The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-10-13
SMIRCHED BY FUSION
Judge Ebey Talks of the
SpoiIiatiOn of Democracy.
WHAT THEY SHOULD DO
He Reviews the Origin and
Rise of the Party.

In an interview yesterday concerning
local and state politics Judge c. s. Ebey
a lifelong Democrat said to a represen-
tative Of the Eagle:
The young men in Kansas have had but
small opportunity to learn the principles
of Democracy during the past ten years.
They have been years of fusion and the
party has been thoroughly smirched by
the corroding influences of PoDulism.
Many of our best Democrats have be-
come ashamed of the party and are mac
tive and viii take no active part until
something happens for the better There
IS not man on the fusion ticket today
claiming to be a Democrat who dare go
before the people and make speeches
such as all straight Democratic candi-
Sates should make. They are handicap
ped, their mouths are shut Were they
TO talk straight Democracy and handle
the Populists as they should be handled
the votes they would receive from the
Populists would be a small factor as COM
pared to the whole amount of votes cast.
There is only one way for us to get rid
Of this influence that has so demoralized
our party and that is to vote against
every candidate that is found on fusion
ticket Far away amid the pleasant in
vironments Of our early political ambition
we learned the rudiments of Democracy,
and our study in the years since has
caused US to believe that were it possible
for us to have all the words that are ne
cessary TO form the principles that are
sustained in the various checks and bal
ances of our system of government. re-
duced to one word, that word would be
synonymous with the word Democracy.
Our government is engaged today in
making new history and to many there
appear to be crucial times. It would be
well for our young men to review the his
tory that gave us our government and
the principles on which it rests.
More than two centuries ago Roger
Williams came from England and locat-
ed with the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
He came to assist in building a new gov
ernment A government where there
would be more freedom for the people.
ii
bitter religious controversy. They were
endeaworing to unite church and state,
which williams opposed. Later on this
agitation spread TO other colonies and
brought on the war of the revolution
much sooner than It otherwise would
have come. On account of his great zeal
for the freedom of the people he became
obnoxious to the colonists and was driv
en- out He and a few companions went
farther in the frosts of January in that
rigorous New England climate. 1t is
enough to inspire patriotism in the heart
of a Populist to think Of this grand mans
character and his deeds He iourneyed on
not knowing where he would find a rest
ing place and after while the shades
of evening appeared and then night like
a sabled nun gathered her somber cur
tains about him. He lay down on an i'm
provised couch. to rest but not to sleep,
with nothing to disturb the monotony
save old oceans roar. the chatter of ON
snous night birds or the distant and var
ied sound of the Indians war drum. The
nights which followed this in succession
for an indefinite period were but counter
parts OF this.
During these impropitous surroundings
no doubt his mind called him back to
old England and as he dwelt in medita-
ton on the many lessons he had learned
along the lines of a pure Democracy,
from such men as Sir Henry Coke and
Sir Henry Vane he was resolved to a new
energy to push foreward and establish
freedoms alter in a new land
After while he passed out of the Mas
sachusetts Bay Colony and located on
Narragansett Bay. and called the place
Providence, and by the influence of Sir
Henry Vane he obtained charter from
England and estabHsher the Rhode Is
land Colony. It was by the influence and
fundamentally Of Coke principally that
the great bin Of rights became a law in
England and from which many of the
amendments TO our own United States
constitution We're bodily taken. and parts
of it can be found in many of the state
constitutions. The Rhode Island consti-
tuition was the first written constitution
ever established on earth. 1t distinctly
seperate church from state. In the af-
fairs Of state the majority was to govern
and in church matters each citizen had
his own individual legislation. Here they
were first called the whisky party. Here
the pathway was opened that led to the
formation of the Declaration Of Indepen-
dence and the constitution of the United
Stateslr When this grand history was be-
ing made New Amsterdam, where Bart
holds statue Of Liberty enlightening
the world" now stands was then but a
small hamlet whose citizens had no ambi-
ton beyond raising chickens. cabbage and
pigs. Had the citizens of Providence re
1ained the patriotism Of their ancestors
they would have had Bartholdrs statue
erected there where it would prove q
Mecca for the liberty loving people Of the
world.
We find that Sir Henry Vane had beer
great help TO Williams in the cause OF
giving liberty 10 the people He at on,
time was governor of the Massachusetts.
Bay Colony but on account of the bitter
religious controversies-espe specially tn,
Mrs Hutchinson conference.-the returned
70 England where he was imprisoned il
the Tower and taken out and had hi.
head severed on the block, FOR advocat
ing freedom for the people
The Puritan side of this question hal
made history. where we find the blu,
Law of Connecticut; the eudeavor of Z
large body Of Christians who are seek
ing to have the word God acknowledge
sn the constitution and many other kind
OF sumptuary laws and 10 wind I'D Will
q prohibitory law in Kansas
Roger Williams has never had his pro
per place in history Biographers as
rule have been prejudiced in favor Of tn
hnrc cnrrEE hcpEE WITH Ynn1