The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1900-08-09

can administration. Considering the
growth ard accretions Of the territory
his administration o. territorial affairs
creates not SO much discomfort among
the masses as the reign of The lique-
fscient Steele or the spatheiic Seay.
Prior to his appointment as governor
Mr.. Barnes was an artful and cunning
politician. He believed in the theory
OF heart to heart talks and did his own
dickering. He played politics for all
there Is in it. as Mr.. Flynn does now
ami has always done. His campaign
for the governorship was the acme
OF political sagacity and astuteness.
He won after bitter strife. Instead of
oiling the waters he had caused 20 BE-
come ruffied, and pacifyiug factions
which begged for pacihcaton, he car
ried into Office with him row of pro-
digious propositions. For six months
the governor ran an administration
which looked to the reward of friends
and the punishment IF enemies. 1t
had none of the ear marks of benevo-
lent assimilation. The rewarding #
friends is good politics, but the chas-
tisement of enemies over the should
ers of friends is not conducive TO
sweet dreams.
Eight months after taking the oath
Of Office, the governor suddenly veered.
Thoughts struck him, and then began
a double header Observation-Disclosures
politics and part business. From that
time on he lost control of the Reput-
lican machinery of the territory. So
long as Oklahoma is territory any
governor who seeks to conduct any
thing but strictly political admins
trAtion is irretrievably lost. Business
pays, but it requires the administra
tion's hand on the party machinery to
ratify the business methods,
Then began the era of charges and
and counter-chsrges; frequent trips to
Washington, nspections, examinations,
legislative buffoonery, and lastly the
desire for convention endorsement.
The governor became desperate, then
desperately angry. Outside of three
officials, his appointees were worthless
as political ixers. In rewarding his
friends he ushered in an era of Rosen.
/ baumism, Hopkinsism.and Turnerism
and failed to peer into the future.
The fight made on him was intense,
yet through IL all Gov. Barnes him
self saved GOV, Barnes He owes his
retention OF the gubernatorial Office to
no Oklahoma man. save Barnts.
1t was an i'll moment that the gov
ernor. harrassed beyond measure, ask
ed for the cooperation of his erstwhile
sworn enemies, Then the governor,
after having fought his own battles in
Washington, was remorselessly slug
ged by his own PARTY in Ok ahoma.
He was made the victim of double
dealing by his old time enemies, who,
prior to his appointment, referred low
ingly to him as the "Arksnsaw runt, ;
Powell Clayton's pet" 1.-The Leland
Crum political arbiter elegantarium
and the Rackensack sawbuck
These enemies fawned when Barnes
spoke and slobbered when he winked,
and incidentally baited the trap which
was to catch him. At the Enid con-
ventlon the governors staunch friends
were bowled over and his new lieuten-
ants placed in charge. They were to
paclfy the opposition and have the
administration endorsed. Instead it
was condemned. Not satisfied with
this humiliation, the cheerful and
freshly recruited lieutenants of the
governor determined to carry the affair
to the Guthrie convention, or, speak,
ing more to the point, the Flynn con-
vention at Guthrie. At this Barnes
demurred. He called off his own men
with the statement that it was the
convention Of his cordial enemy.
Flynn, and he would ask no favors.
In that Barnes was logical and
indisputably right. He even left the
city 10 avoid contagiou. But the fresh
recruits, working in secret harmony
with Flynn mentor purpose which
will become apparent later-carried
the matter of endorsement into
the resolutions committeeand sue
ceeded in having the governor
and his official acts inglori-