The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-02-13
GETTING INDEPENDENT.

~ IL pEOOaD4y luo DOSt hOWSPoPOA
rule for one journal to let other jour
nails alone. Each community has its
characteristics and the editor in COM
munity either unconsciously or purposely
gives that community what it wants.
For another newspaper published in an
other community having other charater-
istics, to advise, reprimand or even ap-
prove the words or sentiments OF its
contemporary 10 largely futile an idle.
A wonderful change has come over
the spirit of the Republican newspapers
in the state of Kansas in the last few
years. This change must be painfully
palpab to the politicians.
Time has been when an editor in
Kansas stuck by his party through thick
and thin. If the party was wrong he
defended it in its wrong and If the party
was right he told of it in plea accents.
The change has not come through
failure of the party newspapers to ap.
prove righteous and meritoriou5 acts of
its party leaders, for they do not fail to
approve when a man has done his duty
Take, for instance, the unanimous news
paper endorsement of State Auditor Cole
for denomination. But the change of
of the custom of defending the mistakes
of party leaders.
Aud SO we find the Lawrence Journal,
dignifed but severe, catching up some
party folly every few days and exposing
it to ridicule. So we find the Salina Re-
publican rendering the advice that Audi
tor Cole is the only state officer sure OF
denomination. So we find the Hutchin-
son News loudly calling for freight rate
justice, which it will not get, and will be
forced to blame the railroad commits
sioners of its own party in consequence.
And there is the Leavenworth Times al
ways scoring its party men and being
indicated by time. Ed Hoch of Marion
a few years ago would have sacrificed
his grievance for party success. He
does not now. Solomon Miller of the
Troy Chief is an unruly factor in the
Republican phalanx. George Martin
of the Kansas City Gazette, is charged
with that horrible crime of being quoted
by the Populist papers as (Repl The
Topeka JOURNAL is perpetual thorn In
the sides of the strict party politicians.
Mr.. Brady of the Lawrence World, to
the occasional despair of the politicians,
expresses opinions that are strong but
not plimentary to the management
of his own. The Atchison Champion
also has an unfortunate way of saying
what its editor thinks. The Atchison
Globe is not Republican but it has Re-
publican influence and does harm by
complimenting the Republicans one day
and scoring them the next The list
cOuIO D0 l6nRtu0EoQ IL Unnecessary
Does it mean anything? Does it
mean that something is wrong? Does it
mean that the politicians who fill the
offices are not doing their duty? Does
it mean that they are more slavish to
their own petty ambitions than they
are to the interests of the people of
the state? Does it mean that they are
more interested in WHO shall get this job
and that job than they are in getting all
-
it mean that they are straddling all
questions and standing on none, that
they are enforcing the law in Wichita
aud not in Atchisop, Leavenworth and
Kansas City, Kansas? Does it mean
til 1t for the sake OF eiraddling they will
throw the state in harmful and perpet-
ual broil?
Aud to whose interest and gain will
sucn tactics accrue7 The Populist poll
Will they? What are the Populist
newspapers doing7 Is there one single
Populist newspaper in this state, or
one editor of Populst paper brave
enough, honest enough, conscientious
enough, man enough to protest against
the idiocies and plumbers of his party
leaders who lead him around by the nose
like a simpleton? If there is one he
should speak out. The Populist party
leaders are not perfect. Some of them
are. Most of them at one time or an
other have done foolish and evil things.
But not once in the history of the Popu-
list party has one word in protest gone
up.
The Populists believe that the tone of
the Republican papers means the disor-
ganization of the Republican party in
Kansas. 1t does not 1t means the
purging of the Republican party of
sneaks and straddlers and its success.
For the people will stand by the party
and newspaper which attempts to cor
rect its own mistakes. before they will
stand by the party that boldly asserts it
has made none.
The Republican papers of Kansas, as
they have ever been, are the leaders and
opponents of public opinion in this state.
If they appeared narrow and partisan
ten years ago, it was because public
opinion was narrow and partisan and
could not be led into broader views; but
a great awakening is taking place.
Intelligent men will not permit their
opinions to be held in party chains.
The mugwump was the reviled reform
er who first climbed the walls of party
restraint, but now there is a vast army
following him over the ramparts. Party
rule ia a clever scheme to keep the peo-
pie from thinking, and thus put the of
fees in the hands of the rascals.
As the Eagle says, it is the Populist
papers of Kansas that are now blindly
partisan. They condone every blunder and
crime of their leaders. Had they been
more independent their reform move
ment might have won strength in Kan
sas. The intelligence of Kansas will
always control whether it is called Re-
publican or not; and no reform will win
until the intelligence of Kansas takes it
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