The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-09-09

issue? When a candidate goes into
campaign and tells his people if they
elect him. he viii do certain things;
when his platform declares for certain
things; when that candidate and mis-
policy and his platform are all attacked,
is not an issue, raised there and then?
OF course, and this has been the history
of free homes since 1892 when the clever
little delegate was first nominateds II
is an issue now, and always has been.
1t is said it did not cost Flynn any
thing to secure the passage of free
homes. 1t cost him more sleepless
nights; more time from family. from
recreation and friends; more hard work;
more sacrifices; more peace; more bit
terness; more years than anything else
could. The man who says it cost Dennis
Flynn nothing TO pass free homes is
either malicious fahricator or an ig
noramus. Those who were in Wash
ington during the last session of con-
gress know something of the facts. Long
has told them what he knows. The cor
respondent OF the Eagle, then in Wash
ington, who, as he could keep posted on
all details OF the fight as it progressed,
knew something of it. His friends who
visited him time and again know of it
His family, whom he seldom saw save
at meal time, and frequently not then
know more. But it is left for the little
delegate himself to know how great was
the cost of victory and how many were
the sacrifices made.
1 will never forget the night I visited
Flynn at his house in Washington. just
as the battle seemed won; just as the
tension was greatest; just as his loyal.
faithful friends in Oklahoma were
breathing their prayers for his success,
and his loyal faithful assistants in the
fight were arranging the details for the
final conflict. I went to his home and
found him with ten miserable, villain
Gus, lying sheets from Oklahoma in
his hand, his head bowed, and the pic
ture told me it all. | did not have to
notice the blue pencil marks which the
malicious opposition press had placed
there for fear Flynn's eyesight was poor.
picked up the papers. and there were
the articles. They said-mind you, this
was just on the eve Of victory, when 10y
al friends letters and newspaper editor
ials were gratefully received and
T6ItSlIlSllcQ TIE LidL WIN was hOlIiS 81
much for Oklahoma-that Flynn was a
faker; that he and his friends were as
nothing; that he knew the bill could not
pass: that It would not do SO, and that
all there was to it's champion was de-
sire for cheap notoriety. Can you guess
how these things hurt; how the mali
cious lies made the best friend Oklaho-
ma ever had feel sore at heart? But af-
ter sIeepless night that seemed in
terminabe he again went to work, and
the bill became a law.
Free homes Is mere incident in
Flynns career. Great as was the act,
he has done many more things, and If
he Is entitled to great credit for that
how much more is he entitled to for all
the rest? Republicans of Oklahoma
want statehood and other things. Then
let them pile Flynn's majority so high
that 1t will bury from the sight of day
all things the maligners in and out Of
the party that oppose the man who does
things-the best friend Oklahoma has |
Then will things be obtained. and then |
will the nation and congress know what !
the territory, wants, since she again
sends the man who can ask for things, |
and asking, receive.
r. H FAXON.