The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-12-14
MORT bLbAOGa
4 SKETCH
Characteristics of One of the
Republican Leaders.
BEGAN POLITICS IN PRATT
His knowledge of Men and
His Spirit of Organization.
BEGAN POLITICS IN PRATT

IN these days Of modern newspaper
writing, the character sketch" has come
! TO mean little but an inane and con
! glomerate exaggeration OF a mans quail
/ ties. couched in involved sentences, and
/ a confusion OF words.
The writer does not mean 10 intimate a
/ better skill at writing; clearer vision or
more ability in brushing aside the trash
which commonly surrounds the good
things said Of 2 clever man in write
! Up. But he does know he has chosen a
/ subject to write about that has no frills.
and he means there shall be no frills
( about the treatment OF him in this piece.
] Kansas produces clever men and wo-
men. As 10 the men, the fact that Kan
( sas soil is Indigenous 70 ability and brains
/ is no better known than in the realm Of
politics. The cratic tendency OF some Of
+ them takes little away from the truth
! OF the broad statement II has been
/ said that every man in Kansas is a poll
tician This is not so. But there are
I scores and hundreds Of them VINO Go
know the art OF politics and practice it
every TWO years at least. Some OF them
practice it all the time. and Of these Nor
ton Albaugh stands close to the head
Divorcing himself for the nonce from
the main proposition. the writer wishes
10 make one point: The adherence of
politics among sanity people ought not
spread itself too far. Because a man
makes politics his vocation is no ground
for thinking that man a knave or TN
clean II is no more just to sheer at a
politician and 70 call him tricky, and
dishonest. than 70 say that a business
man IS a scoundrel. d lawyer a knave-
preacher a liar, or a newspaper man or
doctor d hypocrite and a fool Men in
public life simply reflect the coustitu-
ency that placed them where they are.
II a city be not well governed. or a coun-
" well represented in the legislature, or
district in congress, then the blame
lies with the men who do the voting Il
all goes back 10 the people. And those
who are horrihed at the acts OF pOliti-
clans are themselves either responsible
IN a measure for the acts-which nine
times out Of ten are no worse than the
acts. public and private Of the criti-
cizers-for they. the critics. take advant-
age Of their prejudices against those Just
as honest. just as respectable. IS a class.
as any calling on earth. There is a
maxim in politics which is as good as
any praoticed anywhere under the sun
1T pays to be honest" And the dishon-
est politician. or the one who lies, OF is
not square sooner or later meets his
deserved fate.
Parties, like armies. have to have lead
ers. The rank and file OF a political party
can make no more progress in Z cam
paign without leaders than an army in a
military campaign without generals TO d.
rect it. II is 50 in the business world.
In these DAYS of combination and conceu-
tration OF capital there are what have
been termed captains of industry 10
direct the financial campaigns that are
being waged.
The point Of the foregoing paragraph
is that Morton Albaugh. in Kansas poll
tics is a Napoleon Of strategy; q captain
Of industry. And he is no self-appointed
captain, either. He commenced as pri-
vate. He has been through all the pro-
motions until he has reached the place
where he can ride horse and wear epau-
let's and direct men. And he does not do
these latter things 10 impress people with
MS personality Morton Albaugh is d
plain man-but he wears them because he
has earned them. and because they be
long to the man in command
Morton Albsugh was q tall. thin. stoop-
ed. over-grown Hoosier boy when he
came TO Kansas He had shaken with
cnnls and ague so long that there WASH
much left q him TO shake. He knew
something remotely about Kansas. ana
came TO IL. He went TO Kingman county
winch is a little bit prouder of him
COW than Of almost any man within its
borders He taught school a while. then
went 30 Pratt county where he got
mixed Up IN county seat struggle L IS
said that he got admitted 10 practice Of
law there once. for a purpose. but ne has
led a reasonably straight and upright
life since and It IS nos now held against
him. Returning TO Kingman county. Al
bsugh bought an interest IN q small
country newspaper. which did not
amount 70 much then. and made it one
of the best country weeklies in the state
OF Kansas He first showed his execl-
tive ability or his little paper
Albaugh got active in politics in his
~ A---A AA-#'at6- --afNr 4Ae--a---ttr
does note And n the Republican state
convention Of 1Ssd his 5adicial district
made him member q the state com
mIttee- Twelve years since that tine b
has been a member OF the committee ard
his WORK IS told in the ms5Trities fer the
party since then. N ls- ae Vas placed
en- the executive committee ard retained
the position uatl ISIS. when he became
Chairman That was his first gear %
generaishiu-he won II 1917. after a t=--
rifc struggle AZ IRE state convention. he 1
q gain was placed a. The head q the Gem 4
mittee ard directed ne ngst ia that .
presidential campaign which resulted IL F
the Republicans carrying The state for .
the arst tine in 8 presidential csu7asEp .
since ISSS IN -. IRE u-r-ecete1t@i +
thi1g Vas do1e. and for the third ur1s
Albaugh vas made chstrnaa and the
great victory achieved was largely due 20
bis proves as leader and campaign I.
5vecIor
Al1suEhs great streagrh r politics Is
us wo1derfal knowiedEe Il me-- A las
NE rare faculty q seeing thra un
IND getting AZ their Inner selves -aesr