The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-03-22
PAYNE COUNTY
MAY CHANCE
It H S 8 e en- Democratic
Through Fusion.
POPULISTS SOCIALISTS
In Voting That Ticket Demo-
Gratis will Be Beaten


who is familiar with east end Oklahoma
politics, in its local features, was talk
ing in the presence of the Eagle cores
pondent the other day. He was asked if
Payne county couldn't be depended upon
to remain a rock-ribbed democratic
county as OF yore
by no means" he answered. Payne
county has both Eden and Paradise To-
Gated within its borders, and L have no.
ticed during d half century Of life that
both are places that republicans are sure
TO land in with both feet by and by.
''Chief Justice Burfard, presiding Judge
OF the district Of which Payne county is
q part, said in a speech some time ago,
that there We're probably too many Mis-
souri, democrats located in Payne county
TO make it a republican factor this fan.
Those same Missouri democrats are
bright, sagacious fellows, but they have
been shown" and privately admit the
>hopelessness of saving to themselves
Payne county this fan. AS buffers they
are indeed superb. and like the Missouri
mule their 'he-haw' will be heard ali
along the grassy banks of Boomer Creek.
saltwater and the Cimarron, from now
until the ides Of November, in their last
and despairing effort to hold Payne
county in the democratic ranks.
Payne county has q full complement
of democratic county officials except
superintendent of public instruction, a
lady, and a very capable superintendent
she is, too. These officers had majori-
ties ranging from 100 TO $50. Those Of the
officers who were elected as populists
are now democrats. There viii be no fu-
sion this year, and so the pops having
lost their leaders and party by democra-
tic legerdemain are sore and disgruntled,
and most of them Will vote the socialist
ticket this fall As the pops constituted
the largest element in the democratic
voting ranks. it is evident that the $50
majority has sloughed into thin air, and
the county irritrievably lost to the de-
mOcrats.
And then, too. the democratic county
attorney, for reasons best known to
himself. secured an indictment before the
grand jury against the democratic sheriff
Hesser. for criminal dereHction in per-
mitting two prisoners to escape from
rat trap called the Payne county Jail.
Hesser in order to save his self-respect
and not go to trial for a thing no sheriff
could have prevented, resigned. Hesser
was elected as a pop on the fusion tic
ket. Now Hesser's friends have sworn
vengeance. and there you are.
Yes, Payne county is full Of politics
end politicians There IS Judge John r.
question. Clark has the distinction Of be
ing a strikinEly handsome man, bright
and an all around good fellow, three
things very much in his favor in his am
bition TO get the democratic nomination
for delegate to congress. But Clark S
commendable ambition was not permitted
10 soar alone in the neighborhood of
Boomer Creek. Colonel Matthews, pen
sion representative from Payne county to
the lower house OF Oklahoma's 5 legisla-
ture got that same kind of a bee a-buzz-
Ing around his vinerabe head. You all
know Freeman Miller. the sweet singer
OF oklahoma" who turns out poetry like
a sausage mill in Fountain county. In
diana, grinds out beautiful ringlets Of
Wabash Iovolincss; well Miller is Col
Matthews sponsor II Freeman can't
very wei have things himself he has the
landablc ambition to have a hand in the
reckoning. You know Freeman stood at
the old statesman's left elbow and direct
&c him along the devians course of Ok
lahoma politics. when the house was in
session u year ago, and he has no inten-
tion Of deserting the old man now, and
particularly for the reason that with
Judge Clark in the saddle up there, Free
man would be compelled TO ride on the
pillon or walk
You can put this in your pipe and
smoke it that Payne county will land
solidly into the republican. phalanx this
fall, and don't you forget it."