Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1904-02-19
10 McDILL'S MUSINGS.
POLITICIANS AND I.UNKHEADS.


The late war between the BaileyiteS and The
Hochites has been interesting, il not instruct.
i've. Bailey has been made scapegoat and,
like Cesar of Rome, who was stabbed to death
in the Roman senate chamber, has drawn
around him the Cy Leland mantle and submit
ted to the inevitable with as good grace as
could be expected of any politician who lived
that he might have office, and died because he
had to. 1t is interesting, too, to note that the
Hochtes have proclaimed themselves the
"saviors OF the people, " "patriots, friends
OF puIe politics." ad libtnn,, all inhni'nn.
The men who slew Caesar were of the III
brand as Cesar, and they stabbed the old Rr
man to death for getting too big share of the
power and perqusites Of government
Cy Leland was toe much hog, and hi follow
ers wanted all the swil.
1t is an old game in political circles, and has
often been PLAYED in Kansas. Unusually sue.
cessful this time, because the unprovided-for
politician has greatly increased during the last
few years.
In the general scramble for office, all the real
good men have died, including Senator Plumb,
Plumb being the last Republican entitled to the
respect of the whole people
Burton is a sample of what the politician
does, and can 40, 10 degrade great common
wealth.
The state is in the hands Of political sharks,
am. Leland is not hated for his methods so
much as because he gave the Offices to men
other than the Hochites. Leland is Hauna's
man, and the Hochites have warm admiration
for Hanna Hanna has "bar'l."
Iu moral sense, boodling politician is
traitor in that he uses the offices for purely per-
sonal profit and aggraudizement.
The Hocnites ard the Baileyites are parts of
the same machine. One part has been oiled,
and runs smoothly, for the oil consists OF office
and sheckels. The other part of the machine
is in motion, and since there is no oil applied,
psnies the wearing and grinding on the sensi.
bilities of politician without Office. If there
had been enough Offices to 60 around, there
would have been no uprising, and the things of
which the Baileyites have been guilty would
never have been condemned.
Now, if the number of Offices were doubled
and quadrupled, there would still be more as
pirants than offices, and that means that part of
the machine will always have to rnn without
oil, and there will be the same old "cussing,"
grinding wall from the fellows who have no
Offices. There will be no change except under
one of two conditions: Either create enough
offices for all the politicians, or else turn out
the whole machine, oiled and unoled. OF tie
two methods prefer the first, though it has
its drawbacks. A mighty effort has already
been put forth in the direction OF new Offices;
but, so far, the new offices have not KEEP mp
with the demand-this, too, in the face of the
fact that our Legislators have taxed their great
minds in devising wavs and means to supply
the constantly growing demand. understand
that our last legislature had some three or four
hundred names OF men, women and children on
its payroll as employees, some of whom were
never in Topeka during the session OF the leg
isla,ure. How many of these "patriots'' ac-
c.p,ed per diem and mileage for cleaning
spt,oons that were never cleaned Ono spit
toons at the last Legislature were ever cleaned