People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1895-06-13
Governor Morrill, and Sumner County

eSerQay Governor M0rrlll APP
pointed J.. Bruce Lynch, the railroad
engineer Of Chanute, warden of the
state penitentiary and thus turned
down the last Sumner county aspirant
for prominent position under this
administration.
The relations between Sumner
county and Governor Morrill, have
been peculiar in several respects. He
lives about as far away from Sumner
as he could and still be in Kansas.
In the state convention of 1892, the
larger portion of the Sumner county
delegation voted for him after COM
plimenting Col. NJ. NJ. Murdoch. AL
most Immediately after the election
of 1893, Major Morrill, wrote toia
number Of Republicans in this county
informing them that he would be a
candidate for governor in 1894 and So
Letting their support. The editor of
the MAIL was among that number.
Our answer was, as we afterwards
learned, very similar to those sent by
other Republicans. We wrote him
very plainly and told him that the
serious objection was the very general
belief that should he become governor
he would Oe influenced and controlled
by Cy Leland, jim Simpson and the
same old crowd Of barnacles whose
disreputable management Of the Re-
publican party in the past had neces-
sarily and very Justly brought about
the defeat Of 1892; that the belief was
prevalent 10 this county that this
gang, in whom our people took no
stock, would parcel out all the pat
rOnage of the administration before
the election and that as in the past,
this section of the state would be
called upon to do her full share of the
work and receive none of the rewards
of the victory. Governor Morrill, an
Swered these letters very deliberately,
giving tue fullest assurances that.
should he be elected governor, he
would not permit any man or set of
men to influence his action: that he
realized the harm that had been done
the party in the past by ring rule"
and that he would hold himself absO-
lutely alOOf from their influence and
would take particular pains to remem-
Der, in the disposition of the patron
age of his administration, those por-
tiOns Of the state which had been
sighted heretofore. Following this
came repeated published statements
from him that lie had not and
would not make any promise of any
patronage before his inauguration
and that be would take particular
pains not to fulfill any promises made
by any other person.
Nearly every working, Republican 10
Sumner county was deceived into be-
lieving in Morrill,, in his integrity of
character and the sincerity of his
statements. The result of our con-
ventiOn is we'll known. Governor
Morrill, summarized the whole subject
to the writer, Ben LOTery of Oxford
and Others at the congressional con-
ventiOn held;'at Newton, May 3, 1894,
correctly and as follows: Sumner
county being one Of the largest
counties in the state, and beng one
OF the very first counties to hold con-
vention, the fact that it is located so
far from my home, its wonderful in
dorsement of my candidacy by giving
me It's unanimous vote upon a roll
call, has decided this contest in my
favor. The telegram that announced
the action of your convention, settled
the question and as result l will be
nominated by reclamation" He has
been repeating this same rigmarole,
world without end, to every Sumner
county man he has met from that day
to this until it has become the "chest-
nut" of the year. During all the
past year he has been most profuse
in his promises Of what he intended
to do for Sumner county. He has al
ways been going to give Sumner
county one Of his "very best appoint
ments.'
What has been the outcome. John
W. Haughey, with the prestige of the
Craftsmanship Of the county central
committee, phenomenal victory in
this county at the November election,
and a long list of strong endorse
ments, asked appointment as superin-
tendent of insurance. The governor
never even looked at one Of his papers.
Ev-G0v. Geo. 7. Anthony, who has
drawn half dozen fortunes out Of the
state treasury in salaries in the past,
was appointed because Governor Nor
rill is one of the largest stock holders
in a certain insurance company and
he needed Anthony to protect his in
diyidual Interests in this particular.
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