The Wichita daily eagle., 1896-08-23

Chairman of the County Central Com
mittee-Pops are Sore But They Can't
Help It-Postofice Crowd is Running
Democratic Party and They are No;
Consulting Pops-Amidon's Speech.
The Democratic committee met yes
terday and organized by the election of
James f. Comfy as chairman, r. NJ.
Piatt, secretary and George Spencers,
treasurer.
The Anidon-Fitch slate was carried
out to dot and was done nicely Tney
had the thing fixed and they proposed
20 let nothing interfere with their ar
:angemerrts.
The election of Mr.. Comfy is a still
harder blow to the PopulistS than the
nominate Of Mr.. Amidon. for it was
he who so bitterly denounced Populism
last year in the Democratic convention.
His speech is preserved and it will make
splendid an interesting campaign
reading some day.
There was nothing bitter left unsaid
by him against Populism and the in
fanny and perfidy of a fusion between
Democracy and that party. His speech
was an impassioned one and cut into
the heart of all Populists.
1t was on that occasion also that Sam
Amidon, the present fusion candidate
for county attorney, made his famous
speech, the report of which taken from
back files is as follows:
When Mr.. Comfy had ceased speaking
Colonel Sam Amidon rose from his
f-~ro
his speech while everybody crowded
up close TO hear his remarks. He said
the committee on resolutions inserted
a plank in the platform favoring re-
submission Of the prohibftory law "and
yet" said he, "the only man this con-
vention is about TO nominate to go TO
Topeka was 1. P. Campbell. one of the
pankest prohibitioniSts in the country"
rs that consistent with the resolcI-
tions?" he asked. This man." said he,
continuing, was the chairman of the
Populist committee two years ago and
when he was beaten he went about
calling the Democrats all the vile names
he could lay his tongue to. And yet
you want TO take up this man. You want
to lick the hand that smites you; you
want to turn the Democrat party over
to the Populists, the very party that
that gallant Democrat, Charlie Moss
bacher, two years ago, and gloried in
their treachery. You adopted a resolu-
ton here today favoring the abolition
of the police commissioners-decla
for home rule-and yet the party whose
nominees you want to endorse now was
in power two years ago and fastened
upon Wichita the system you denounce.
Is that CONSTANT. You sell out TO a
party whose representatives in the su-
preme court has charged it with dishon-
eSty and rottenness. You want TO help
a party whose history and record is a
stencil in the nostrils Of the heads of
your party in Washington. / appeal to
you young men whose father as well as
my father were Democrats, to resist
this trade with the enemy, this trade
and barter that would make jefferson
and Jackson turn in their graves.
have always been loyal to Democracy;
] have always made speeches in every
campaign for Democracy; l have al
ways given money to the campaign
fund TO aid Democrats to get office and
] appeal to you to nominate Democrats
and spurn this unholy alliance with an
enemy. Democrats always held Office in
this county before the party felt the
blight of Populism and at the time the
first fusion was effected we had a ma
jority OF the offices Of the county. Give
us something we can vote for
This remarkable speech was made ex-
actly thirteen months ago and now Mr..
Sam Amidon and Mr.. James Comfy are
acting in a manner TO make Jefferson
and Jackson turn in their graves"
They are licking the hand that smote
them" They are in alliance with the
NJ olAiv
pledge to that gallant Democrat, Char
lie Mossbacher, and gloried in their
treachery" They have helped all 9TH
er Democrats to sell out to a party
whose history and record is a stencil in
the nostrils" of the heads of their par
ty. They are cheek 10 cheek now with
the party that they then wanted to
spurn and which they referred to as the
unhoiy alliance.
The Populists are very hot over the
election of Mr. Comfy for chairman.
They consider il as a direct slap at
them and they are talking about resent
ing it at the polls. Whether they will
or not remains TO be seen.
It was the postoffice crowd, of course,
that dictated the whole thing. They are
the bosses who have the Sedgwick
county Democracy in their vest pocket.
They dictated the result Of the primar-
les. they dictated the result Of the coun-
" convention. they dictated the elec-
ton Of Mr.. Comfy as chairman and they
will dictate everything else that viii be
of any interest II them immediate or
remote. They claim 10 have the brains
of the party and it looks very much as
if they were right. They have COM
pletely squatted down on Harry Stew
apt, j. NJ. Ross, DIR. Jordan. Dean Cor
don. Harry Hagney and Frank Craig.
Their activity in politics has been
very successful So far. Perhaps they
are not TO be blamed. Their friends say
that Harry Stewart. Dean Gordan and
]. NJ. Ross had formed a conspiracy 10
set down on them. 1t was attempted at
the early convention when motion
was made that no federal officer should
be allowed on the delegation TO go TO
the Chicago convention.
Mr.. Piatt. the secretary, Is an ex-
banker, and the Populists who are al
ways inconsistent will probably ap-
prove that. He was one of the head Of
ficers in the Savings bank that busted
In this city about four years ago.
George Spencer is a real estate man.
the partner Of a Populist, and he viii
probably suit them.
The Popullsts elected their committee
at one OF the early conventions and no
change Will be made in fits organization.