Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1902-08-27
CALLED DOWN.
The Big Four's Ki9gIe.Tail Branded
Liar.

A Liar.
The Medicine Lodge Cresset on July
25th published the following story:
1.-The republican party will be victorious
this year by majority of from fifty to sixty
thousand" said Thomas q. Fitch. chairman of
the democratic county central committee OF
sedgwick county. TO a Capital correspondent
last week. "That majority is conceded by all
democratic leaders of the state. OF course
they will fight and fight hard to lessen this
majority. but the republicans have conducted
the affairs of the state so well and have OBJ
tained such a hold on the people that this year
and for years to follow the republican party
will be master'Of the situation in Kansas.
There was no need for the swallowing pro-
cess of the democratic party during the last
convention. We had no need for that. The
Populist party was coming our way all the
time even if we had not said a word to them
about fusion. There is no plausible excuse
for the existence of the Populist party at the
present time Not one Of the principles they
advocated when the party organized is alive
today and when the principles die out or be-
come of no avail there is no need for q party
to foster them.
ut is settled fact that the Populist party
as an organization will see its last campaign
this fall and then it will be weak one. The
members will go to the democratic and repub-
lican parties after the coming election and the
word populist will be put upon the shelf as
something that has gone before.
Last week conference committee from
the two parties met to decide on the division
of the offices for the next convention which
will be held In this county. I had all kinds of
fun with the pop members of the committee.
l told them that this was their last chance to
sit on conference committee with the demo-
Gratis in this state and county. Of course they
got mad but they knew and all of us know
just what will happen. The pop issues are
dead and so is the party. There was no need
of fusion or swallowing, for they are coming
anyway"
Col. Fitch was jumped onto by men,
berS OF his party for making such an
admission, and was requested to deny
the interview. He replied that he did
not give the reporter any figures, but
that otherwise the report was correct
in substance.
This is UTTERLY ABSURD AND
WHOLLY UNAUTHORIzED.-T q.
Fitch.
AS sOOn as this interview was pub
lished in the Cresset DR.. L. w. Stout,
who is one of Col. Fitch's personal
friends, wrote to him concerning it.
Following is their correspondence:
Medicine Lodge, Kansas, July 25, 1902.
Hon. T. G. Fitch. Wichita. Kans.
Dear sir:- enclose clipping from our local
republican paper at this place about an sin
terview.' I think have seen a denial on
your part but would like one from your pen
for publication here. Respectfully,
Nv STOUT.
Dear Doctor Upon my return from an
extended trip find your letter and hasten to
reply to say that the interview is entirely un-
authorized and prompt denial of it was made
In the Wichita Beacon the saue day that it
appeared in the Eagle. 1 am not nor have /
been sufficiently familiar with conditions in
the state to warrant my giving out any such
statement, but my opinion is that Mr.. Grad
dock and others on the ticket will surprise
sOme of the donbters In the number Of votes
they WIN receive
With kindest personal regards, believe me
yours. Very truly, THOs. G. FITCH.
When DR.. Stout received this reply
he and j. 2. Hall took 1t to the editor
| of the Cresset and asked him to publish
the entire correspondence. He agreed
to do so but when the sheet came out,
it was proved again for the 'steenth
time that his word is n. g.
Now, in all seriousness. what must
the public think of newspaper that
will manufacture such a coarse lie and
then refuse to correct it after he admits
that it is lie. Notice the last para
graph Of the Cresset article. It isn't
even a part of the fake interview. 1t
isn't embraced in the quotation. That
part Of it is purely a fabrication on the
part OF the editor. He didn't have even
remote reason for saying it. 1t is on
| ly a piece of Imagination common
to ordinary irresponsible printing Office
| f1unkies.
This is only ole instance. There are
others. When you see anything in that
sheet of a political nature you may re-
gard it with suspicion. And whenever
| il undertakes to uuOfo a man If ia oor-