Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1904-12-14
THE SCRAMBLE FOR PIE.

There is more than the usual scramble
Tor pie among the politicians these DAYS
throughout the state, although il ia
not so furious in Barber count as :,
has heretofore been. The reason for
this IS that this county was one of the
fOrtsof the old machine, and the old
machine is not i'll control of affairs at
Topeka just now. There is oniy one
prominent republican IN Barber county
who is in sympathy with Gov. Hoch
and the state administration. That
one is Oscar HaberIein, publisher of
the Kiowa News Review. If the
fortune wheel should stop when the
little hand points to Barber, he will
undoubtedly get substantial recogni.
ton. If he does not, there certainly is
nothing like gratitude Or honor in the
new regime. When the movement
started TO disIodge Gov Bailey and
elevate Ed Hocb, every republican of
any prominence at all III Barber county
took up Bailey's cause and fought for
him, excepting Mr.. Haberlein. He
fought for the Hoch side of the ques-
ton single handed and alone. He did
1t In spite of threats and Overtures, and
although the machine dominated the
county convention and he was not per.
mitted 10 go to Wichita as delegate, he
went on his own motion, and when he
got there he did more substantial work
| IN ten minutes that the entire Barber
county delegation did during all the
time they were there. I&hiie the dele
gates were sitting around III the hot ell
lobbies smoking cheap cigars Oscar
was closeted with such men as Ross
Stubs, Tom Meme cal, Ed Hoch, Carr
w. Taylor, Secretary of State Burrows
and the new men In control Of things,
giving ADVICE and counseling, and he
made more suggestions which were
adopted than any one one man in the
caucus. After Mr.. Hoch was nominal
ed there was no one in Barber county to
look after the Interests Of the state
ticket but Mr.. Haberlein. The local
machine sulked. This gave Mr.. Haber
lein renewed inspiration to go to work
and he again conducted Hoch cam
paign single. handed and carried the
county for HOch by 1914 while the demo.
Gratis elect four of the county officers
and no republican candidate in the
county received as great majority as
did Mr.. Hoch. The state committee
recognized Mr.. Haberlein as their only
safe man in this county. Whenever
special and confidential matters arose
they ignored the regular local COM
mlttee and took Oscar into their their
confidence, and 1t is fact that Mr..
Haberleln's correspondence with Chair
man Stubs exceeded seveal times that
OF both the chairman and secretary of
the county committee. More than this.
MIR. Haberlein's paper was the only
one in the county that ever contained a
good word for Hoch and the state
ticket. The only reference the ring
organ In this city made to the state
ticket was in the nature of slap 1t
once stated that the republican ticket
| contained good men from state ex-senator
down." That was the only reference
made by that paper TO the state ticket
during the entire campaign In view
ot3these facts. there is no question
but that Oscar HabeTlein is entitled to
something good at the hands Of Gov.
Hoch. IT he does not become a mem
Der of the Governors official family
circle, with comfortable place right
next to the fire place, then surely there
is no such a thing as gratitude in
politics and there is very little incentive
for shrewd men to devote their tine to
! politics.