The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-03-31
THE WICHITA REPUBLICANS.

The Republicans of no city in the
country have ever stood so gallant a
phalanx as the Republicans of Wichita.
They have stood by Wichita and for
Wichita at all times. They have been
turned in open rebellion to their party
for their town, and at the same time
preserved their party organization.
And yet in standing for their town,
jeopardizing their own party Organiza-
ton, and struggling for mere chance
to voice their sentiments and be heard,
they have met at every turn the tricks
of the Populists and the Democrats
who have secretly tried to prevent
every good turn politically for the city
of Wichita.
One year ago these same PopulistS
and Democrats, then as now claiming
10 be non -partisans, nominated, against
Mayor Cox, man who if the nOn-parti-
san bosses had their way and he had
been elected would have so changed to
the material detriment of every voter
in this city, the course of public affairs,
that in place of what we have now,
heaven knows what we would have to-
day.
1t has probably never been the in
tention of these POpulists and Demo
cratic non-partiSan bosses to injure the
town, but their intense zeal to defeat
every scheme and plan of the Republi-
hoe ho in, do
feating the Republicans the town suf-
fered, they did not care or stop to
think.
This has been their tactics. 1t is
bosses know it is known. They know
that they have been guilty of these
things and they know the public knows
it. They know also that, that being
Democratic, would be smashed with
popular joy as would a ticket labeled
Populist. And it is for this reason and
this reason principally that there are
today in the city of Wichita "non-parti-
san tickets" Were these tickets the
spontaneous and voluntary contribu-
ton of mass meetings called by citi-
zens? Apparently so. But not so in
reality.
Politics are partly open and partly
closed. The caucus where nomina-
ton is made is open. The caucus
which is held the night before the nom
mating caucus and which arranges for
the nominating caucus is a closed eau
Gus The might before" caucus is at
tended by the manipulatorS; the NOM
mating caucus is attended by the pub
lie.
Are the non-partisan tickets in WITCH
ita the spontaneous choice of mass
meetings: If the voter will take time
10 delve into the matter he viii find
that the non-partisans were named at
the ''nisht-befOre" caucuSeS in nearly
every instance and that the men who
manipulated those caucuSes, who Sc
cured the consent of the candidates to
make the race; who had seen every
thing and had il fixed: who knew who
would be al the nominating conven-
ton caucus, and who should put sO-aud- I
so in nomination and who should sec
ond il, the men who did this. the voter
who investigates VIII find. are the !
Democratic and FopuIist leaders Of this /
city.
Then If the PopuliStS and Democratic /
managers nominated these men, why |
did they not nominate them as Popu-
lists or Democrats: Simply and purely /
because there are not enough Demo /
Gratis and Populists in Wichita to elect |
them and by calling them non-parti- |
sans Il is hoped that a few hundred /
Republicans can be fooled and bam- |
boozled into voting Tor them.
This is the plain truth The candi- /
dates On the ncii-partisaa tickets may /
be good men and probably are hut a. !