Evening star., 1921-03-26
Editorial Digest
Tar and Patriotism in Kansas.

A0A o0V & AkGxOb40m IL RA0oebo
American sense Of fair play was ap-
parently 20 outraged by tho mob
methods employed against the Non
Partisan League representatives In
Kansas. that almost the entire press
OF the country, the majority of which
posed to the league, speaks in bitter
condemnation of this example Of
mob rule"
The New York World( democratic)
thus expresses itself: "A more aca-
demic and neurasthenic community
might have wasted time in cajolery
and verbal discussion. or might have
allowed debate pro and con. thereby
running risk of defeat. The Non-Par-
tisan League, 1t 10 now apparent, was
economically wrong from the begin
ming and will remain forever indis-
putably wrong"
This sarcasm was well deserved"
comments the Louisville Post (demo-
cratfc). for the incident created the i'm
preston upon many that the cham
pions of the existing order were
as matter of fact. all the facts are
against the Non-Partisan League"
The Oregon Journal Independently.
making similar point, remarks that
principles will stand or fall on their
own merits, regardless of efforts Of
individuals or mobs to defeat them
by force" and the Spokane Spokes-
man Review independent republican,
declares that issues must be settled
in this country on the plane Of law,
order and reason. not by hoodlumism
or ruf1anism."
The affair comes too close to lynch
ing to be encouraged by communities
that are law abiding" says the Hart
ford Courant (republican), and Kan
sas. adds the Milwaukee Journal Gin
dependent Cannot afford" to have
this violence" repeated. To this the
wichita Eagle dndependenD. speak,
ing for at least part of the accused
state. agrees admitting that mob
violence as means Of suppressing po-
l1tical and economic ideas is not only
un-American and criminal; it is the
height of folly"
ent) interprets the event as mani
festatfon, less characterized by COM
mon sense than by deep conviction
warning"
The effort to look upon the motives
OF the FORMER soldiers and others who
tafred the leaguers as patriotic. and
thus seeking to justify their action,
Is vigorously combated by most writ
ers The Pittsburgh Leader (progres-
sive republican, tersely remarks:
This portion of the account of the
reign Of mob rule in Great Bend. Kan,
should be interesting to all 100 per
cent Americans. 1t may help them to
a successful study of the psychology
that just now is making policing au-
thoflty throughout the country look
like make-believe institution and
where"
The Chattanooga Times (indepen nd
ent democratic) also feels that what
ever may be said in justification of
the indignation Of these ex-soldiers.
none can defend their action without
defending mobocracy." and the Dem
Ver Rocky Mountain News Gndepend-
enO. which holds mo brief for the
Non Partisan League" which it con-
siders SID "un-American." asserts that
the mob leaders can excuse their ac-
ton" for they brought the law into
."Deplorable and wholly without JUS
i1ncatio1." ~ is the comment Of the Lex
spirit which it labels wholly false to
Americanism." and the methods which
run counter to and violate the bill of
rights. the Declaration of Independ-
ence and the Constitution of the
United States"
Though 1t sees in the event an inter
reputation of Townley and his FOL
lowers. the Butte Post (repubIican)
considers the conduct of the Kansans
who know what they want and are
always willing to let everybody
know it." to be "an outrage for which
no excuse can be successfully plead
ed"
While Kansas opinion as reflected
in the Wichita Beacon Gndependent).
Gov. Aliens own paper, deplores the
violence that was used at Great Bend.
adding that "it only strengthens the
radical leaders in their martyrdom,"
that paper clears the American De-
fense League and the American LIE.
gion Of all responsibility.
The Florida Metropolis democrat
ic) says: 1T is fairly safe to believe
that they were ex-service men; and
while steps of this kind can never be
sanctioned. for they throw down the
bars for repetition, II there is to be
radicaiism in the forces seeking to
destroy Americanism. why not retail
late with radical Americanism? Some
is the most effective method"
The wielders of the tar brush are
also given a little encouragement mt
from the Ell Paso Times (democratic).
which refuses to take the event as a
serious calamity. Such discourage
ment Of free speech" 1t says, will be
severely frowned upon by all parlor
bolshevists, and denunciations will
spout from many soap box. But,
somehow or other, we prefer an
American method in such cases to
the one in vogue in radical Russia"