The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1898-09-09
HITS LEEDY HARD.
Senator Sheldon, Leader in the
Kansas Legislature
says He win Not Vote for Leedy for Gov
ernor of the sunfiower state and
Gives His Reasons There

Senator Sheldon, in an interview last
Sunday morning, denounces Gov.
Leedy and says he will not vote for
him. Mr.. Sheldon Is now state sena-
tor from the senatorial district of
Franklin and Coffey coun ties and was
a populist leader in the last session of
the legi stature. senator Sheldon said:
81 cannot vote for Mr.. Leedy because
] have no faith in his populism. He
has made no attempt to carry out
single pledge of the Abilene platform;
he has even used his influence to pre-
vent the legislature from passing laws
which would have redeemed the
pledges made to the people in our cam
paign of 1896 Gov. Leedy has not
only been faithless to his party, but
recreant to his most important duty
as governor. He has been blind to
every one OF the numerous opportuni-
ties he has had to carry out platform
pledges. He has been the most arrant
enemy of populist principles, and his
administration has, in my Judgment,
been the severest check the growth of
the populist party has ever suffered
His total disregard of his oath of
o flee in relation to the enforcement
of the prohibitory law is a sufficient
reason in itself, If there were no
others, why | should not cast my
vote for Leedy, and how any fair
minded, self-respecting man, having
always in view the welfare and honor
of the state, can second time cast
his vote for such man is beyond my
comprehension.
81 voted for him in 90 hoping and
believing that he would stand up
squarely and execute in good faith
and in accordance with his oath of
office all the laws of the state. lie has
fooled the people once, but he can't
do IL a second time.
zone of the chief pledges of the plat.
form upon which Leedy was elected
committed the administration to the
support of corrective railroad legisla-
ton. Leedy's action in relation to
this was anything but that of true
populist A true populist when he
wants anything goes straight for it.
Leedy's whole course from start TO fin
ish in railroad matters has been that
of a man trying his best how not to do
il. But believe the people have fallen
on to his little game, and when No
vember comes he will find that he can
not even fool some of the people all
the time In his recent Valley Falls
speech Leedy is reported as saying
that il was not his province to pass
upon the constitutionality of any law,
as that was the prerogative of the SUI
preme court, yet in the very next
breath, while trying to defend his
veto of the maximum freight bill he
said: Il vetoed the railroad bill because
/ knew IL was unconstitutional
This reminds me" added Mr.. Shell.
don, "of what Senator Young recently
said to the effect that every scoundrel
brought TO bay Immediately attempts
to seek refuge behind the unconstitu-
tionality of the law
Now, | would not attempt to say"
continued Mr.. Sheldon, that the max
imum freight law was perfect. But in
the main it was good law, and every
legislator will agree that IL would
have been much easier to have amend
ed this act than to have passed an orig
inal bill at special session, as Leedy
suggested. During the Legislature we
urged Gov. Leedy To tell us whether
there was anything Objectionable TO
him in this original bill, but he de-
clined to do So or TO give the legisla-
ture any hint O. the kind of bill he
decired passed, although he was fire.
quently importuned so to do. He sim
ply, without giving any warning or
reason at that time, vetoed bill which
had been before two former legisla-
lures and which had been solidly voted
for by the populist minority in each of
those two legislatures, and which he
himself had voted for on II former oc-
casion, while acting as senator from
this district. He, pretending TO be a
populist governor, ignored bhe com.
mands of the convention which nomi-
mated him, and vetoed the only popu-
list railroad bill ever passed by the
Kansas Legislature. Now, / am not
going to say that Leedy sold out to
the railroad corporations, but I'd like
TO have some smart Alec explain to
me how a man can better serve the
railroad corporations than has Leedy
during his term of Office
Continuing, Mr.. Sheldon said:
"Ihe populist platform of 1896 de.
manded n law reducing the rate of in
terest In accordance with that de-
mand / introduced bill providing
for reduction of interest from ten TO
eight per cent and providing heavy
penalties for any violation of the law.
Now know of no time or place where
in Mr.. Leedy ever expressed any SYM
patty or desire to have such law
passed. He made no such recommends
ton in his message, nor do l believe
he had any wish or desire TO see such
a law enacted. We talk of the savings
to the people of the textbook law;
the stock yards law; the fee and sal
airy law--and they are good lawsuit
had my bill become law it would
have resulted in a saving to the peo-
pie of this state of more than $500, 900
annually. More than double the bene-
fit claimed for either of the other laws.
Any schoolboy can figure it out.
Loans and discounts in this state at
this date are $4,000, 900. Two per
cent difference between ten and eight
per cent. amount to $500, 900 annually.