The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-07-26
.atln = Eagle
W. VI. MURDOCH. Editor.
A LOSING FIGHT

tleman is at a disadvantage, or that
such fact is to be put down to his dis
credit2 We do not believe it. Is il
possible that either Democrats or Pop
ulists can be prejudicially influenced
against a candidate because of the cry
that he is a man who believes in tenn
perance and morality? Nonsense. Yet
this IS the spirit which is seemingly
animating the opposition to w. e.
Stanley, the nominee of the Republican
party for governor. Such a fight is not
only short-sighted but disreputabe
and weak. While the Democratic par
ty, as such, is opposed on principle, to
prohibition and other sumptuary leg
islation; while they do not believe that
it is possible to encompass mans
moral redemption by statutory enact
ment, or save him and send him to
heaven by man-made laws, the politi-
cal manager or party who presumes
that therefore Democrats are, as a
party OppOSF4 ~ I'll - I1eAl-41Ss "a ~
not individually believe in high moral
principles or in the men who advocate
them, are making a great big mistake.
If to be a Christian or a gentleman are
to be counted against man otherwise
splendidly equipped for the discharge
of the duties of eminent political sta
lions in Kansas, then heaven help the
state. Yet this is the character of and
hbout the only opposition that we
have seen or heard urged against the
Republican nominee for governor. And
this not exactly open and fiat-footed,
but by the printed squibs, sneers and
inuendoes. When it comes to Christi
anity and its principles-and these
make gentlemen-a Democrat is liable
to be just as much of a Christian gen.
tleman as a Republican, and it is a
gratuitous, unwarranted and far
fetched presumption and insult to even
intimate otherwise. The old gag that
the Democratic party is the sworn
friend of whisky comes OF the oppo-
sition of that party to all attempts for
redeeming man by seeking to control
his personal habits and appetites
through legislation. And this is not |
saying that a Populist may not APP |
preciate Christianity. While it is true !
that the socialistic and communistic |
end of the Populist party belong to |
what IS known as Free Thinkers, |
whose tendencies are rather in the di-
rection Of an aesthetic atheism, still |
the larger per cent of the Pop party |
are orthodox, believing in govern |
ment of Christian men and women. A |
phase of the same specious argument |
is heard touching the German vote of !
the state. The German, as a rule, likes
his beer, and does not believe that there
Is any more harm III d mug of beer
than there is in Stanley's cup of coffee
Because Stanley is not a beer drinker,
but sticks to his coffee we are told that
the Germans Of the state viii be against
him. This is but added tommyrot
There are as many Republican beer
drinking Germans as there are Demo-
cratic beer drinking Germans in the
state, and the fact that Stanley is
practical temperance men is not to his
prejudice in the estimation of any right
minded man, be he a Democrat or a
Pop, whatever his nationality The
fact remains undisputed that Stanley
is liberal-minded, level-headed thor
Uugh going citizen, if he is at the same
time a successful lawyer, Sunday
school superintendent and a member
in good standing of the Methodist
church.
Hon. b. J. Sheridan, editor Of the
Western Spirit, and who is not only a
Democrat bat a man Of prom
inence in the Democratic councils of
the state, in late number of his paper
goes very thoroughly over this entire
question. Among other things he says:
Neither the German vote nor The
Democratic vote is, as a body, against /
4 !
church member or because he is a tenn
perance man. Most of the Germans
are opposed to prohibition because
they do not believe in legislation that
nterferes with the natural rights Of
the individual. Their opposition is a
matter of principle. They are not anti s
on the theory that they
want and must have beer. Thousands
Of them do not drink il at all. 1t is the
principle in government of abridging Z
the liberty Of the individual to act for
himself in the personal concerns Of
life that they contend against.
The Germans are church people.
and they have too keen a sense Of the
fundamental idea Of freedom of con-
science TO be against any man because
lie is churchman Of some other
church than theirs. No class Of citi- D..
.ens Of Kansas have higher moral
ode and live up to it more faithfully
han the Germans. I have studied their .
conduct in political campaigns since I I I
vas 4 boy. The man who gubly says
hat the Germans are against this man
because he is a churchman or for that
nan because he is not a churclman.
DOESN'T know German character He {
belongs to that class Of thoughtlesS de-
lajmers who say that the German goes
or the man Who promises him beer ,
nd the Irishman FOR the man who g
promises him whisky" d