The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-02-12
An Awful Example in Oklahoma

|
| An Awful Example in Oklahoma
Guthrie, o. T, Feb. 1.-THE finest case
Of ideal Popuksm ever witnessed can be
| found in Oklahoma. His name is B. F.
| Bray-a name entirely in harmony with
his politics. Populism teaches great many
| things, all of which are impracticle and
| most of which are impossible Populsm
seeks to correct everything in the past
and even the work of God is not satisSac-
| tory to its eyes, and needs changing. NO.
for instance, God made the St Lawrence
| river to run into the Atlantic ocean. but
this did not satisfy Populism and the mem
bers of that political element met last year
in Lincoln county and nominated a man for
| superintendent of public instruction who
| runs the beautiful st. Lawrence into the
Gulf of Mexico. This man Bray claims 20
have a first-grade teachers certificate from
the superintendent of public instruction
| of Pottawatomie county. but his predeces-
| sor in office challenged the genuiness OF the
| document on the ground that Bray could
| not possibly pass an examination that
! would merit il. AS stated in the Eagle
| few days ago the case IS now in the su-
| preme court and will be decided tomorrow.
| 1t is decidedly interesting to examine the
papers in the case. One, by doing so. can
see Populism in its true light. He was ex-
amined in photography. theory and practice
| physics, arithmetic, reading, United States
| history, grammar, constitution, bookkeep-
| ing and composition. He showed such
profound ignorance on every subject that
| il he had belonged 10 any other class of
human beings than Populists he would not
have the gall TO. claim a certificate, or the
1 A-f- Xiv 49,
to place him at the educational head of one
| of the great counties Of an enlightened
commonwealth. He made tremendous err
rors in every subject assigned to him. but
| his most glaring and conspicuous errors are
| found in his answers TO questions in geo.
| syraphy. He was born in Missouri and yet
| he insists on making the people believe that
| il borders on the great lakes. With the
| will and power of an autocrat he wiped
| Illinois from off the face of the earth and
extended the limits of missouri across ths
Mississippi and clear up to Chica go to have
| its shores dashed by the waves of Lake
Michigan. By the application of his mas
ter mind he settled the state capital fight
between Sedalia and jefferson City by hav-
ing the capital located in st. Louis. He
not only forgot that Missouri owned the
river of that name as well as half inter-
est in the Mississippi river, but he forgot
there were any such rivers in the United
States. He simply knew that America own
ed the st. Lawrence river and that X flow
ed into the Gulf of Mexico. He not only
robbed America of two fine rivers, but he
actually crossed the ocean and robbed Eng
land of its great historic stream. He picked
the Thames up without wetting his hands,
located it in the continent of Europe and
;t,5t tal ,r,o r.
Mediterranean sea. He was not satisfied
with the way God located the Amazon and
the Nile in South America and Africa re-
spectively, and by way of correcting the
Lord he brought the Nile to South America
and sent the Amazon over to Africa for
change. The result Of this transfer is that
Americans from this on must go to South
America to see the Pyramids and go to
Africa for the Quinine. He didn't know
anything at all about the Ganges, Danube,
Irriowady, Rhine, Rhone or the Pc.
In spelling, Mr. Bray is a daisy and he
ought to be picked up by some frst-class
magazine as a proof-reader. He spells
crticise ''critisize," likelihood 'likelyhoode"
and contemplate Contemplate" En-
lishtened he spells "enliten,' supplied sup !
plyed'' and foreign loren Tobacco he !
spells Tobacco, writing written and exc
eutive ''exective'' in one p@sce and "execa-
tive in another place. Representative he |
spells "representive,' despotic "dispotic'' |
and transfer "transfur." He spells matter |
mater and ocean "oshen.' Oklahoma |
could be raked over with fine-tooth comb |
and a man Of such dense ignorance could |
not be found. And yet the Populists are /
denouncing the effort TO prevent him from |
taking his Office at the head of the educa-
tional party of his county. 1t is the ambl-
ton of their lives TO have school teachers |
in office who can revise Webster, justices /
of the peace who can reverse the supreme /
court and preachers who can reverse the |
Lord. The fact of the matter is they want /
the legislature now in session to reverse
congress and there is more than fun in the
resolution offered a few days ago resolving
that no act Of congress could apply 10 or
be in force in Okla homa until il first had /
the sanction of the territorial legislature.
And speaking about the courts, the SUI
preme court of Oklahoma has knife in its
boot for the legislature. or course a digni-
fed body like the supreme court it not sup
posed 10 be carrying knives around in its
boots for anybody or anything. but human
nature is pretty nearly the same all the
world over and the fact that men are ap-
pointed to serve their country as judges is
no reason for radical change in their ma
ture. There are no threats made, but IL is
a fact well known to everybody on the in
side that the supreme court judges feel |
highly insuted at remarks made by GER
tain Populst members of the legislature. |
II is alleged that while a bill was being dis
cussed few days ago its principle sup
porters were informed of the fact that II
vas clearly unconstitutional. Damn the
they are sad TO have replied
I'VE promised our people TO pass this
measure and if IL is unconstitutional the
blame will be thrown on the supreme court
and not on US"
This statement reached the ears OF the
supreme court and the judges Were very
much incensed as they ought TO have been |
They DO not like 10 have their court bur
dened with litigation arising out Of uncon-
stitu;ional laws merely for the purpose OF
helping legislators out OF their fool cam
paign promises TO their constituents. Be
sides they believe Il is entirely unfair for
legislators 10 make the supreme court a
target for the criticisms OF ignorant peo-
pie prejudiced as they now are by The rash
and radical principles OF alleged right and
wrong expounded in the recent campaigns.
II any one class should respect the courts
Il should De the legislature. II would te
unjust TO say tina; al the PopuEsts in the
legislature feel as If the supreme court Is
an enemy TO the people. On the contrary.
are Pops in the legislative body who have
as high respect for the courts as any other ,
class Of people and they give no counter
ance TO the radicals who seek 20 pass LAYS ,
q rf~-- - Il