The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1900-11-02
A FUSIONIST'S RECORD.

A page from the Record of e. j.
Westgate, Fusion candidate for Az
ditor of State, taken from the st. John
News, his home paper:
Ira d. Northrop was elected to the
Office of county clerk In the fall OF 1891,
taking charge in January, 1892. Ed.
was Of course the power behind tie
throne and Ira was merely figure.
head. Everything moved along
smoothly, to all outward appearances,
until July, 1892, when the commission
ers examined the first trial balance
made by Westgate for the first six
months of Northrop's term. 1t was
then discovered that the books Of the
county clerk were more than $50, 900
out of balance, and it was also dlscOv-
cred that Weslgate could not explain
how it happened. The board wascom-
posed of two Populists and one Rel
ublican. 1t seemed to the board Thu t
there was nothing to do under the cir
cumstances but to employ competent
men to examine the books and get
them in shape. They secured the SER
vices of G. w. Grandy, present editor
of the County Capital, and r. Il. Dc
muth, formerly in the empty of f. B.
Gilmore, now of Ellsworth, at salary
of S. per day each. They started on
the work some time in July. 1892, and
| it required about thirty days to COM
plete it. Is is but fair to say they put
part of this time in checking up the
books of the clerk and treasurer dur
ing the latter part Of Ed Lands adj
ministration in order to get at the eZ-
act amount Of money which was to be
charged to Joel Miller on the books Of
the county clerk. The greater part of
the time, however, was spent in cor
recting the multitude Of errors which
Westgate had made during his brief
term DIS expert bookkeeper for North
rOp. There were so many OF these er-
rors that it amounted almost to the
making of a new set of entries for that
period. When they finally got all of
the entries corrected and Undertook to
take off a trial balance for the record
they found that the entries made on
the trial balance book by Westgate to
be so full of mistakes that they simply
set it aside entirely and made new
trial balance on separate page. The
old balance made by WeStgate can
still be seen upon the trial balance
book in the Office of the comfy clerk
and will bear out these tatements.
The county commissioners notified
Northrop that they wanted no more
incompetent bOokkeepers. and as re-
suit Northrop employed r. c. Demuth
at the request OF the chairman Of the
board. Demuth, although Republi-
can, continued iT sole charge Of the
books from some time in October, 1892,
up to the conclusion of NOrthrop's
term.
In spite of Westgate's brilliant re-
cord as a bookkeeper Ed had such
hold on the machinery Of his party
that he was elected to the office OF
district court in the fall OF 1892. 1t
took Westgate the greater portion of
his first term to learn the business,
George Garriguess running the Office
the first five months and Billie Cooper
tue greater part Of the balance Of the
| term.
In his Kansas City Times letter
VIM. Campbell stopped over" with this
statement:
Zone of the chief characteristics of
the man is his big heartedness. 1t is
said by his neigbors that no poor fell
| low in distress ever appealed to him
in vain. His mother once complained
to neighbor that Ed was externally
giving his clothes away to fellows
who were trdmping through the
country"
Why didn't our friend Campbell al
so say that Westgate hired Billie Coop.
er to run the district clerks office at
the miserable pittance of $40 per
month and board while at the same
time the office paid upwards Of $1,000
per year? That in the meantimeCOop-
er got married, and desiring to go TO
housekeeping asked Westgate for an
increa Sc IN wages, which was refused?
That Cooper. being too poor to board
at home owing to the small salary he
was receiving, for several months con-
tinued to board at Westgate's, while
his wife resided at home, and by this
method OF economy managed to exc
out an existence? This was during the
time when Stafford county was long on
help and short on work(the first two
years OF Grover)and a man was glad to
get almost any kind OF wages.
Why didn't Westgate at least give
Cooper some OF those old clothes our
friend Campbell speaks OF? q,
This did not come to us second
handed, but from Cooper, himself.
However, Cooper is not here to sub
stantiate the charge as he died 10 the
service at Chickamauga during the
late unpleasantness with Spain.
Westeate is an emotional sort OF a
i fellow. The editor has many times
talked with him upon political quest
ions when tears would come to bis
voice when the condition OF the down
trodden farmers OF Kansas was men
ltIoued. At the same time, IL Is claim
| - "a rrnffr nannrallV known by