Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1897-11-24
Says Republicans Are Too
Rotten for Him.
ways Claimed, Although Mild as Pos
aIbIe.

convention, Major J. K. Hudson said:
''The Journal is right in advocating
the election of the entire Republican
state committee, its chairman and Sec
retary included, by the next state con-
vention. In more than thirty years
residence in Kansas 1 have never
known more general dissatisfaction
within the party than exists today. 1t
does not come from dissatisfied office
seekers only but from men who have
sought nothing from their party and
who ask for no position az this time or
in the future. 1t comes from men who
are Republicans from principle; men
of ability and character in every coun-
ty in the state, who have become tired
and disgusted seeing the party machin-
who give their time to plotting and
planning and trickery to manipulate
conventions, state committees and am
bilious office seekers. These self
styled leaders know nothing about Gre
ating Republican sentiment by argu-
ment and the presentation of facts and
principles, but rely upon the shallow
methods adopted in secret meetings at
the Blossom house or in some hotel
room ia Topeka where they decide who
shall be nominated for congress or
placed on the state ticket months and
months before a state convention is
called.
"The old trick of flattering three or
four men located in various parts of
the state with endorsement and support
for each state Office, and bringing out
several candidates for congress in each
district, is counted upon to always sue
ceed, and it does. Men who never
thought of being a state officer lend a
willing ear to the plotters and bring up
their own delegations solid upon ac-
cepted theory that every chump is en-
titled to his home support, no matter
how little qualified he may be for the
position. He comes to the convention,
flattered and lied to by the gang, an
earnest supporter of any scheme sug-
gested by those who discovered him
and induced him to be candidate. In
this manner the gang has an active
working support that always astonish'
es those not familiar with this stale
old plan of gathering votes for some
ultimate purpose.
"Year after year it succeeds, officers
of the convention are elected, plat
forms are made, committees formed
and the proceedings of the convention
are in the hands of the dozen men whC
individually and collectively canno
control a hundred votes on Their
merits.
"The Republicans of Kansas hav'
seen this sort of manipulation go OF
until confidence in their ability t.
make a change seems to have beer
shaken. Federal patronage become
a football for the boss and his gang
and they can bid defiance to the indig
nation of the Republicans who protes
against the party being used to Civ
the favorites of the gang the patron
age of the party.
"What is the remedy?
at is for the voters to claim thei
rights in their party. Going over
Populism or Democracy or fusion vii
save the principles of Republicanisr
or rescue the power from the politica
gamblers.
First, let Republicans who are OF
posed to the present bossism of tn
party in every county control the cor
ventions of 1898, nominate the be,
men of the party, send men to til
state convention as delegates who al
not under the direction of the stai
bosses, and above all let counties r
fuse to be played by the old 'favori
son'tracket' by which the mauipul
tors capture counties enough to COZ
troll the state.
"a state convention that will nom
nate ticket independent of the pre-
ent offensive political gang, that pr
sumes to say what the party shall
may do, and make platform th
voices the sentiment of the mass
the party will rally the voters of Il
Republican party as they have n
been rallied since 1883,