The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-12-01
KANSAS DEMOCRATS
There is a Split In the Ranks
of the Party.
ROOSEVELT THE GAMER
Which Ever Wing Wins the
Other Will Bolt.

Kansas City, Nov. 3o.-A special from
Topeka to the Journal says:
A most curious situation confronts the
Kansas Democracy. If the silver wing
of the party controls the national con-
vention the gold Democrats of Kansas
will eontinue to vote the Republican tick
ct If the gold Democrats control the
national convention, the silver Democrats
or most of them, will vote the Repub-
lican ticket. The gold Democrats bolted
Bryan on the money issue and were de-
! nounced as traitors. They contended that
free silver would wreck the country and
held that they were performing a patriot
ic duty in deserving their party when it
was wrong on so vital question. The ST.
yer Democrats concede now that perhaps
their party was wrong on that issue
They also concede that the silver question
is dead. They charge. however. that the
gold Democrats are not now interested so
much in the money question of monouo-
lies and trusts. In other words, the gold
Democrats are now standing for trusts
and combines and expect to nominate
ticket on that sort of platform. The sill
yer Democrats are with President Roose-
Welt on the trust question. They believe
he win find way TO knock the trusts
out Therefore they will vote for him if
a gold Democrat gets the nomination
from their party They expect to be de-
nounced as traitors by the gold Demo-
Gratis. hut they don't care for that They
claim they are for country first and party
afterward. While they aGmft they were
wrong on the money issue they are GER
tain that they are right in lining up with
Roosevelt against the trusts.
Some time ago an eastern Democrat
told David Overmyer that the Democrats
could win next year if they would nomin-
ate an eastern gold Democrat for presi-
dent In explanation. he said that the
eastern millionaires and the trusts were
all against Roosevelt, and they would
put up a big campaign fund and do other
things to help defeat him.
We'll. if that is so, l am not certain
that we want Roosevelt defeated" OBJ
served Overmyer. If the trusts are all
against Roosevelt, don't know but what
/ am for him..
Some of the gold Democrats here say
they would not be surprised if Overmyer
took the stump for Roosevelt next year.
If he does. he will carry lot of other
Democrats with him. Overmyer has more
individual political strength in Kansas
than any other Democratic leader in the
state.
The Populist party is in more Of
ouandary even now than the Democratic,
is such a thing is possible Most of its
oId-time leaders have deserted it and
90, II, lf,.o,, or 10
the Democratic party. Some of those
who are still clinging to the old hulk are
ready to give up the ship" and are adj
vocating that no effort be made TO hold
another Populst state convention. Among
that number is Taylor Riddle formerly
chairman of the Populist state commit
tee He says the Populist party IS dead
and the proper thing to do is TO let it
rest in peace w. j. Babb. the present
chairman of the Populist state COM
mittee heads a faction that wants to
keep the party alive and divorce it en-
tirely from Democracy. With this end in
view. Mr. Babb is sending out the follow
ing letter TO the Populist county commit
tees which are still intact:
So far as my influence will so as a
member of the state central committee
we will have a regular Peoples party
state convention in Kansas next year.
If any member of county central COM
mittee should see fit to leave the party.
he should resign from committee. 1t is
then the duty of those remaining 70 sec
that the regular county convention s
called in the regular way. and ii then de-
wolves upon this county committee to CO.
operate with others or go it alone. as the
county convention for delegates freSh
the county may determine. AT all events