Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1904-09-28
DODGING THE ISSUE.

and fOg In another direction to
attract public attention. That is
the situation with respect to the
republican party in Kansas this
year, and especially in Barber
county. The official mouth-piece
of that party is charging that the
democratic candidates and the
democratic platform style all re-
publicans "corruptionists.' - No
statement could be more vicious in
character nor farther from the
truth. The Democratic party has
| often said that the rank and file of
the republican party are no better
and no worse than the rank and
file of any other party, and the fact
that men differ in political beliefs
is no reflection on their integrity
and personal reputation.
| But in this campaign the repub-
lican party managers themselves
have forced an issue. They started
in last spring to purify their organ
ization but got tired of the job and
finally surrendered to the men
whom they had exposed as thieves
and unworthy public servants.
| And this is one of the issues upon
which the Democratic party
dwells. Eminent republican pa
pers and leading republicans high
in the councils of the party have
proved, for instance, that Tom
Kelley, the republican candidate
for state treasurer, was an embez-
zler while clerk of his home county,
that he has amassed a snug little
fortune since becoming state treas
5 urer by loaning out state funds
: and appropriating the interest
. therefrom to his own individual
! account, that he and several other
state officers who are candidates
for reelection, made an unneces-
sarily large tax levy to accumulate
: funds for that purpose. The dem
! ocrats say that this is dishonesty
and corruption. Are they wrong?
Republican papers have charged
that the secretary of state, attor-
ney general and state superintend--
ent invested a part of the state
school funds in $4,000 of a per
cent Comanche county bonds, pay
ing par for them, when the
same bonds had previously been
offered at 90 per cent when they
bore pei cent, and that the law
yer who made the deal, also a re-
t publican and an ex-state officer,
4 got commission of $4,000. If
e this be true, should it not be con-
demned?
: Coming closer home: two years
ago H. c. Walker was elected to
! the office of representative of Bar
Der county. He had majority of
three votes, but clerical irregu-
larity on the tally sheet in Elwood
township was discovered and the
republican machine counted eight
more votes in that precinct for E.
e H. Nixon than he received and de
e prived Mr. Walker of his office.
d There is no contention that these
d votes were cast, and there was no
v attempt to count them for any
: other candidate. Was it right?
o Was it honest? Honor bright, Mr..
e Voter, take this home with you
f and think about it. The republi-
S cans of Kansas are asking you to
endorse these methods this fall.
It The Democrats are asking you to
e repudiate them. There is no abuse
is and no mudslinging connected
g with it. 1t is legitimate issue
! and it is duty the people owe to
a themselves to pass upon it deliber-
lie ately. To override the will of the
+ people is serious matter and men
o with lofty ideals canl not endorse
y it with their votes nor can honest
1t men consistently do aught else but
re condemn it. In the language of a
le republican who started out on re-