The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-04-05
From Friends.

science as clean and as pure as that OF
a child, and a life that is blameless. Vic
tor Murdoch, who VIII be the next con-
gresham from the Seventh district OF
Kansas is as far superior to the man
whom he succeeds in political and personal
morality But let US not speak Of
that. Victor Murdoch is 4 pure man. an
upright, honest, truthful, conscientious
man. and why compare him to any one
who is all that he is not?
In word, in act, in thought, Victor Muir
dock is clean and as pure and as undefled
as woman. In strength OF purpose, in
determination OF will, in energy and IN
firing INDUSTRY he is as the strongest man.
! He is too good and too noble to be a poll
tician. Sometimes we have hoped that he
would not get that nomination, for it has
( seemed that the very breath of it would
contaminate him. But we have confidence
in him, and do not believe that the office
viii ruin him. For he Will tire of it. and
will want to go back to the newspaper
! desk that he honors, and will be a greater
man ten times over when he gets back
/ than he could be in congress, no matter
what honors he might win there.
( Kansas politicians have done good act
ed to do it, for they did not but Muir
dock and the Eagle were greater than
the state administration, greater than Cr
Leland, more powerful than all combined,
and the bosses were forced to yield to a
man and a newspaper that were fearless
and honest. Unaided and alone. the Muir
docks, father and son, have smashed the
political machine in the Seventh district,
and have shown that bossism can not
stand before the power of two men back
ed by one newspaper. The nomination is
the greatest victory that was ever won in
Kansas politics and against the greatest
odds. The victory is not only a personal
one, but it is a victory for honesty, up
rightness and decency in Kansas politics.
Topeka Herald: In gaining Victor Muir
dock for congressional representative.
and losing him as an editor of great abil-
ity and greater promise, there is much
room for speculation as to whether the
Seventh district was fortunate or unfortu-
nate at Great Bend yesterday. There is
little room to doubt that Victor will make
a most excellent congressman. He has
ability, energy and good judgment coupled
with an exceedingly winning personality.
All these are advantages which he pos
sesses in such marked degree that there
can be no question as to his success as a
public man. His nomination was fortunate,
it is also true, in that it more nearly
united all the factions Of the party in
the Seventh district than could that Of
any other of the candidates.
But the beginning of political career
ha q SnriOnS calamity
TO him as an editor Unless his future
experience is different from that Of every
other man who ever attempted it, he will
find that no editor has ever yet been able /
to reconcile a political career with the |
highest and best form of newspaper work. |
AS soon as he has a personal political in |
terest to protect, his independence is gone, |
and without it no man in an EDITORS chair +
can at all times be true to himself and /
the high ideals of his profession.
There are a car load of men in the Sew |
enth district who would have acceptably |
filled the office of congressman, but there |
is not a single man in that whole big ter |
ritory who can begin to ill the vacancy |
which Victor Murdoch will leave in the |
Eagle sanctum.
The eraId, however, wishes to extend /
sincere congratulations to the young can
didate on the well-deserved personal VIC
tory which has come to him, and to add
thereto an earnest wish for his success in
the new role he assumes.
Topeka Capital: The Seventh district
another familiar quotation
and makes it all her own. To "On, Stan
ley. on and Charge, Chester, charge"
she now adds, ITO Victor belongs the
spoils.''
Congratulations are due more to the
Big Seventh than to the Wichita Eagle
Kansas City Star: Somebody in partic-
ular" is an expression which fttingly
defines the status of the Murdoch family
in Kansas-that is, the Murdoks to whom
Victor belongs, who was nominated for
congress in the Seventh district at Great
Bend yesterday. If memory is not at
fault. the first appearance Of the Muir
docks in Kansas was in Usage county.
1t was in or about Burlingame that Colo
mel "Marsh"-Victors father-did his
wooing and married the clever and
charming woman who continues to share
his fortunes.
/
west to Emporia, where the eldest sister
Of Marsh" and Bent" Lavera, became
the wife of tie lamented Jacob Stotler.
Later STILL when what was then known
as the southwest began TO feel the i'm
pulse of a mighty enterprise, Marsh
located in Wichita and founded the
Ea gle. and Bent went to FL Dorado,
where he is now the publisher and pro
prietor of the Republican, which all OF
the newspaper men know at a glance by
the sunfiower and the bee in the title
line. The youngest brother is Roland 1
He is the business manager Of the Eagle.
and has become famous because of his
lose resemblance to Sir Henry Irving
Thomas Murdoch. the father Of
Marsh" and Bent and Roll" was a
cody man and devout. He was an ex-
aorter Of the old-fashioned Methodist ]
style who found congenial occupation in |
nicturing sinners. ''hair-Strung and
'reeze- shaken" over the bottomleSs pit
Z perdition His wife was Catherine
7ierpont- she belonged to the Governor
7ierpoRt family in Virginia and was R !
woman Of rare ability. II is recalled that
,uCe upou time when Marsh was be- I
ating the suffragists in Emporia and c
,aliins them 'hszel-spitters' and elm
7eelers. one Of the victims OF this con-
umely. with a keen tongue. on meeting
he offender, said: Marsh. as YOU are
Indebted 20 your mother for any talent
which you may possess. I don't under
stand why you have taken such 3 slant 7
against the women" The Colonel.