Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1900-04-11
A SCENE BEHIND THE CURTAIN.

rant tool of political autocrats. But
they enriched republican newspaper,
discharged their obligations to their
political creators and sneaked home
condemned by guilty conscience and
convicted of doublefaced hypocrisy and
altogether unworthy of the confidence
OF the people whose interests they con
slider only of secondary Importance and
not entitled to consideration until the
voracity of political manipulators is
satiated.
The Medicine Lodge Cresset was
awarded the county printing last Fri .
day evening in dark lantern style.
The paper will receive Is per. cent of
legal rates for the official matter and
commercial rates for job work. The
motion was made by Hugh Rankin and
supported by George Nay. Commits
sioner Walker voted in the negative.
Mr. Walker also presented motion to
award the contract to the lowest bid
der but neither of the republican COM
missiOners voted for the motion.
1t would be idle for us to attempt to
conceal our disappointment over the
manner in which this deal was consum-
mated. In view of the we'll defined
position which the republican commits
sioners took on this issue of public i'm.
pOrtance, this paper had right to ex-
pect decent treatment. but time has
shown that we placed too high an estl-
mate on the personal integrity of the
republican commissioners, especially
so far as Mr.. Rankin was concerned.
From Mr.. Nay we never heard direct
expression, but we were repeatedly as.
sured by his friends that in matters of
public Importance he would not use his
official position to reward his political
masters and to punish those who re-
fused to submit to the g. o. p. brand,
and if he really made these statements
he will find it difficult task to recon-
cile his last weeks acJion with his
ante-election promises.
In Hugh Rankin's case his perfdy is
bold and unchalienged. One of his
first official pledges made in April 1897,
was that as long as he was county COM
missioner he would vote to award the
county printing to the lowest bidder
without regard to which party was In
the majority. This promise was made
voluntarily, but when the republicans
had only one member on the board.
How well it was Kept is explained by
the record which he was instrumental
in making last week. The INDEX has
repeatedly warned the people OF Bar
Der county against Rankin. We knew
that he was weakling of no business
ability, a mere tool in the hands of de-
signing politicians, but we admit that
he has proved himself to he more trif-
ling than we ever suspected. Ordinar-
lily we respect political opponent, and
always do when he conducts himself in
an upright manner, but when he reach
es that stage where no reliance can be
placed in his words, that respect ceas-
eS.
The die is cast. We congratulate
| the Cresset on its good fortune. The
printing will cost the county a big
sum. We would liked to have had a
chance at it, but we admit that the re.
| publican commissioners are not under
any obligations to us and since they
are serving political giants they might
as we'll serve them abundantly.
| We went before the Board on We'd
nesday and asked them if the printing
would be Submitted to bids. Mr.. Ran.
kin Informed US that the matter had
not yet been decided upon and that he
did not know what would Re done.
Commissioner Walker said that he ia.
vored letting it to bids, and he remind
\ ed Mr.. Rankin that he had made a
pledge favoring that policy, when he
first took his seat, and supposed he
would do what he agreed TO do. MIR
Rankin admitted that he had so placed
himself on record, but said that "cir.
cumstances alter cases" and he did no,
know whether he would do as he said
he would or not. AS much as to say
that under certain circumstances q
public official may disregard his WORD
and publish himself to the public as an
untruthful man. We do not know
what circumstance Mr.. Rankin al
ludes to, but we take it that the .'clr
cumstance" is that he has secured hi.
second term and cares nothing about
what the people may think about it
Mr.. Nay was more frank about it. III,
said that they might as we'll tell tn,
truth, and with this Introductory ex
preston he coldly informed us that Lh,
matter had been fixed up between tn
republican commissioners and the pub
fishers of the Cresset. and that the In
DEX would be ignored.
Neither of the republican commits
sioners appear in an enviable light, bu
Rankin's is the worse. Whether thi
paper lives or becomes extinct will no
retrieve what Hugh Rankin has los
and if he can find comfort in his dali
life with this stigma resting upon him
well and good. We are satisfied
What we said of him during the cam
paign has been doubly established t. b
correct.