. NJ.
Nix asserts his innocence and claims
that he has asked and been denied the
opportunity of a hearing; that he is
the victim Of a star chamber procedure
and that he is cut down without benefit
of clergy; that his enemy is invisible
aud that his charges are not set out;
that he has been offered as the sacrifice
TO appease some hidden enemy, and he
naturally protest against playing the
role of a bTuut Offering with his patri-
mony crippled and his career swept
away.
"The Leader only asks fair play. Il
it has been had let the matter be made
public. II Is opposed TO a tragedy
behind closed doors in any party. If
a conviction has been had upon the in
5ictment. let the proofs be produced.
If Mr.. Nix has had justice done him il
VIII then appear; if he has been led To
slaughter by some IaGo in an ex parte
proceeding the Indignation of an out
ragged people viii not let the verdict
stand.
WHY HE REFUSED.
Perry, O. T, Jan. 27.-Sheriff John y
Hansen, who has just returned from
Dexter. Mich, gives the following as
Governor Rich'S reasons Tor refusing
10 honor the reQuis.tion Tor J. Y. =.
Gregory
Although the crime charged vas all
legged 10 have been committed in Sep
tember, 1895, Gregory showed that the
last time ne was in Oklahoma was "a
May. 1894, He disclaimed any know
ledge or connection With the C0nSoli-
dated bank. and showed. that while 9th
C~~AAs