Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1900-09-05

~
personal acquaintance than John w
Breidenthal, the fusion nominee for
governor. His seven years as a state
officer and his management of three
which were successful-have made his
name household word in every coun.
ty from Cherokee in the southeast 10
Cheyenne in the northwest.
Since his unanimous nomination for
governor by the democrats, populists
and silver republicans at Fort Scott
Mr.. Breidenthal appears before the
people in an entirely new role 1t is a
role not his own seeking. Since he
has been thus chosen, however, addi-
tional interest is attached to this very
interesting and very remarkable man.
Thousands who know him "by reputa.
ton" are anxious to find out more con.
cerning him. AS rule the people like
what they know about him, but they
want to know more. 1t is to satisfy
the desire for information that the
we present this unprejudiced, but
incomplete and disconnected sketch.
Public curiosity as to Mr.. Breidenthal's
personality, his past and present, his
home life and his business methods,
are pardonable. The voters have a
right to know something concerning
for whom a majority of them will cast
hallots for governor in Novem
Der.
Personally John w. Breidenthal is a
large man. He weighs not far from
210 pounds, but his stature Is such as
to give the impression that he is a
strong man. rather than a stout man.
He is built in proportion to his weight
and his shoulders are broad. He is
erect. and when he walks it is with the
healthy stride of an athlete.
Although there is no buster man in
the state capitol than he, his door
stands wide open at all hours and a
visitor may enter unannounced. No
other officer of the state, not except
ing the governor, receives half as many
callers as he, and the wonder is that
he is able to attend to the immense vol
ume of his affairs. business and politi-
cal. It can only be accounted for by
the fact that he is one Of those rare
men who can entertain a visitor and
attend to business at the same time.
without offending the visitor or visibly
sighting the business.
A stranger meeting Mr.. Breidenthal
for the first time is impressed most of
all by his informality, freedom from
subterfuge and his manifest good
sense. He is practical even to the
point of being blunt, yet his nature is
too gentle to give offense knowingly.
Probably the term "open countenance"
has fallen in disfavor 10y much mis-
use, nevertheless it may be applied
very aptly to Mr.. Breidenthal. His is
face full of honesty, good humor,
candor, strength. His laugh is the
laugh of a whole souled man and his
use of profanity while fervent when
occasion demands, is emphatic, but
never offensive. His eyes are large
and steel gray. and are one Of the most
attractive features of the man. ANY
man grasping the firm right hand of
Mr.. Breidenthal and looking into his
direct, clear eyes would know intinc-
lively that treachery, hypocrisy and
deceft are elements wholly foreign to
his nature. Men who come in contact
with John Breidenthal admire him,
and are his friends.
Mr.. Breidenthal is not an orator.
He never had time to cultivate the
spell binders arts or the tricks of rhet-
oric. He is. nevertheless, forcible
speaker. Most of his speech making
has been to small audiences Of 100 peo-
pie or less, where he could take the
floor informally and speak as among
friends. On such occasions he can US
ually win those present over to his way
of thinking. He addresses large audi
ences on the same plan as the smaller
ones. He talks sense" without at
tempt at embellishments. His command
of good English is not only adequate,
but surprising. in view of the meager
educational advantages he enjoyed in
his youth. He attended rural schools
whenever they were available in the
backwoods of Minnesota and Indiana.
and on his 18th birthday was forced to
quit school in order to hustle for him.
self. Yet Mr.. Breidenthal has never
been known to make n grammatical
error in his speeches, letters, or in pri-
vate conversation.
Mr.. Breidenthal became bank com I,
missioner in April. 1893, few months
after the inauguration of Governor
Lewelling. No man ever went into an
office under more trying circumstances
There was no adequate banking law
at that time and it was even possible
for schemer to go into the banking
business without one cent OF actual
capital. The great panic of 1893 was
approaching and Mr.. Breidenthal, as a
close student of financial affairs fore
saw it. Added to these difficulties was
the wide prejudice against him, shared
by every banker in the state. They
assumed that "pop" bank commits
sioner would make it his mission to an
noy and torment the money power"
of which they were ostensibly a part
One of Mr.. Breidenthafs first acts
was to compel the banks to cease the
practice of borrowing money from
larger banks and re-loaning it at an in
creased rate of interest He contended,
In the first place, that it was the proper
function of bank to loan money, not
to borrow money. The more immedi.
WANTEDIA GRANDMAMMA.
little three-year-old laddie who had
gone with his papa and mamma from