Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1902-10-18
Kansas Politics
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1t might be well to consider the
record of the democratic candidate
for governor on the observance of
the law requiring that preference be
given to old soldiers in appoint
ments. This law applies to cities as
well as to the state.
Mr.. Craddock was elected mayor
of Kansas City, Kan, in April, 1901
Since that time he has appointed
254 officers. Judging from the at
tack he has made upon Gov. Stanley's
record in this matter, one would nat
urally be led to the conclusion that
this democratic candidate would
prove to be one of the greatest
friends the soldiers ever had. Like
a good many other things, however,
Mr. .Craddock's pretensions are not
borne out by the facts.
OF these 254 appointments only two
are old soldiers. If this is what the
democratic candidate considers do
ing right by the defenders of his
country, it is time he disbanded his
do Right" club and quit abusing
other people for lack Of friendship
towards the soldiers.
These appointments in Kansas City
cover the entire range of the city
administration. Sixteen of them are
officers directly under the mayor,
really a part of his immediate adj
minis tration, and the only soldier APP
pointed in this list is Fred Willig,
who was made claim agent. Just
how he happened to slip in is not
known. Some one has called atten-
ton to the fact that the ratio of old
soldiers to those who are not old sol
diers in this class of appointments
is the same historic 80 to l."
Mr.. Craddock has appointed sc po-
licemen. This is a class of service
where a number of places may be
found that could be filled by old sol
diers, as is shown by similar appoint
ments under the republican state adj
ministration, yet on this entire list
Mr.. Craddock has not named a single
old soldier; and to show his real
sentiment, he emphasized his posi-
ton by discharging an old soldier APP
pointed under the previous admins
tration and appointed M. c. Ardle,
an ex-convict of the state peniten-
tiary, who served four years for
crime and was pardoned by the last
populist governor.
Mr.. Craddock made nine appoint,
ments on his sanitary board, and yet
he was not able to find a single old
soldier to take one of these places.
Three special policemen have been
appointed, and here is where the
other one of the two old soldiers has
been given a place under Mr.. Grad
docks administration. Of nine APP
pointmets in the city hospital not
one was an old soldier. There are
So firemen who were appointed by
Mr.. Craddock, and not one of them
ment force there are 81 men. Ger
tainly the mayor might have found
some places here for the defenders
of his country. but he has failed to
appoint single member of the
Grand Army on this list. Three
street guards were appointed and
not one of them is a soldier. In the
engineers office there are ten, in the
inspection department IS employees,
and not an old soldier was remem-
bered in any of these appointments.
This is the record made by the
democratic candidate for governor
of Kansas in his home town. The
soldiers of this state should COM
pare this with the record of Gov.
Stanley and his associates, and by
their votes in November should do
Right" with this democratic pre-
tender by retiring him to his office
and real estate business in Missouri.