The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-03-08

have been studying day in and day ou
from every viewpoint for thirteen years
NV subject is Victor AIurdock-the next
Congressman from this district hope
Idoubt il there is an adult person either
In Kansas or Oklahoma who does not
know him by reputation. y great many
only know that he has red hair and is a
brilliant and versatile newspaper man
Others only know him as a clever and
companionable young gentlenaD~ full OF
animation and somewhat hostile TO dress
suits-and shams. / take pride in the
fancy that l know him better than any
other living man with the exception OF
his father and father-in-law.
If I owned the Seventh Congressional
district in fee simple would be willing
10 wager every quarter section in il
against a dime that If Victor goes 10 Con-
gress he viii make his mark and give his
district national reputation within three
years.
Kansas never enjoyed such a reputation
as when the lsnented ingalls, represented
it in Congress. His unique mentality and
prodigious intellectually Offset and bal
state. In admiration of his philipics
against Democracy the whole Republican
world forgot the srasshopper calamity
and in their frothy indignation the whole
Democratic world forgot the disasters Of
the prancing cyclone. How could Kan
sas be considered bankrupt at any time
when it had such wealth of genius in one
man? Kansas can return to the enjoy
ment OF the reputation ingalls, made for
# if the Seventh district convention which
meets this month dominates Victor Muir
dock. ! do not say that Victor can reach
the place Of ingalls, Immediately, but do
know, so far as anything not provable
is movable, that he viii reach il ulti-
mately if given the opportunity This
may seem to be nothing but the ebullien-
cy Of an over-zealous friend, but l record
Il as my prophecy and hope to live to
see it fulfilled.
Victor knows more today than ingalls,
knew at 81. If Kansas were born again
he could write for the new state as good
q motto as al astra per aspera. To my
mind and in my belief he would direct its
course to stars as high as ingalls, ever
dreamed Of
Why cant the public adopt the policy
of the promotion of the fittest? 1 know
practically every man who will be Vic
tors rivals for the Congressional nominal
ton and I am not going 10 say anything
against them. 1t is nothing against them
TO say that in mentality, in activity, in
availability. IN adaptability, in tempera-
ment in the grasp of the great questions
an enlarged republic VIII have to meet
and in the general range Of information
required for a Congressman he stands
head and shoulders and chest above any
of them. while some could not reach.his
ankles in general and special qualifica-
lions for the position.
Why then, shouldn't the Seventh dis
trict nominate him? Is it because he IS
a tenderfoot and doesn't know the people
or their needs? Who among the other
candidates has lived here longer? Who
among them but he can say that he walk
ed his first steps and hsped his first
words in the district? Who stands ahead
OF him in loyalty to the party that has
the making of a Congressman? Who
stands ahead of him in the work he has
done for the material development of the
district? Never was there a time when
the people OF the district had such an op-
portunity to find a man who can fit and
Rdorn a vacant place. The very cont
temptation of the possibility of the losing
OF such an opportunity makes me mad.
Victor was about IS when 1 first knew
him. He was roofing" for his side at
q baseball game-the freciledest boy
thought I ever saw. He was fun of that
youthful life which has never left him.
He was then known over a considerable
portion Of the state for his popular para
graphing better known than ingalls, was
a. is. He was not more than 20 when
gone Of the pleasant circumstances of
fate made him nay boss" l do not be
lieve that a day has passed since whether
together or otherwise that 1 have not
thought Of him and never did a thought
come 20 me of him that was not accom-
panied by a prophecy of a bright future
of some kind for him. After working
side by side with him for few years he
went 10 Chicago to work on the Inter
Ocean as a reporter.
Victor was scarcely two weeks in Chi
cago when I happened TO be there also
7 made quiet inquiries about him and
heard his city editor say: that young
man has a future Within a month all
Chicago We're reading his articles and
many prominent men called at the man
aging editors room 70 ask who was writ
ing them. Youth generally is vain but
Victor was then as he is now-absolutely
ignorant Of his genius He attributed his
success 20 industry. Tho year he became
q voter tlat great Chicago paper intrust-
ed 70 him the reporting OF the famous
campaign IN Ohio when Mckinley. then a
Presidential probability. was fighting for
his political lie in that state. The i'm
portance Of Nictors assignment viii be
more readily understood when It IS known
that the luter-Ocean was then tho main
organ Of Mr.. 1Ic(iaIoy's Presidential as
pirations Victor travelled through that
state with Mckinley and when one re-
members his age-21-the fact OF HIN be-
sns in "a state he never saw before. among
people whose habits he did not know
and in politics SO different from the poll
tics e his native state. the success %
his work-sucCess that brought 10 him
the praise and tho thanks Of one Of
Americas greatest Presideuts-one must
believe with me thar- there is something
more than mere ability in Victor Muir
dock.
I never saw him she'd tears hut twice
once. when Mckinley was aSsassinated
anu once when he thought his father was
dying- His affection for Mckinley was
based on The beautiful affection Mckinley