The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-11-06

The Democratic party IN this state was
/ composed OF f wmembers. Scarcely
/ enough were left in an entore county
to hold postoaiees under Cleveland; to
I hold an ordinary precinct caucus. Demo-
! Gratis were crushed-they were over
! whelmed in the early days Of Populism
/ in Kansas. They scarcely seemed to
/ have l.fe. They remained dormant from
1890 practically until 1895. Then, with
the tenacy which has always character
/ lied the party, It began to set about in
/ its conspiracy. IN that year. representa-
ton was demanded and slightly secured
on the state ticket The electoral ticket
which in 1892 had been Popuiist. was in
1896 Democratic. Insiduously.. smoothly,
/ with scarce a ripple Of discord or tntima-
/ ton Of purpose, the Democratic party Of
/ Kansas began to secure hold Of the Pop
ulist party. In 1850 it came out in the
open. Emboldened by what had occurred
in Kansas, the national Democratic party
attempted and finally succeeded II the
same course with regard TO the national
Populist party When the national Pop
Ulist party met in convention at Sioux
Falls this year it nominated Colonel
Bryan. It then nominated a silver Re
publican, Towne Of Minnesota, for vice
president It thought the Democrats at
Kansas City would take him and not
compel his sacrifice as was the case with
Watson in 1896. But the Populists did
not know how far the Democratic tend
ency Of swallowing up the Populists had
gone. nor no wfar it would go.
Meanwhile, and prior to the national
Democratic convention at Kansas City,
the Democrats in Kansas had become &C
tive. Then nominated for congress in the
Third district, a DeDocrat from Ken
lucky, A NJ Jackson. They nominated
a Democrat in this district, Claude Duval
at Great Bend, and Inundated and in
suited the Popuists. who had six
sevenths Of the vote of the district which
was opposed to the Republican party.
and after PopuHsts had had the nonina-
ton for ten years. They nominated
Democrat IN the First district. Cover
nor Click who had never had any too
many nice things to say Of Populists.
They named a Populist in the Fourth
who was more than half Democrat,
Thomas H Gresham. They named
congressional candidate in the Second
who before he was Kansas P,soulist
was a Missouri Demonstration s. Pet
ers. They named Democrat in the
Sixth and steadfastly insuted the Pop
ul-st party by refusing to withdraw
Tully Scott, their nominee, and thus give
at the outset that district TO the Re
pubIcans
SO muc hfor congressional nominations.
Then at the state convention the Demo
Gratis insisted on a portion Of the state
ticket and a big end Of the ELECTORAL
ticket. Men were named on the state
ticket over the protestation of Populist
leaders, and the ticket was SO arranged
that if the Democrats should win in this
state, they, and not ire Populists, would
be in control Of most O. the appointments
and state boards.
In all county CONVEX lions where there
was the least show of doing so without
an open Instruction, the Democrats Sc
cured the entire or larger portion OF the
ticket, always picking out the good
places, as in Sedgwick where they took
county attorney and probate judge, al
ready having district Judge.
About this time, the Democratic nation
al convention met in Kansas City The
very fact that the Populists in national
convention had nominated Towne for
vice president caused his defeat when he
was UP for Democratic Endorsement.
Populists pleaded with Democratic lead
ers 10 leave them at least a vestige Of
national organization and recognition, but
as the Democracy Of Kansas had ignor-
ed and insulted the Populists Of Kansas. !
so was it in the country at large. Towne
was not only indorsed, but the Demo
Gratis made the Popuiists take Stevenson, /
the ancient relic of ante-bellum days,
who had been on earth two generations /
ago. who had been vice president with
Cleveland in his gold standard admins
tration which Populists remember with
such pride; a man who was a sympathiz-
with the south in the civil war-a Knight
of the Golden Circle and a man who
never had recognized reform when he
met 1t on the public highway. This was'l
the man the PopUlists were supposed to !
rush to and form under his standard. The /
Populists and silver Republicans proudly /
called themselves for years Abraham
Lincoln Republicans yet the fact that
Stevenson was forced on them, these /
Lincoln Republicans. was sufficient prov /
ocaton to cause the immortal president I
TO turn in his grave.
The day Of reckoning with Democracy I
for its perhdy will occur today. but /
signs Of its approach have been manifest I
in the Seventh congressional district for (
many moons. In the first place, Popuists F
were glum and did not enthuse one bit +
Immediately following the Kansas City +
and congressional conventions They +
were too sore at heart to do It, The T
Democrats said it would be all right T
with them; that they would come around
in q little Bit but they have not done
so yet Proof Of the approaching storm
tho jolt that the Democrats VIII get; the
reckoning that VIII be theirs, is every
where apparent All over this district
In every township and ward and voting
precinct can be found men, Popullsts. 81
Disguised, so sore. that there is no aues-
ton Of what they win do. They VIII vote
the Republican ticket hundreds Of them
Others viii not vote at an on congress
man. at least and many who do vote wiu
90 so with secret hope THAI their BAL
lots VIII not affect the general result
and with secret vow that this win DE
he last tine they viii have anything 20
DO with the Democratic party.
Republicans viii gain q arge Perceutags
IF the 5isa0ected vote ln this district
The Republicans who leCt that partv 90 g.
nto the Popuist party 10 ont fnteu3 to
become Democrats. They have nothing
"a common with a permanent alliance