People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1897-10-21
Throwing Dust.

Those OF an observing turn of mind
must certainly have noticed a vein of
similarity in the local Republican
papers OF their "shIbboletn"or "battle
cry" Of this campaign. Having no
hope of winning on Republican princi-
pies, which the people of Sumner
county have several times voted dowL,
1t behOoves them to exercise their in
genuity, and if possible to divert the
attention of the voters from the real
issue tosome meaningless and fancied
creation of Republican imagery.
In the exercise of their watchfuI
care these Republican editors are
very sOlicitOus as to the future of the
Populist party. In each of their
successive issues they perSistently
assert with bated breath that oE
party Is about to undergo the feat of
being swallowed" by the Democratic
party, just as if such a thing would
hurt their feelings. We all know
That such a cOnSummati0L would be
heralded by them with much joy.
1t is fact within common knowl-
edge that the Republicans have been
trying for several years to swallow
us up," Or "wipe US up," and we have
as often been at the swallowing" or
"wlping," and thanks be to our Demo.
cratic brethern who so kindly assisted
US We have as often "met the enemy
and they were ours" And nobody re.
allzes the power and force OF this
State of political conditions more than
the editors of the local Republican
press.
So, falling in their efforts to beat us,
at the beginning of this campaign it
was decided to try to divide US. and
was agreed by the wiseacres who run
the Republican machine, to hold up
some one idea as a bug.bear which
they hoped would result 10 great
harm to the PopuliSt party-wonder-
fully concerned about our safety,
aren't they?-and this has been and is
their policy.
IncaSting about for the "shibboleth"
the editor of the VOICE has been
attacked, charged with conducting
the paper 10 a manner not conducive
70 the success of our party and its
prlncipleS-a matter which if true
would cause both the local Republi.
can editors to shed great tears of Joy
and we are proud of the fact that
our manner of conducting the VOICE
Is not satisfactory to them; if it we're,
we should feel that we we're falling
Shcrt somewhere of doing our whole
duty.
Then, in addition to these irrelevant
"Sallies" upon the VOICE they have
considerable to say concerning ;Pitts
and Hackney" meaning; we presume,
that these gentlemen are guilty of
supporting the POpuliSt rather than
the Republican ticket. For We all
know that if the editors of the Star
aud MOnitOr-Press could be convinced,
or have reason to think, that these
gentlemen were in sympathy with the
Republican ticket, no word of criti.
cism would be uttered against them
or any one else under like circum-
stances.
The VOICE has no comment to
make relative to the political position
of these gentlemen, except so far as is
necessary to make the point intended
by this article, for they are in no way
an issue in this campaign. We have
reason to believe they are friendly to
our ticket 10 this campaign. PQlitic-
ally it is within the knowledge of all
that they are not Republicans. As IS
the right of all citizens we perSume
they have taken an interest in pO-
iitical matters and it is very evident
that the action which they have
taken is. not at all satisfactory to
Richards and Campbell. Judging
them by our own experience and feel
ings we should consider criticism com.
ing from that source as cOmplimen.
tary TO them rather than otherwise.
In all that has been said neither Of
them has been charged with or
proven to have been guilty Of any Of
fense, save and except a refusal to
support tae Republican ticket. Mr..