Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1904-08-24
THEY MEAN BUSINESS.

/
The Federation of Commercial Inter.
ests Will make red hot campaign for
their three candidates for railroad
commissioner. They are w. NJ. Fer.
guson of Wellington. democrat; F. 81.
Chase of Holton. populist; and G. w.
Robson Of Eldorado, republican. Moth
Ing could be more non. partisan than
that. Speakers will be sent out over
the state with instructions to talk and
work for these three candidates. They
will be ordered to abstain religiouely
from partisanship so far as the other
officers are concerned-in fact, they
Will not discuss the matter at all.
Last spring when tho republicans
held their state convention In Wichita,
the federation took an active part in
boosting their indorsees for nomina.
ton on that ticket. at that time the
democrats and Dopullsts laughed at the
idea that the organization was non.
partisan.
Here they are. Resting Ia q repub-
lican, and most of the other prominent
members Of the association are repub-
licans." said they, and they are work.
ing as hard as they can for republican
candidates. You can't tell US that they
are nonpartisan. They are republicans.
and they want to see the republican
ticket WIN"
Six months later, when the demo.
Gratis and popullsts met in Topeka, the
same men were there, working. just as
hard to get men of their choice on the
fusion ticket. Then 1t was the repub.
licans' turn to squeal.
"It is a democratic organization,
said they. President Mcmillan Is q
democrat, and Resting is democrat.
They are all democrats or populists.
The Kansas Federation Of Commercial
Interests is democratic side ISSUE"
The fact of the matter was that the
president was democrat and the sec.
rotary was republican. Secretary
Resting is really Hoch republican, and
when the Hoch organs roasted him for
the part he was taking, they we're
roasting one of their own men. The
only difference is that he places the
business interests Of the state above
politics. At every meeting the Fedora,
ton has hello, the republicans have been
in the majority, and this was just as
true at the meeting held in Topeka, as
at any other time.
With democrat, populist and a
republican to work for, the federation
will have no trouble in making It's
fight non partisan. The only way its
fight can aid the fusion ticket, is by
reason of the fact that the democrats
and populists refused to consider any
candidates for railroad commissioners
not Endorsed by it, and because the re.
publicans allowed them but one man
on their ticket, while they gave the
railroads the balance. The railroads
dominated one convention and could
not control the others.
What is the federation going to do
in the coming campaign" Secretary
Resting was asked today.
1T is going to elect three railroad
commissioners" was the reply. aside
from that it will take no interest in the
campaign. 1t will be our policy to
keep out of politics just as much "a
possible. The railroad commissioner.
ship we consider to be our own fight,
and we don't care a cent what the can.
didate's politics is just so he stands
for justice to shippers and to carriers
alike.''
MIR. Resting has received many letters
since the Topeka conventions, in which
shippers of all parties from all over
the state Endorsed the nominees Of the
populist and democratic conventions
Messrs. Chase and Ferguson, and com.
plimentlng the federation upon it's pro-
curing the endorsement of Mr.. Robi.
son by the conventions Wichits
Beacon.