The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-08-22

Ananias Fisher-His diary, August 2.
1 met a state house Job Holder yes
terday and he passed me with no sign
OF recognition Nothing strange IN that.
perhaps. for there are many Holsters
and job holders in the state house
who might not be expected to speak to
me and. in fact. I might prefer that
some should not claim acquaintance
But in the case of this particular Job
Holder there are extenuating circum-
stances. for at one time he pulled a
button off my coat and twirled his
finger in a buttonhole of that same coat
so often that I had to send the coat to
repairer.
All this happened when the Job
Holder, who had been IN Office four
years under the former administration,
wished to continue at the pie counter
even if IL be in another place, on an
other stool, but where he could get the
pie just the same. He met ueA day
after day and begged me to help Inn
get the position. If he saw me across
the street he would yell at me.
didn't see how could help him
never carried a full deck of 50 Repub-
lican votes in my vest pocket in nv life.
1 was never even a curbstone politician
or a ward heller nor the boss of a city
block. But the Job Holder suddenly
seemed to think was a power. I had
to admit that some of my friends, be-
ing at loss to pick a candidate to
represent a precinct on the Republican
county central committee, had planked
down one dollar, entered my name on
and. as had no opposition, elected me
by an overwhelming Republican ma
jority. (Of course nobody but Repub-
licans voted at the primary when the
committeeman were elected1
Job Holder requested me to write a
letter, and he told me to be sure and
write it on the Central Committees
highly colored letterhead which contain
ed list of all the members of the
committee, to Attorney General Cole
man. elect. and tell him that as per-
sonal favor wanted him to appoint Job
Holder to place on his legal force.
Now ! had never met Mr.. Coleman and
didn't know that Job Holder knew
Torts from the rules of ping pong. I
made these two excuses to Job Holder
but he said that didn't matter.
He intimated that he was getting
everyone who would consent to write to
Mr.. Coleman in his behalf. He seemed
to think that would do world of good.
wrote the letter. It read something
like this
s'Mr. Job Hunter, who desires a posi-
ton on your legal force when you be-
come Attorney General, has been known
to me for some years as a most ardent
Republican. He is a speech maker of
binder have been proven to me. Some
time ago when another ardent Republi-
can tried to beat me for a position on
the Republican county central commit
speech in my favor. He did so. 1t was
a regular, rip, roaring, dyed In the
wool, double copper diStill, anti Webster
Davis Republican stump speech of the
copyright style. / was elected by an
overwhelming majority and 1 suspect
that Job Hunters eloquent remarks
had a good deal to do with my signal
success in overcoming the opposition.
7 fral~ y cH "a T~dp nv
party he SO nobly espoused. 1 do not
refer to myself as the party but mean
that great stronghold of political right
eousness, the Republican party. 1 don't
know what Job Hunter knows about
Blackstone, but he's good speaker
and he can stand travelling by freight,
wagon or hand car during your political
campaign and he would be mighty
good man in your office. If he doesn't
get the place he will have to go back
to the short grass country and I know
he doesn't want to do that"
Job Hunter was appointed. I always
had an idea that my letter was the f.
nal appeal which decided the mind of
the man who held the appointing pow
er.
And to think of it: after had done
all that, used a postage stamp and had
gotten Job Hunter his place then he
began to treat me coolly. At first, after
he became a legal light, he nodded his
head and grunted. Now he doesn't even
grunt nor nod his head. He goes by in
a deep study, thinking of some mighty
tough legal question perhaps.
That has decided me. I shall cease
to struggle for political career. I'll
not even run for reelection on the Re
publican committee. Politics is all a
farce. 1t loses you friends, postage
stamps and time and I don't see that
my service to my country is ever going
to get me any pie. Job Hunter needn t
expect me to use my power in continu-
ing him in Office under another admin
| istration. When I meet Job Hunter /
shan't even grunt at him. Come to
think of it I believe I would have been
elected to the committee anyway if he
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