Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1891-01-07
THAT FARMER LuDGE.
[From the Chicago Times.l

odos COLupOS6Q OI Tie COunIl6S OF 6ar-
per and Barber, was born IN Jefferson
county, Indiana, Dec. 6, 1852. In 1863
his parents moved to La Sale county.
Illinois, where George, then II years
old, was sent to school at the Marseil-
les seminary. AT this seminary and at
the Morris Classical institute in Morris.
Grundy county, Ill, he received his
education. His father was considered
as being in fair circumstances in those
days, yet young George had to work Cd
the farm in summer, and attend school
in winter. In the parlance of Kansas
people, he had to rustic" and as soon
as he felt qualified to do so began teach
ing school. He taught for seven years
in La Sale county.
Becoming tired of teaching and wish
ing to see more of the world, he left
home and went to Chicago, where he
became bOok-keeper for the Excelsior
Oil Stove Company, which was then
located at A Clark street. While keep
ing books he began and steadily contin-
ued the study of law and attended lect-
ures in Chicago. He has brother in
Chicago at this time who is principal
of the Douglass school. While study
ing law he, with two or three other
young men, received private instruc-
ton and lectures from an old attorney
named Booth.
Judge Mckay was never married.
He is man of something less than av-
erage size, OF very pleasing address,
and improves greatly on acquaintance.
He was almost unknown outside of his
vicinity until he received the nomina-
ton for district judge. Then there was
d so-called overhaulIng of records, and
Judge Mckay came in for an unusually
large share of abuse. 1t mattered not
how silly or how mean these stories
were, the opposition used them. AS he
had never been admitted to the bar, it
was asserted that he knew nothing of
law.
After Mckay was elected the repub-
lican press of his own county published
story to the effect that a collection
had been taken up among the members
of the alliance to raise funds to send
him to Ann Arbor for sixty day-term
in the law department. This is untrue.
District court convened in Barber
country Nov. Is, and Judge Mckay
was in attendance. He was admitted
to the bar on merely pro forma proceed
ings. 1t has been charged that he as
serted that no mortgage should be fore
closed during his term of Office and that
he intended making 1t hot for the law
yers. All this is nonsense. He is to-
day more popular with the lawyers than
he was month ago and as they become
acquainted the better they like him.
He has devoted considerable time to
literary studies and is proficient in
French. He is fine mathematician.
and delights in problems in the higher
branches.
Judge Mckay came to Kansas in the
fall of '82, stopping inMontgomery coun-
ty, where his father had preceded HIM.
In the spring of 1888, the family moved
to Harper county, where father and son
took claims about four miles northwest
of Attlca, and where they now live.
George Mckay remained with his faith
er until the spring of 1886, when he
went to Morton county and took a
homestead and timber claim. He re-
manned in Morton county four years,
returning to Harper county in March.
1890. While in Morton county he was
asked to become a candidate for county
commissioner on the republican ticket,
but refused. He was elected clerk of
the school board, and held the position
eight months and resigned.
The recent election has done much to
show that the farmers of Kansas are
aroused to their own interests, and that
false accusations against a candidate
will hereafter cut less figure than here
tofore. Judge Mckay and other candi-
dates on the alliance ticket were de-
nOunced as thieves and scoundrels by
men who knew absolutely nothing
against them. An affldavit was pub
lished, purporting to be signed by a
neighbor of Mckay, while he lived In
Morton county, charging him with
stealing house. The people who real
ly lived in the neighborhood at that
time deny the charge and say that no
such man ever lived there as the one
whose name is attached to the affidavit
This is simply a sample of the means
used to defeat the nominees on the al
lance ticket, from congressman down
to road overseer. The returns after
the election showed that the men who
were most abused and vilified received
the largest vote.
Judge Mckay was opposed by Geo.
Mcmahon, democrat, and one of the
best lawyers in the district; and by l.
A. Love, republican, man well quail
fed for the place, but who had been
mixed up in political schemes until he
had some bitter enemies in his party.
The returns show that Mckay received
more votes than both of his opponents.
In Harper county the vote stood:
Mckay. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........-.......l 1878
Love -....-- .--..-.......... .......-..-.- $50
MpKaY's majority in Harper. .......... SOS
In Barber county the vote Stood
Mckay. ................. .......... 1,057
McMahoh. -.-.+ '-:--..--..-.- I9o
Love-, .....,......,.. ......... 753
McKay's majority in Barber. ........... 3O4
Or in other words, Mckay, the man
who was so shamefully abused, received
700 more votes than both his opponents.
Some explanation is due in regard to
the small vote received by Mcmahon.
1t was conceded that in square fight
with the renublicaDs no democrat had