Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1896-02-29

articles for the local press. What
makes his writings so irreslstibly
funny is the fact that he poses as a
reformer and in the interest of purity
in politics! If he would confine his
literary efforts to the discussion of
milo maize and Eureka Ranch" he
would only disgust his readers with
his egotism, but when he advises hon.
est men against corruption and fraud,
the sublime borders so closely on the
ridiculous that it is impossible from
smiling out loud. If the devil should
appear on earth and pose as an angel
of light he would be no more incon-
sistent and the sentiment inspired
would be very similar. It is humor of
a high order and always commands
admiration although it loses it's effect
somewhat by constant reiteratiOn.
"Windy Ben" always knows when to
stop Tor pay fare) however and hence
his increasing reputation. And al
though it may not be generally known,
'Windy Ben" has been humorist
for great many years. His first
work in that line was when he
claimed to be an educated man and
asked the Republican party to give
him the nomination for superintend-
ent of public instruction in Trego
county. And Notwithstanding he
he had been a stupendOus failure as a
school teacher, possessing neither the
education nor the tact necessary for
that honorable profession, he was
elected. Yes, although it may seem
incredible to many we assure you that
'Windy Ben" actually held that i'm
portant Office in Trego county at an
early day. 1t was a great joke and
if the recipient had been as sapient
then as he afterwards became it would
have been so regarded even by future
generations. But you can carry even
a GO Cd joke too far and ''Windy Ben"
asked for denomination. Result
his own township sent delegates in
structed against him and when the
convention was called he did not have
single delegate in the convention.
Not one. This ended his career as a
politician and as a Republican and,
for time, as humorist. AS local
politician his infiuence-and his hui
mOr-Was again brought into requiSi
tiOn when he succeeded in making a
populist convention believe that a
member of his family was qualified to
fill the important Office of county sur
veyOr. The boy was nominated and
it was generally regarded as another
of his fathers choice bits of humor.
But thereaare always lotof old fogies
without any sense of humOr and when
election came "Windy Ben's" personal
representative was showed under and
completely buried. The joke was
again turned, the bitter was bitten.
We only mention these things to show
that even the most brilliant humor is
not always appreciated.
We next hear of his influence dur
ing the campaign Of 1894. During
that campaign he stumped the county
for weeks and made speeches in al
most every school district. Result
the whole Republican ticket was
elected with good majorities and
those he worked against the hardest
received the largest vote. At that
time he talked reform just as he is
doing now and it tickled the people
greatly but they again called the turn
on him and once more the people
smiled out loud. We are informed
that the candidates elected held a
meeting to consider the propriety of
passing vote of thanks for the yalu-
BILE assistance rendered but, inasmuch
as it was not intentional on ''Windy
Ben'S" part, this was decided out of
order. The assistance rendered can
best be appreciated when we remark
that the election was quite close the
year before when he was out of the
county during the campaign and last
fall when he took no part at all por
tion of the opposition ticket was
elected. Boiled down it all means
that humor and politics don't mix
and we are much pleased to see that
he has discarded politics and taken
up pure humor and so long as he keeps
these two elements divorced he will
succeed and the people will be greatly
edited thereby. 1t is with some pain
that we have noticed disposition on
his part to merge these two elements
but we think he has crossed the dam
ger line too often not TO know where
it is. One of the best things that he
has ever done in the field of humor
was in 1892 when he made campaign
against the deadly and seductive pass.
'"The man who will accept pass will
accept a bribe!" shrieked Windy"
and those destitute of humor ejacu-
lated Ampnl While the knuwinp ones