Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1898-02-11
LEEDY AND THE TEMPERANCE UNION.

LEED1 AND me LENT ENANCE UNlON'
Last week, at the meeting of the State Tenn
perance Union, at Topeka, letter from Ben
Henderson was read, in which he scored Gov
ernor Leedy for not enforcing the prohibitory
law, and charging him with receiving money
from the jointists of Kansas City, Kas. The
letter was very voluminous, filling three long
columns of small type. Mr. Henderson says
he wrote the Governor two letters, but no at
tention was paid to them.
Governor Leedy replies very briefly to the
published letter-or, rather, to the newspaper
criticisms He admits that he received Hen
derson's letters, but says there are some men
with whom he would not attend dog-hght,
and infers that Henderson is one of these in
dividuals. The Governor says that, had the
State Temperance Union called on him or CIV
en- him chance to answerthe charges preferred
bv Henderson in his letter, he would gladly
have satisfied them as to the true status of the
affair." but he was given no opportunity to re-
ply.
This reminds us of another meeting of this
temperance union, when Morrill, was governor.
Morrill, failed to make any effort to enforce the
law. and was pardoning violators of the law
every week, and there was grand kick among
the temperance people. Some of them threat
ened to expose his cowardice before the meet
ing of the temperance union, and there was
promise of lively time in the meeting. What
did the managers of the temperance union
do? Why, they invited Governor Morrill,
to attend the meeting and made him one OF
the principal speakers at the meeting, think
ing thereby to prevent any criticism OF the
governor.
Why didn't this temperance union do as well
with Governor Leedy? Well tell you. The
Kansas State Temperance Union is Repuh-
lican side-show, its main object being to cover
up the misdeeds of the Republican officials and
do all it can to injure the officials who do not
belong to that party.
We think that Governor Leedy could and
should abide by his oath of office, and support
the WHOLE constitution of the state, without
fe II or favor; yet, we he heartily condemn the
action of the temperance union IN allowing
him to be villi6ed and condemned without Civ
ing him chance to reply
Replying to his critics, Governor Leedy said,
among other things
"The Populst party was organized for the
purpose OF correcting certain economic evils
which have grown up in the country and to cur
tail the privileges and regulate the acts OF cor
norations: and this administration has turned
its efforts in that direction.
~ did not join the Popuist party to hunt
Joints nor to fight resubmission. If there are
violations of the prohibitory law, citizens wfo
know the facts should complain to the magis-
trates and have the violators prosecuted.
$50 far the processes of the courts have not
been resisted by anybody, and when they are
resisted will be the proper time for me to inter
fere The sentences of the courts OF this state
also have been respected, and in no instance
have thew been annulled OF set aside"
BROTHER CHAMpE was always very liberal in
deuouncing Governor Morrill, for pardoning
out of the county jails Will ne