The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1906-09-27

Col. Dunsmore SHOWS UP Demo
cratic Pledges In Regard to Pensions
and Asks Union Soldiers to Vote
the Way They Shot.
David Overmyer Democratic nomi
nee for attorney general, is consider
ably wrought up because Republ'
cans have been showing up his poAti
cal record with the result that he has
become known as Hopper" Mr.
Overmyer Indignantly denies being a
Hopper" but makes no effort to cite
facts regarding his changes Of froat
which would relieve him from suspic.
ion. On the other hand evidence that
he has new issue and new opinion
for each campaign are continually
coming to light.
In 1894 Overmyer was the stalwa-t
candidate for Governor on an anti-pro-
hibition and anti-equal suffrage plat
form. To his candidacy was due the
defeat Of Governor Llewelling for re.
election. This year Overmyer is y
Democratic candidate for attorney gen.
eral on a prohibition platform and
claims that he will certainly enforce
the prohibitory law in the remote
event of his election. He now says
that the failure to enforce the prohibi-
tory law in certain localities now Is
the fault Of the Republican officials.
In 1894 he held that the law could not
be enforced in localities where ma
jority Of the people did not favor Its
enforcement. He even went farther in
that campaign and said that the pro-
hibitory law should not be enforced
in communities where majority OF
the people did not favor its enforce.
ment Now he has entirely changed
front and says he can enforce the law
everywhere.
In one of his 1894 speeches Over
myer made the following statement In
support of his contention that the law
could not be enforced In the face OF
strong sentiment against It:
1--WE submit to obnoxious laws be-
cause we are compelled to; not from
choice. II the law making power is
despotic monarch he had behind him
his army to compel obedience to his
will. II the law making power is the
majority 1t has its superior numbers
and greater power to enforce its will.
But suppose the majority should be
non-combatants and the minority
should be combatants would the min.
ority obey the law? Not If it did not
suit them to do So"
In that speech Overmyer character
lied the prohibitory law as entirely
evil and used an elaborate set Of fig
ures to prove that 1t did not represent
the sentiment of a third Of the voters
of the state. To this fact, as he term
ed 1t, Overmyer ascribed the failure
TO effectually enforce the law in all
the larger counties of the state. This
portion Of his speech was as follows:
Nov I want to say to you in the
first place that owing to the peculiar
nature Of the constitution Of Kansas
that provision was voted into the con-
stitution by less votes than q majority
OF all the voters Of the state. It was
not illegal for that reason because
the constitution provided that 1t
might be amended BY Q ma
jority Of the voters voting upon
the amendment; but in order to show
what sort OF sanction this thing mas
ever had I want to call your attention
to a little scrap Of ancient history. 10
that election General Garfield received
1880 votes; General Hancock re-
ceived $3.50 votes; Weaver. 1910,
scattering 35; total votes 201 ,045; for
92,502, against prohibition
s4,3O4; total 176,606: excess Of presi.
Dental vote over prohibition vote
22,439 votes: votes for prohibition
less than majority Of all votes cast
8, 743; voters In state not voting at
all $4,000. Add,to these the excess of
votes for president, the 24,434 and you
have sS,O5o. Add to this vote against
prohibition, S4.3O4. Hence we have
not voting for prohibition 173,34S and
have voted for it o2,302 in the State Of
Kansas, and yet under the peculiar
form Of the constitution that evil pro
vision was placed In the constitutAOa