Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-08-17
THE MISGUIDED THIRTEEN.

A number of delegates in the county
convention of last Saturday, who indi
Gated by their conduct throughout the
meeting that they would not abide by
the action of the majority of the dem
ocrats there assembled, and who were
constantly acting as obstructionists,
under the guise of being democrats in
favor of straight out'' policy, SO per-
sistently urged and abetted by repub-
licans, bolted the convention and called
a meeting at the opera house for the
evening. To see just how ridiculous
they could make themselves we at
tended the evening meeting, and this
| is what we saw and heard:
| The band had been hired 10y whom?)
and when the meeting had been called
| to order by Jimmie Clarke (the city
attorney, appointed by republican
mayor and approved by a republican
council), we counted present: 3S repub
licans, 20 populists and 80 democrats =
only thirteen of whom were in sympa-
thy with the meeting, as was after
| wards shown. Jimmie, the city attOr-
ney, was made chairman, after he had
told his 'tale of VICE." which heart
rending tale was cheered to the echo
by the republicans in the gallery.
Jimmie said his father was a democrat
his mother was democrat and his
granddad a democrat republican ap-
plause). He made many rambling
charges Of treachery by democrats of
this county who have spent their time
and money for years to build up the
party and advance it's principles; but
he brought no proof to his charges.
| Every time he uttered word of abuse
of well-known democrats his ears were
tickled with great applause-from the
republican gallery.
When Jimmie had worked off his
little list of grievances he called On
Marshal Ney Jones, for some resolu-
tions. Marshal Ney came up smiling
with long set of resolutions that had
whitewash jumbled together in an
indiscriminate mass. When a resolu-
tion was read condemning lifelong
democrats there was the same phenom-
inal republican applause, but when the
resolutions condemning McKinleyism
and female suffrage were read you
could have heard a pin drop or gnat
sigh in the republican quarter. The
resolutions were adopted, and we
understand that Townsley has agreed
to publish them in the Tribune. Mr..
Jones half apologized for his very poor
reading of a very poor set of resolu-
tions, but got his work in later on
when he offered resolution to endorse
Judge Ansel r. Clarke for Judge. Now
Judge Clarke, be it remembered, is
republican and talked of as their can
didate. This resolution was passed by
unanimous vote, by men who claimed
to be DEMOCRATS and only in favor of
DEMOCRATIC candidates. All know,
however, that Marshal Ney would not
object to being court stenographer in
| this district,
| Jimmie Clarke was then elected as
chairman of a central committee that
does not exist; In his speech of ac-
captance of this empty honor, Jimmie
admitted that this action is a little
irregular, but thought it lust as well
to begin at the tail" He stated that
they were there to ''kick" and they
proposed to keep on kicking" that
they as kickers, ''had power to turn
the scale where they wanted to, and
they proposed to get consideration and
were going to claim something for
their work" This was loudly cheered
by the republicans, and is doubtless
the secret of the leaders of the kickers
movement. The roll of townships was
called, so that committeeman might be
selected to wag the ''tail' already
appointed, but no township responded.
John Bement was then called upon
to tell his ''tale of woe." and arose in
his seat to deliver himself, but upon
the repeated urging of that good dem
ocrat(?) Caraway, went to the front
and amused the crowd for few min
utes. In the course of his remarks he
said he believed s'Henry Kline to be a
good democrat, and he ought to be
electees' (No republican applause
I this time.l He was there ito kick,