The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-09-29
t WAS REMARKABLE
Continued from Sixth page.

tried and trues none but known ana pro-
nounced Populists should ill those places
of trust. But in this they were not
wholly successful, and 1 invite any Dem
ocrat to dispute the statement if he will,
when make the allegation that no Dem
| ocrat in Kansas has ever been elected by
the Populist vote to the legislative
branch of the government, who has not
in a greater or less degree betrayed the
party that elected him and lent his infiu-
ence to destroy it.
II point with humiliation and shame to
one Ed O'Bryan, whom the Populists Of
this county were induced by Democrats
to support for state senator. No Repubh-
can in Office or out of it has ever done so
much since the origin of the PopuIist
party. to bring it into disgrace and
humiliation, and destroy its usefulness,
as did that man O'Bryan.
And were the Populists of sedgwick
county guilty Of electing such a man to
such an important office?
my anser is. that this early in the his
tory of the Populist party they began to
yield to the seductive influences of ex-
perienced Democratic manipulators, and
were at that time persuaded against their
better judgment, that If they would yield
that place to the Democrats, that they
would get in return the loyal and unani-
nous support Of the Democratic voters
for the Populist end of the ticket, and
would have demonstrated in the course
of Ed O'Bryan in the legislature. that al
ready the Democrats of Kansas were
truly reformed, were in accord with
Populist principles, and would march up
and keep the very front seats in the
synagogue Of political reform. But alas.
alas. how the mighty fell. We are, none
of US, in this day unmindful of the fact
that the course Of that one Democrat in
the Kansas senate brought the blush of
shame to the face of every decent Popu-
list in the state. But O'Bryan was not
the exception to the rule. 1t is the uni
versal knowledge among intelligent men
in Kansas. that just in proportion as she
has ever aided in placing a Democrat in
legislative office, just in that proper
ton has she awakened her influence, les
sened her opportunities for good, and
brought discord in her own ranks.
I'm 1896 the Democrats of Kansas, and
generally throughout the western states
had entirely recovered from the political
cyclone which had temporarily annihilat-
ed them, and again began to come for
ward and clanor for recognition and |
place. Nothing perhaps was a greater |
disappointment to the rank and file,of the |
Peoples party than to have the delegates |
to the state convention compromise by |
which they traded off the entire electoral |
vote of Kansas to the Democrats. This |
was deliberate bargain and sale.
at was claimed on the part of the |
Democrats that a great reformation or |
evolution had taken place in the national |
Democratic party. That she had driven |
out the money changers from the Demo- |
cratic temple, and overthrown the tables, |
and that now for the first time in many |
years the Democratic party, having shak- |
en- off the Clevelands and the Hills, the |
Crokers and the Tammanyites, had es-
poused the cause of the people, and was |
entitled to the support of the Populists |
of Kansas. The Populist party having |
then become inoculated with the poison |
of fusion, and having some faith in the |
declarations and promises of the new
Democracy, permitted and even encour- |
aged the campaign to be waged through |
out the state of Kansas in total ignor- |
ance of every Populist principle in its |
own platform, and every fundamental |
doctrine upon which it was built waged |
the campaign exclusively upon the free
coinage of silver-16 to l.
This was not brave nor courageous on |
the part Of the Populists, but It was
adroit and shrewd on the part of the |
Democrats. They had successfully fooled |
the people in 1892 upon the cry of tariff |
reform and they believed they could sue |
cessfully fool them again, including the |
Populists Of Kansas, upon the cry of free |
Is to l.
Their idea Of campaign was well Illus !
trated by the remarks of a gentleman /
who the same year was running on the |
Democratic ticket for a county office. |
Within a few days before the election he !
was asked by a friend as to what his |
chances were, declared that II we (mean-
ing the Democrats and Populists) could |
succeed in keeping this free silver racket
before the people to the exclusion Of |
everything else, he was sure to win; and |
he did.
1.-The idea Of the national Democrat tic
party in 1895 was not to destroy the |
Populist party, but to use it; not to an
initiate II. but to subiugate it. Not salts
fed with their part Of the bargain in
proposing to have as their share of the
profits of the campaign. the distribution
Of national patronage. having PLAYED A
losing game, they set to work at once to
control. if possible, the patronage of the
state government. So far did they sue
coed in this that among other grossly IN