The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-07-21
Jim Troutman's Letter,
Boston. Mass. July L

1
me here this morning. You ask If / will
accept place upon your ticket as can
| didate for Attorney General "and make
the fight hand-in-hand with Senator Peff-
er for law and order and the honor of the
! state" Under no circumstances can 1 be
! induced to accede 10 your request. The
suggestion Of my name in connection with
any position upon the Prohibition party
| ticket is an imputation upon my Repub-
| licanism which is wholly unwarranted by
| my political course. am. and always
| have been, a Republican without var
| iableness or shadow of turning" and was
never in more hearty accord with my
| party than now A bow Of Republican
promise, radiant with hope and joy. peace
and prosperity. spans the American con-
| tinent. A Republican president. whose
| election your party opposed, is exemph-
! flying the intellectual and moral grandeur
| OF mankind. The daily history OF the
| nation, in every department of industrial,
social and political life, is vindication
Of Republican policies and fulfillment
OF Republican promises. With such au-
spicious surroundings in my own party.
| the contemplation OF a "side-trip," even
with such congenial companionship as
Senator PETER, offers no allurements 10
| me.
But you may say. this is a local con-
test in which national Republicanism is
not involved. The Republican party of
the nation derives its strength and sta
bility through the transmission of power
from local to state and from state to ma
tional organizations. 1t is vital to the
continued supremacy of the national Re-
publican party TO maintain an unimpair
ed organization in the smallest sUbdivis-
ion known in our political system.
But the contest in Kansas, in its scope
and significance, is not Omitted TO the
geograp hical boundaries of the state H.
f1uences radiate from the dome of our
capital in every direction, and permeate
even beyond the borders of the nation.
In the estimation Of the American people,
a state is measured by the character and
standing of its public men. If you had
been with me during the past ten days.
in four of our principal cities in contact
with men who keep their fingers upon
the pulse of commerce, and who unerr-
ingly diagnose conditions in all the states,
you would be painfully conscious Of the
pestilental influences of Populism in Kan
sas The supreme duty of this campaign
in Kansas is the reinforcement Of Gov
ernor Leedy and his retinue Of misfit
statesmen.
But you say that Senator PETERS nom
ination is, 'is in the strictest sense of
the word, non-partisan." If you expect
the people of the state to accept that
declaration as true you impugn their in
telligence. Mr.. PETER was nominated by
a party convention, and his campaign is
in charge of a partisan committee (as
your letter head shows with partisan
chairman. AS well assert that Bishop
Vincent is non-sectarian and undenomi-
national as that Mr.. PETER, in this cam
paign, is non-partisan. He Is a partisan
candidate as as thoroughly as Stanley or
Leedy, and the people cannot be deceived
by any 'non-partisan' subterfuge. If
your statement were justified by the facts
it would not appeal to me, for 1 am a
partisan and have no sympathy with any
''non-partisan" candidacy. And as I am
a Republican partisan, am necessarily
in antagonism to your organization.
While willingly concede the patriotism
and integrity of its purposes, L have never
been able to discover a rational reason
the party has done the temperance cause
infinite harm. That the Republican party
has not always measured up to Its full
responsibility upon this question, I con-
cede. That some Republican officers have
remorselessly betrayed their trust, ad
nit; that the Republican party Is not
exempt from the imperfectionS which are
the common heritage of the human race,
I am compelled to acknowledge. Astron-
omers have discovered spots on the sun,
but 1 shall not repudate its light. II IS
innocent or malevolent ignorance of po-
litical history that would rob the Repub-
lican party of credit for our advanced
position upon the temperance question. If
you reply that 1t has descended from a
position Of courage to one of subservi-
ency, touching this matter, l assert that
your opposition 10 the Republican party
was just as active and malign formerly
as now. Intrepid platform declarations
unfaheringly maintained upon the stump,
official activity. resulting in the rigid en-
forcement Of the law, never weakened
your party organization. The Republican
party is responsible for the efficiency of
our temperance legislation and the ben
efcence of the results attained, but year
after year it has met a constant foe in
the political prohibitonist.
am not unmindful of other issues and
cannot obiterate from the memory of the
past the conspicuous part taken by Sen
ator PETER in the events which made
Kansas the jest and the buriesque Of
contemperaneous civilization, Kansas is
slowly retrieving her prestige but one
-xTz..z L
tion-the annihIlauon of Populism, and
the extirpation of the vices which it mas
prOpagated.
distinct alternative IS presented to Us
Stanley or Leedy. PETERS candidacy
is only important as it may contribute
70 the election or defeat OF one of these /
men. The distance between these two |
men and what they represent Is so great, !
that no man with a gllmmer OF sense !
ought 20 hesitate a moment in making |
a choice.
Stanley Is cultured. dignlfed religious: !
Lesdy IS ignorant. boorish. profane. Stan /
ley has judgment and courage; Leedy |
mistakes insolence for independence. /
Stanley Is a man Of high Ideals; Leedy /
thinks bravado and buster are states |
manship. Stanley has intelli gence enough /
20 properly interpret the constitution and /
statutes Of the state, and honor enough 0 /
obey an official oath; Leedy stands con- I
victed Of an utter disregard OF his oard 4
and Of notorious COLLISION with joints /
and dives for booze and Doodle. SANKEY'S 4
election viii elevate the state; LeeGy's 4
election VIII debase it.
Populism Is dead everywhere but n 4
Kansas. and next November's election