Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1903-08-06
fHE SORREL TOPS
! WON The VICTORY
Organization Of Red Headed
Folk Made a Kansas
Congressman.
sMARTEsT MAN IN STATE
Victor Murdoc of Wichita, Who Goes
by This Proud Title, lie the Per-
sonifcation of Sandy Headed
Supremacy.


York Herald: Victor Murdoch of this,
place, republican. was elected to congress
IN this dictrict Whe SEVENTY last week by
Clyne. democrat, and Judge w. j. Babb,
populst. The election was to III the va
cancy caused by the resignation OF Ches-
ter l. Long, who was elected TO the
United States senate. The issue which
siurdock forced to the front In his cam
t,algn was one not mentioned in any state
or national platform ever written--that of
red hair. His flgst for election was car
ried ON by an organization which has been
dubbed 1.-The Short Grass League OF Red
Heads Two months ago, when Repre-
scntative Long was transferred to the SEN
ate, twenty men announced themselves AS
candidates to succeed him. Two OF them
State Senator Fred Dumont Smith and
Victor Murdocs-h;ld red hair.
Victor Murdoch was attending the legis-
!ature for the Wichita Eagle, OF which
ne was managing editor, and warm
friendship existed between him and Smith,
who was, geographically, the strongest
candidate In the race for congress. The
Held, with the exception of Murdoch, was
lighting Smith.
One night, In ocular mood. Murdoch
laid:
Smith do you know that the red
beaded men of this county have never been
fairly treated? Notwithstanding the fact
that ten out of every one hundred Amer
cans have red hair, we have never had s,
fe'l-headed president since the time of
Thomas jefferson. We must organize.
And they did organize. Next day Smith
announced in the lobby of the principal
notel at Topeka that the next representa-
live from the Seventh district must have
red hair. The political exports exploited
The idea and the red-headed men of the
Seventh district, regardless of politics or
,rejudices, took the matter semi-seriously
ana became enthusiastic over 1t. AS the
campaign progressed Murdock's chance
became bright Every red-headed republic
,an in the district worked strenuously to
De made a delegate and when the conven-
lion met at Great Bend ON April 3 Il
good 40 per cent. of its members had red
lair, and of the most remarkable
Kings in the history of Kansas politics
occurred. Murdoch was nominated on the
irst ballot against nineteen other candi-
lates
To show hts recognition of the men
who he felt had brought about his nom
nation MIR. Murdocks first act was the
designation of Judge Thomas C. Wilson
| IF SedgWick county, a red-haired man. to
3e his campaign manager and committee
chairman. He also appointed red
haired stcnographer for campaign head
quarters.
Chairman Wilson at once set to work
20 recognize red-haired local workers in
every precinct. Fred bold, son of a Buff
falo, n. V, packer, a ed-haired demo-
erat, was the first to contribute to the
campaign fund. sending MS check for,
slbe Young Murdock--he Is now only 81
came from Il stock famous in Kansas.
HIS father was printer on the Herald
Of Freedom when Quantrell made the
raid ON Lawrence that ended in the his
toric massacre. Quantrels gang chased
| MIN to a Well, where he caught hold of
| the rope and Slid down. Several shots
We're fired into the well at him, but none
1 hit him.
| Victor N1urdoclS's mother, who is a
niece of one of the early governors of
| Maryland, was very handsome young
woman. and when the war broke out
she rode on horeback over Douglas
county, personally melting the patriot
ism of young men to II defense of the
Kansas border. She vas then but Ii
years old Only three men in her coun-
! ty-the postmaster, a preacher and u
| crple--failed to enlist for service In de-
| fense Of Kansas
| The new representative was on the
| platform In the convention hall when
| Jerry Simpson was first nominated for
| congress. and II was he who conceived
| tho fiction of Simpsons antipathy to
socks. He rinted a story about 1t In
his fathers paper next morning sto-
~ that caused jerry to be dubbed The
| jockless Socrates of Kansas" 1t was
he, also. who conceived the IDEA of a
government lottery for the disposition OF
the lands of the Kiowa. Comariche and
| Apache Indians in Oklahoma to white
settlers His plan was adopted by the
| governor. Murdoch was invited to q re-
| ception given by President D!nz, In
Mexico, two years ago, and not until he
was in the presence of the dictator DID
he realize that he had forgotten his col
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