The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-01-29
Daily II ;Ea9le
NJ. NJ. MURDOCH, Editor.
NOW THEY ARE SICK OF 1T.

All through the administrations or
Martin, Humphrey and their successors
certain Republican papers of the state
were wont to criticise the Eagle for
Its persistent opposition to the metropoi-
ftan police law. 1t availed nothing 10
reply to these advocates of this measure
that the law meant the diSintegratlon or
the Republican party in all the larger
rites of the state, that it was un-Amerl-
ran. and therefore would soon result IN
oarty disaster and later in party defeat,
mr. that II was a device of the Third Par
~ Prohibtionists and not Republican
In spirit. The usual rejoiners OF these
papers were to the effect that the hope
nf the Republican party in Kansas was
In prohibition and that the Eagles hSht
On the metropolitan police law was, II
not in the interest of the traffic. at
least an encouragement 10 the violators
Of the law. Prominent among these
Dapers was the Topeka Capital which
journal practically held that, Invested
Of prohibition, the Republican party
was nothing, and that the party's sig
ma, boast, its distinctive triumph, was
The metropolitan police law. That law
never proved effective, not for single
hay in any city where the majority sen
timent was against it, but upon The
nfher hand became the instrument for
the systematic overriding of prohibition
and for the protection of the yiolators
of the law; in short a legal fence and
defence. The measure having long since
worked its worst, the Eagle ceased to
protest or even complain, concluding
that Ephraim being Joined to his IDOLS
he might worship it out at that shrine
of lies, hypocrisy and humbug. But now
comes the bell-ringer and censor-swing-
er to the high priests of prohibition, the
Topeka Capital, in authoritative tones,
eehemently demanding the repeal OF the
police commission law, and where 1t
eondescends to argument assigning the
gery reasons so often employed by the
Eagle. The Capital is phiZing against
a big iron post. Why it should now
desire to remove the snag which pune
tured great holes in the bottom of the
Republican craft when the Pop scow is
bullying, head-on, for that same old OBJ
struction. passes our comprehension.
Is the success of Leedy'S crew Of more
concern, or their wrecking such tram
scendent calamity that an opposition
gun must be turned 10 their defense?
We note that there is a present prop
osition to make the metropolitan police
law applicable to all towns of five thou
sand inhabitants and upwards, in the
state. We hope the scheme may mater
lalize Topeka can remain a prohibit
tion(0 town just the same, while a
dozen cities we could name which have
for years been struggling between the
devil and the deep sea in trying to keep
up one appearance and at the same time
really be something else for the sake of
the money there is in it, can with a pO-
lice commission run the thing openly
for all the revenue there is in it so long
as the public sentiment of their respect
I've communities is favorable, any such
public sentiment will be found to be
that of the convenience Of the city Off
cials and the desire of the heavier tax
payers.
The editor of the Eagle in personally
protesting to Governor Martin against
The appointment of a police commission
over Wichita declared that prohibition
would in time kill the Republican party
of Kansas, and that metropolitan po-
lice government would as surely defeat
prohibition itself in the end. But great
Is hypocrisy, and humbug is at once its
motive, votive and dependence.