People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1894-11-01
SALT and WATER,


the butcher shop?
TOm.-''YeS. that man with red
whiskers and a mOnkey.wrench.
why that was Joe Thralls.
What is the matter with him? He
seemed to be in a greai hurry as
though he were going for doctor.
Is any one of his folks sick?
IL have not heard of any of his fam
lily being ailing, but | hdye noticed
lately THAI Joe is terribly worked up.
What about? always thought it
very hard to get Joe excited: he is
usually a very cool man, What is the
tIOubIe?
Il have been acquainted with Joe
for great many years, and my atten-
ton has been attracted to his excited
excited state of mind lately, and for
a time | could not fathOm the myS-
terry.
"Have you at last found out the
cause of the trouble.
Yes.
pray tell me about it.
why, JOe's political household is
sick.
"YOu mean the Republican party?
"Yes.
"Well, why does that affect Joe: He
is not a candidate for Office himself,
and | have heard it said among Re-
publicanS that since Joe was sheriff
himself, got rich out of the Office and
was not kept in the Office, that he has
never taken any interest in politics,
but lets the candidates rustic for
themselves. In fact, like Tom Hub
bard, he says that all the boys helped
him and consequently he is friend
to them all and cannot assist any Of
them. 1t is asserted in Republican
circles that Joe has never bothered
himself about politics since it ceased
being profitable to him.
Your version of Joe's attitude is
correct. He never works except
where it benefits Joe Thralls.
well, how do you account for his
present unusual interest in politics.
He is not running for Office, so cannot
be personally benefited by the result
of the election.
"His interest in the election is not
general. He is not a candidate him.
self, but he is greatly interested in
the election of his candidate.
WHO is his candidate and for what
office?
why, D. A. Espy is Joe Thralls'
candidate for county commissioner.
"WhO is this man Espy?
"He is the man that Joe Thralls got
the Republicans to nominate for COur-
ty commissioner. In fact, he is the
Republican nominee for county COM
missioner.
Eyes, understand, but knowing
JOe's usual lack of interest in politics
since he quit making money out of it,
| am at a loss to quite understand
his activity just now. Is he actively
supporting the whole ticket?
mo; he don't care darn about any,
body but Espy.
"Ihere must, then, be some reason,
some Interior motive behind the scene
which does not appear on the surface,
to induce Joe to work so hard for
Espy.
There is. Don't you see through it:
mo; explain it to me.
We'll, you see Joe realized that he
could not get the republicans TO nom,
mate himself for county commission,
er; and seeing that Spicknall was in
danger of being nominated he looked
around and found his man in d. A
ESpy, who, he thought, could and did
beat Spicknall for the nomination
When Spicknall was mayor he vetoed
some of JOe'S fine work and cOnSequen
tly is a victim of JOe's enmity anC
wrath.
What interest has Joe in the Office
of county commissioner more than any
of the other offices?
"Simply this: Joe Thralls, you know
is the local manager of both the Wei
! lingtOn Water Works and the Wei
lingtOn Gas Works. As such manag
er, he conceives il to be his duty t
help his employers to get the taxes
low as possible, as we'll as toenfOrce
payment of gas rent and water rent
At each meeting of the Board of Com
miSsioners, when sitting as Board o
Equalization, Joe Thralls always ap
peared in behalf of his Gas and Waite
companies, and tries to influence tn
Board to cut down the valuation 0
the Gas and Water plants, and cOnse
Quently secure a reduction of thei
taxes. OF late years he mas not bee
successful in this regard, and now h
reckons he must elect some commits
siOner with this end in view.
"You don't mean to tell me that E,
py would do any such thing as this?
II do not know. but Joe evident
! thinks he will, else he would not b
working so hard for his election.
"What reasons has Joe for thinkin
that he could control Espy in thi
manner?
You see Joe knows Of ESpy's prom
inent connection with the WellingtO
Street Car company, and how, thrOug
his manipulation, the aims and objt Ell
of the schemes connected with il
were carried out, and how every do
| lar invested therein by individual
was lost, and how Espy only survive
of the wreck: and he further know
that Espy took hold of the Wellingto
Salt company at $500 a month, mad
failure at it, and afterwards leased
from the city "at cents per barre
for the output" subsequently pal
$4,000 for the Bowers plant which wa
then idle, and of his obtaining bloc
of $1,000 stock in the Salt trust fo
his purchase and lease, and of hi
having ever since acted as the loo
agent of the Salt trust. and supple
} the trade here with its out-put.at tll
camp I inn Tartincr nc na,,oo,. -