The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-07-25
is 4 ROW COMlNG2
Tammany to Dictate Helm for
Populist Chairman.
Why SILVER WAS DROPPED
Reason no Mention is Made
of it in Either Platform.

An explosion Is due In local politics, but
opinions differ as to whether it will come
of.
Four causes seem to be working to
decorating conclusion in which the pieces
of q lot of local bosses are liable to be
picked UP In a bread-basket.
First-The existence of Tammany, po-
litical trust, as big and effective in its
way as the Standard Oil and other trusts
which the Democratic and Populist plat
form SO vigorously denounce. The local
Tammany is a combination for the con-
troll of local politics and the. elimination
of certain elements designated as "unde-
sirable." The undesirable element Is
that which has followed Jim Tapp. Inc
plan is to shelve Jim Tapp. This VIII De
done rough-shod. The other plan Is u
control the Populists. No attempt VIII
be made to be rough about this, as II Is
considered dangerous. However, Popu-
lists will be excluded from the Tammany
club. and outside their club their heip
will be received gratefully. But the plan
in regard to Jim Tapp is tc openly oHehd
him. One of the Tammanyites said last
night: You will agree with me- that
Jim Tapp is played out politically. NO
man can survive failure, although l be-
lieye that Tapp is better OF today from
having been defeated. There Is no use
concealing 1t, and no one except Judge
Dale and Sam Amidon, so far as KNOW
does conceal the fact that the Democrats
OF this city voted against Tapp and they
would do it again. We are going to shove
him overheard and let him do his worst.
When the votes are counted he will ind
that his old soldier following, his labor
following, and the rest Of his supposed
supporters are pigments OF his imag1na-
ton" This Tammanyite spoke as though
he was informed.
By surrendering to Tammany Sam Anil
don was made chairman of the Demo
cratic committee as a direct slap at Jim
Tapp. It was intended as such. Now
the Populists. it is said. will make A. T.
Helm chairman of their central commit
tee at the dictation of Tammany. This
is also a straight slap at Tapp. Tapp
wanted to be permanent chairman of the
Populist convention. 1t was Helm who
turned him down and took the honor
himself. Yesterday one Of the Tapp fol-
lowing and one of the Dale-Tammany
crowd supporters got into dispute about
Helm.
Helm voted for Stanley insisted the
Tapp man.
what IL he did?'. said the Tammany
man.
."What II he did2" angrily retorted the
Tapp man. Eyes; Doc Kensler was Jim
Tapp's man for the nominee for sheriff.
He was turned down because he voted
for Stanley. But Helm. who voted for
Stanley, Is ali right"
Second@Tf1e second cause Of impending
trouble is heard principally from the
country. Neither the Populist or the
Democratic platforms say a word about
free silver. This was omitted and the
free silver people are scorching hot. Any
body can see by reading the two plat
forms that they were prepared at the die
tation of one mind. OF course, Tammany
was that source of dictation. But how
did free silver come to be omitted? That
men who are neither Tapp or Dale men,
but straight-out free silver adherents. OF
course 1t is nonsense to say that the
omission of free silver in the platforms
was an oversight The issue which was
so vital one. two, three years ago, when
Bryan carried Wichita on 1t. could not
be overlooked. Think of Populist con-
vention overlooking free silver. 1t was
not overlooked. 1t was simply omitted to
unite the gold Democrats with the other
Democrats. 1t was left out of the plat
form to win back the men who have
withdrawn from the Democratic party
because of its free silver tenets. This
was considered necessary in order to off
set the loss of the Tapp men.
Third-The third cause of the trouble is
the plank in the platform hauling down
the American flag in the Philippines. The
platform designates the war as failure
and says it is a disgrace to American
civilization. a large majority in the
Populist convention were against this
resolution but. controlled by the Demo
cratic Tammany. they did not have the
spunk to say so and were permitted to
vote this plank In. The challenge to the
voters is direct. The prelude to the plat
form says in effect that unless you be-
lieve with the platform your vote Is not
wanted. This is the most brazen thing
ever enunciated in a Sedgwick county
platform
Fourth-The fourth cause of the trouble
is singular one and no one who can ex-
plain WILL Tammany insists on excluding
a lot OF Democrats. say 1e) in all. They
have been notified that they are not
wanted. Two of them the other night
strolled up to the meeting of Tammany
and took their seats among the rest.
When the time came for initiation these
two men were left sitting in an ante
room looking foolish. while the crowd ad-
journed to another room and shut the
door. The exclusion of these men, who
are local leaders, is not understood. There
is no denying that whatever its scheme
Tammany Is the strongest partisan organ
iaztion the city has seen for years. II
has superb courage. There is no ques-
ton but that it would have turned In a
body against Judge Dale IL he had not
bowed to its wishes. Tammany would
have been open about il. too. Their head
manipulators are the smoothest in this
part OF the country. for no one will gain
shy that II took mighty smooth work T.
get the Populists OF Sedgwicik county u
adopt a platform and omit any mention
OF free silver.
But trouble is coming. and may come
within week In the shape OF an open
fight However. there are those who be-
lleve IL viii pass with complete surren-