Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1902-10-18
The Craddock-Ba.Iey Debate.

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Joint political discussions seldom
produce any very serious results.
They have tendency TO intensity
partisan feeling and render the average
man less susceptible TO logic OF truth.
They generally end in both sides
claiming victory.
However the joint debates at Wich-
tia and Topeka between w. IL. Grad
dock and w. J. Bailey. opposing can
didates for governor OF Kansas, were
to the general rule. They were pro-
ductive of decisive results and they
developed several important phases Of
the Kansas campaign.
Perhaps the most marked feature
developed by the debates was demon
STRATUM OF the correctness of the old
adage that Thrice armed is he who
hath his quarrel just.
Mr.. Bailey had every license to win
a decisive victory over his opponent,
Mr.. Craddock. Mr.. Bailey Is an ex-
perienced public speaker. Mr.. Grad
dock never made public speech in
his life until a few weeks ago. Mr..
Bailey understands the arts of the
orator. Mr.. Craddock does not Mr..
Bailey is skilled in the use of ridicule,
invective and OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
To all these Mr.. CraddOck is stranger.
Why. then, did not Mr.. Bailey win
signal victory? Why, instead, did
he receive a crushing and Illuminating
defeat at the hands of Mr.. Craddock?
The answer is too plain t. be mis-
understood.
Mr.. Craddock was strong in the
righteousness of his cause. His armor
was impenetrable. The shafts of
ridicule and the arrows of SANDER fell
harmleSSly at his side. He was as inn
movable as the rock. He could not be
shaken or dislodged, and why? Be-
cause he stood upon q foundation of
eternal truth.
Mr.. Bailey attacked his adversary
from every possible point of vantage,
only to be rebuffed. He endeayored
in every conceivable manner to find a
weak spot, there to deal finish
ing blow. But without avail. The
forensic contest had not proceeded far
until Mr.. Bailey had became the
dodger instead of the agresSor. He
continued on the defensive until the
end. Mr.. Craddock sent blow after
blow into the cringing quivering form
Of his adversary, without receiving
any especial punishment in return.
The moral Ut the incident is that
Mr.: Craddock is right. His position
is unassailable. His arguments are
unanSwerable. Not single PROPOSE
tion advanced by him was successfully
attacked or satisfactorily answered by
Mr.. Bailey. In fact, the fundamental
propoSition-the main question at
issue between the two men- was per-
sistently and completely evaded by
Mr.. Bailey. Mr.. Craddock'S argu-
mentS were built of facts and upon
the solid foundation of official records.
They could not be shaken by Mr..
Bailey, or anyone else.
Mr.. Bailey'S disadvantage lay in the
fact that he was attempting to defend
an indefenSible cause. The records
were against him. The Republican
party in Kansas has Squandered public
funds reckleSSly, Shamefully. 1t has
prompted private CRAFTS and encour.
aged political grafters. 1t has pro.
tected the railroads and corporations.
In a word, it has been false to the
trust imposed in it by the people.
Mr.. CraddOck's advantage lay in the
fact that he was defending defen.
Sible cause. He stood for principle.
He advocated reform. He offered a
definite, tangible and positive remedy
| for the deSeaSe which has SieZed the
body polite.
AS result of the debate, Mr.. Bailey
went on record as the defender of
corporations, an advocate OF official
anarchy and an apologist for the sins
of omission and commission of the
political boss. Mr.. Craddock went on
record as the defender of the rights OF
the people, an advocate of justice and
fighter for the beSC interests of his
state.
The issue involved in this campaign
is too apparent to be misunderstood
The significance of the result is too i'm
portant to be overlooked or forgotten.
The opportunity to the people of Kan
SaS is one which comes but once in a
lifetime. They should not fail to i'm
prove it.-KanSas City World.