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

| ever under greater obligations to q faith
ful representative than were the people
OF Oklahoma to Dennis Flynn and his
| majority should have been larger than
it Is. An honest and free expression Of
popular sentiment would have given him
-fourtns Of the votes Of the terri
tory, but the party lash was keen enough
to overcome all sense OF obligation and
even Of self-interest, and drive the great
mass Of Democrats and PopuHsts to vote
against their instructive sense Of right
and justice and contrary 10 their first
impulses and intentions. The result.
however. is creditable TO a majority OF
the people and protects the territory from
what would have been a positive dis
grace. It secures US a faithful repre-
sentative for another TWO years. makes
statehood an early probability. and
proves that a majority Of the people are
not without a sense of gratitude, as wen
as capable of approaching valuable SER
vice"
In this city. Guthrie, Frank Greer. holds
that Flynn's majority was not larger
because the territorial convention did not
endorse Governor Barnes. Alr. Greer
writes: The result Of the territorial
election, while Mr.. Flynn is elected by
over I'VE thousand, is not 50 satisfactory
as had been hoped, or as the conditions
warranted The passage OF the free
homes bill entitled Mr. Flynn to at least
as large a majority as he had two years
ago, and we think he would have had
that much or more had the campaign
been started with the same energy and
unanimity as in 1885 Then Mr.. Grimes.
Mr.. Flynn and al the Republicans real
lied the force Of harmony and went to
work to accomplish 1t. This year the
opposite course was taken. Thinking,
evidently that the race would be a walk
away for Flynn. there was no attempt to
conciHate; in fact Republicans who were
supposed to be of the alleged opposition
faction to the Flynn men" wer told to
80, that the Republican party repudiat-
ed them and all concerned with them.
Thus the party went into the campaign
declaring against itself endorsing moth
ing Republican in the territory but Flynn.
The party had made an internal terri
t0rial record. but in convention it said
it was unworthy of endorsement. That
gave the opposition a club to start on.
and it used it for all it was worth. The
chief comparison of Mr.. Nen in his adj
dresses, on the gratitude" question. was
the action of the Republican convention
in relation to records made IN the party
name By others than Mr. Flynn
Whereas, two years ago every Repub-
Hcan was in the harness for all he was
worth-not a laggard-this year there was
considerable Republican apathy. Some
who had cared nothing for Barnes
thought the convention unwise and their
ardor was dampened. while many others
were Iethargic, believing the entire par
ty record, as well as that of Mr.. Flynn,
should have ibeen recognized in the plat
form. No less than fifty Democrats in
Guthrie alone who thought the action
Of the territorial convention unfair and
charged it to Flynn voted for Nen.
though having voted for Flynn always
heretofore. And similar effect was
noted all over the territory.
The State Capital firmly believes that
had the territorial convention passed the
resolution there turned down, that
F9ynn's majority would not have been
less than 10000, and perhaps more. Not
that Republicans were thus led to dot"
Flynn, for very few did this, but because
victory comes much easier when every
Republican feels that Justice has been
done to all elements that each Republi-
can has an equal show and recognition.
according to his merits. in the utterances
and action OF the party.
But the election Of Mr. Flynn is enough
even though by reduced majority. His
defeat would have been a great misfor-
tune to the peopIe-as great as was the
election of Mr.. Callahan. The lesson Of
the campaign can be taken to account
later. In the meantime, this is still
Republican territory. Statehood may not
be so certain with only the 5000 majority
to insure a Republican state, but never
theless, it is much more certain than
though Nen were elected.
Chairman Ferguson and Secretary Rem
shaw and the executive committee have
done splendid work They took the
campaign as the convention left It ard
made the very best Of all conditions. |
They have shown adroitness, energy and
good judgment.