Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1899-03-29
zatlon and has absolutely refused to

pay the amount of taxes imposed upon
him, but will carry the matter into the
highest courts iD an endeavor to obtain
long delayed justice. In the meantime
the county treasurer retiring in 1894
was discovered to be an embezzler to
the extent of over $12, 600. He was
neither arrested nor prosecuted. The
ecret of bis immunity from prosecu-
tion was his knowledge of Mr.. Leland's
| methods. The successor to this treas
urer, retiring in 1898, was defaulter
in the sum of over 81 900. He has not
been arrested nor prosecuted. His
knowledge of Mr.. Leland's methods is
too extensive to permit of a prosecu-
tion. In 1897 Mr.. Leland having been
appointed U. S. Pension agent but still
desiring to keep control of the Doni-
phan county board of commissioners
secured the nomination of his nephew,
A. L Perry, in the 3rd district. His
opponent was again Mr.. J. A. Symns.
The contest was bitter The township
trustees refused to comply with the
provisions of the ballot law providing
for representation upon the election
boards of all political parties. Manda-
mus proceedings were instituted IN the
Supreme court of the state to compel
compliance with the laws.
The commanding order was issued
by that court and obeyed by all trust
ees in Donophan county with the ex-
ception of Troy precinct, where the
trustee, rather than obey the mandate
of the highest court in the state, left
for parts unknown, and did not return
until after election. The result was a
partisan board at Troy, and the con-
sequent voting of more than 100
illegal votes thereby defeating Mr..
Symns by majority of twenty-five.
Mr.. Symns instituted contest proceed
ings and the case now is pending in
the Supreme court. In the mean
time the methods of Leland had gone
from bad to worse Immense sums
of money were expended by him each
year in his efforts to retain control of
the county machinery. Votes were
imported by tens and hundreds as oc-
casion demanded. Ballot box stuff
ing, forging of returns, debauchery
of the electorate, punishment by dis
elimination in taxes and thousand
methods originating in the fertile
brain of a shrewd, cunning, unscrup.
ulous and desperate political boss were
adopted by Mr.. Leland and his hench-
men to defeat the popular will. The
situation became so desperate that in
1898 Mr.. Leland saw that it was only
a matter of very few years and pos
sibly months until the power he had
SO long and so unscrupulously exer-
cised, would pass to other hands and
his indefensible methods and the meth
DDS of his copartners in public crime
would expose him and them to public
prosecution. He turned his attention
to the courts. The district judge of
the 22nd district, Hon. r. NJ. Emery
OF Nemaha county, was serving his
first term. He had given general
satisfaction. He was by all the
ethics of party politics, entitled to a
second term. But he was not safe
man on the bench for a man with a
bad case in court. A weaker man,
who would be the servile tool of a
political boss, who saw the day OF
wrath approaching must he substitu-
ted for the man who would not hold
court to dispence favors, but to ad.
minister justice. Mr.. Leland settled
upon Mr.. Stuart as the man to succeed
Judge Emery. No man accepted the
proposition seriously when Stuart's
name was first mentioned. Blu
when the judicial convention after a
two weeks session in which over 3, ,80(
ballots were taken, broke up withou
reaching nomination, the public be
gan to realize that Leland was il
earnest. The Nemaha county dele
cation bolted and signed an agree
ment never to enter the convention
again. Ten days later the convention
reassembled with only Doniphan ant
Brown counties. No choice could b
had. Doniphan voting solidly fo
Stuart, Brown county for R. S. Buck
les, of Hiawatha, and Nemaha unrep
resented. Suddenly two members Q
the Nemaha county delegation, one O
whom was an ex-convict and hat
been out of the Kansas pepitentiar.
but short time, appeared in the con
vention and voted for Stuart. 81
. was declared to be the nominee o
the convention. 1t was openl
. charged and never denied that tn
nomination was purchased outright a
a given price. But the people wer
{ enraged. Doniphan county method
1 | were heino apnIied tn a indicial dis