Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-09-14
FUN OUT in KANSAS
Democratic -fopulistio Combination
ism Trouble.
Mr.. WATSON BREAKS TEE SLATE
Any Number Of Tickets in the
EP UBLICAN PROSPECTS
'pecial Correspondence of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star
TOPEKA, Kan. Sept. IL. 1895.
There Is CONSERVATION in Kansas over its
Invasion by Tom Watson. Everybody
knows who knows anything about the
politics of Kansas that the democrats and
populists of the state have fused and have
but one state ticket, though every legisla-
tive district in the state has populist
ticket Endorsed by the democrats.
While the deal was not considered a
creditable one to either party, and was dis
ttnctly unpalatable to the rank and file,
1t was completed by the populists resigning
all claims to presidential electors and con-
senting to vote for Sewall instead of for
Watson. The popullst vote Of Kansas In
the palmy days. its first prosperity. No
vember, 1892, was 163, 5O7. The largest
straightout democrat vote was cast in
1901. 357-when republicans, prohibition
fsts democrats and populists each had
ticket in the field. Since that time the
democratic vote has dwindled to 10000. so
That at least 100000 Straightout popultsts-
If they hold any 1.-THE of the power they
once claimed-have sold themselves for
about 10000 democratic votes. as 1t Is con-
coded that at least 10000 of the 10000 are
gold democrats who will vote for McKin-
ley rather than perpetuate what they con-
lists. who have so nearly wrecked the repu-
tation Of Kansas.
The middle-of the-road populists have
been kicking like Texas steers over the
bulldozing tactics that Bridenthal. the
chairman of the populist state central com
mittee. has been able to keep the kickers
in check. Kansas has been debatable
ground up to the last week. The turn Of
a word. an awkward sentence. might turn
the scales either way, and the chairmen of
the various state central committees have
been scared of their lives for fear that
some 1Edtscreet speaker would ruin their
well-laid plans. The news now comes that
the republicans are making phenomenal
gains. and Bryan free silver" clubs are
going to wreck and ruin every hand.
Why? Because the democrats couldn't hold
their tongues any longer. and Dragged and
bcasted right out in meeting of the mas
terly manner in which they scooped the
populis:s! The populist papers Immediately
pulled out Sewalrs name and inserted
Watson's at the head OF their editorial
columns; In fact. giant but quiet
mutiny vas full grown and ready to
scuttle the ship Of state. when Tom
Watson broke over the barbed wire
fence which Mr.. Bridenthal thought he had
made "horse-high and hog-tight." about
the Bryan and Sewall' corral surnamed
Kansas.
The democratic leaders of the fusion
movement are wild. Ruin stares them IN
the face. They have been counting actual
losses by the; hundreds for the last two
weeks, and WatsonS talks will stampede
the whole herd of middle-of theroaders
as soon as the leayen begins to work.
Ex-United States Senator John Martin said
in an interview to your correspondent:
II don't see what Thomas e. Watson wants
to come to Kansas for. OF course, he is
welcome, but If he does and talks the way
he sometimes does he will do more harm
than good. / am afraid Thomas is too fond
of using his mouth
That was before Tom decided to invade
the enemys country. He came. he set his
mouth to going and he conquered. Within
twenty-four hours after his first speech on
Kansas SOIL and after he had been snubbed
by the chairmen of the populist and demo-
cratic state central committees call was
issued for a middle-of-the-road convention
to meet in Topeka on Thursday. the 18th,
to put a straight peoples party ticket in
the field with Watson electors. The call
is signed by w. F. Rightmire. who was the
union labor candidate for attorney gen
eral in 1888. and populist candidate for
chief justice in 1890. and John F. Willis,
the nominee for governor, whom the pop
ulists have always asserted was counted
out of the place by the republican election
board in 1890.
The gold democrats have tacitly agreed
10 vote for the republican state ticket. and
this. combined with the populist disafrec-
tion almost as surely insures the loss Of
Kansas to the fusionists as though the
votes were counted. Three weeks ago Mr.
Love. chairman Of the democratic state
central committee. in a moment of mental
alteration impaired to friend his belief
that If Kansas carried for fusion 1t would
be by the skin of her teeth. II shall be
content" he added, 'if We get her by 5000
I'm fearful 1t may be fewer"
Another disturbing element is the action
of the two prohibition parties of the state
one gold. one the silver wing. They put UP
full state tickets. except that the silver
wing nominated no governor, tacitly in
structing for Leedy, the populist-demo-
cratic candidate. Both wings of the pro-
hibs are incensed at Gov. Morrill,, who is
strictly temperate himself, because they
claim that he has not enforced the prohibit
ton laws of the state.
1t has been discovered, however that
the prohbitionists. without a shepherd.
have, many of them, concluded to get back
into the old party and vote for Governor
Morrill,, while some Of the more rampant
ones declare that it's a crime to vote for
Leedy. who really stands for resubmission,
and SO they have got together and made a
call for new convention to nominate a
joint governor for both gold and silver
prohibitionists.
Kansas has the Australian ballot sys-
tenn, and untold complications are bound
to come up when all these tickets demand
a place on the sheet, which will be but lit
tie smaller than Navajo blankaf