The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-04-02
POLITICIANS AND THEIR TOOLS.

POLITICIANS AND THElR TOOLS.
1t is an insult for Rufe Cone and his
cohorts to charge Finlay Ross with be-
| ing a political tool, and an insult which
every business man who signed the
petition asking Finlay Ross 10 become
a candidate for mayor should resent at
the polls next Tuesday.
1t is an old trick of human nature to
! form its accusations from its own guilt.
| Rufe Cone and those he controls know
nothing in politics but the boys" and
those they control like so many pup
pets. The very fact that Finlay Ross
can not be controlled by any political
clique was the reason for his nomina-
ton and it is also the reason why these
Cone pushers, pullers and haulers are
so incensed against him. Cone and his
gang had an opportunity to support
Charles Smyth, one of the best qualified
men in the city, for mayor. But Cone
and his gang could not control him, any
more than any clique can control Fin
lay Ross.
Why couldn't they control Charles
Smyth? Simply because a business
man, a man who has worked and strug-
g'ed for years to build up public conf
dence in himself and trade for his house
is not, when in office, going 10 surren-
der his manhood and independence to
a lot of loafng politicians. Great as the
obligation he might owe them for his
election, when he had been nominated
in spite of them, lie would not ne could
hot, have listened to their schemes,
concocted in back rooms, on fourth
stories, at midnight, with turned-down
light.
1t was because they could not control
him that they held a second nominating
convention. Knowing now that their
guilty and dangerous scheme, if sue
cessful, will be carried out over the
protests of the people, feeling that their
tricks are repugnant to the people, and
in order to detract attention from their
own perfidy, they cry stop thiefr'
But the people are not all tied to wire
in the hands Of the Populist ringsters.
The gang are most all in Office. They
have been given the best the public has
had for several years, and there is no
general desire to see them fed longer
On the other hand, the people of Wich-
ita feel that it is about time they were
out Of Office, earning a little money that
is not collected for them by the county
treasurer. They have the offices which
are run by their deputies and they can
devote their whole time to fixing up
schemes to mulct the public. But the
public is becoming weary and will set
tie the gang next Tuesday in a way
that will stun them for months to come
and prevent them, in all probability,
from controlling the PopuliSt county
convention next fall.
The true Populists Of the city have
more at stake in this election than the
Republicans have. The defeat of Fin
lay Ross means the triumph of the Pop
uliSt ring and their absolute mastery
OF the Populist party in this county for
years. If they succeed. every Populist
who will not allow himself to be used
as the veriest slave of the gang will
find himself despised. booted frSm pillar
to post and without smy say or infiu-
ence in anything within his party.
The ring conspiracy is an old one. 1t
has grown strong enough for the first
tine to turn down a man like Smyth.
and if, after this piece of bare-faced
efrontery, it can succeed. decent Popu- |
lists and those in the party from prin-
ciple might as well retire permanently. |