The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-03-11
9aiIu - gayle
NJ. NJ MURDOCH Editor
FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE.

FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE
The people of Kansas generally
would breaw out in a hearty guffaw
over the ridiculous situation at Topeka
were it a less serious one. No more
disgusting and all-round humiliating
situation ever confronted the inhabit-
ants Of any state. 1t has become a
grave question whether after all there
is not more downright ignorance and
incapacity than of dishonesty in the
makeup of that Pop majority. Knaves
as a rule are not fools, and the fool who
attempts the role of kaaye is sure TO
Lang himself Now comes Leedy with
lis first message vetoing a measure
which bears the impress and name of
the man whom Leedy's party had chos
en- from among all the prominent Pops
of the state as being the most able, the
wisest and the most experienced leader
Senator Harris had hardly reached
Washington before the head of his par
ty at home officially proclaims the rail
road bill over which he had spent the
winter to be "a lot of unequivocal rot"
This is the chaSte and expressive Ian
guage Of the chief executive of Kansas,
who was elected by the Pops and DEM
ocrats of the state, and which he adj
dresses 10 a supposable dignified body
of the representatives, of the people in
legislative capacity assembled. If the
railway bill of Senator Harris, which
two hundred men have studied over
night and day for two mortal months,
and finally passed, is but rot" the ir-
resistible conclusion is forced that the
legislature is either crooked or incOm-
petent, or both, or-Otherwise Governor
Leedy is himself knave or a fool. Tn
questisnably Leedy attempts in his veto
message TO convict the Legislature of
both donkeyism and viciousness. A
consensus Of opinion doubtless endorses
him in at least that one particular find
ing.
And so here at the end of sixty days
we have as Il sole result this one sup
posed important measure, and that
knocked higher than Gilderoy's kite by
the veto Of governor who all that
while sat like a bump On log giving
!, no intimatiOn Of what ne desired or
what he would do in case his opinions
were rot conformed 10. Hundreds OF
thousands Of dollars of the peoples
money and two months of time of two
hundred men and as many useless |
clerks all spent in the perfecting of a
great reform measure, and that meas |
ure in the end crushed through tie |
envy or jealousy of one big Pop for an |
other big Pop, who proved TO be bigger. |
If two thirds of both houses respective |
~ were Of one mind, the bill might be |
promptly passed over the veto, or the
same two thirds could suspend all rules |
and rush some other railroad law |
through under whip and spur. But |
fortunately these fools do not all think |
alike This seemingly leaves but the
alternative of an extra session, or 9th |
srWise a throwing up of the sponge in |
despair and leaving for home an dis |
grace.
The people of Kansas, or large ma
jority of them. will not listen to any |
proposition for an extra session, espe- |
cially convinced as they are that the |
time of the regular session has been !
fooled away either corruptIy or through |
lmbecility. The people have never |
been put to such an extraordinary ex-
pense in any of all the extreme emer-
gencieS through which the state has |
passed, except once by its sole Demo-
cratic governor, who convened the leg !
iSlature in a few days session over the !
''foot and mouth disease" This emer-
gency is plainly one of the same charac-
Ter. The mouth disease" is unquestion-
ed while it is very evident that the Pops
have put their foot in it. But as we in
timated before, if that aggregation is
convened in extra session by His Con
tingency, the bumptiOus Leedy, his
party will be buried SO deep by the out
ragged taxpayers of the state that the
resurrection morn will pass unheeded
by large majority.