Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1906-10-05
The Campaign.

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state headquarters from all parts
of Kansas are most encouraging.
Everywhere the Republicans are
on the defensive, and that is
where they don't fight well. The
Republicans are staggering under
the load they are trying to carry.
Governor Hoch has taken on a
careworn look, trying to be a
good fellow with the various fac
tons of his party. He has one foot
on Stubs square deal platform
which is opposed to the railroads
and the other on the Republican
platform which was written by
the railroad lawyers. He is telling
the people in the dry towns that
he is working hard to close the
saloons, and in the wet towns he
winks his other eye at the Joint
keeper, and leaves prohibition
out of his speech. He is afraid
to touch the issues for fear of
stepping on somebody's toes. so
he deals in glittering generalities.
He talks about the destiny" of
the nation, like Burton used to
do. His speech is full of flags,
eagles and things, but shy of re-.
duced taxes, reduced railroad
rates, anti-pass, anti-Qraft, and the
like. But Judging from the re-
ports referred to in the beginning
of his message, Governor Hoch
isn't fooling anybody with his
fine talk. On the other hand
Colonel Harris holds his audi
ences with a speech on subjects
in which the people are deeply in
terested. He is discussing unto
date topics. When Colonel Har-
ris gets through the people know
his views on the issues of the cam
paign. Colonel Harris has enor-
nous crowds wherever he goes.
At every meeting Republicans
tell him that they are going to
vote for him. And after every
meeting the local workers for the
Harris ticket get down to bus
mess, improving the organiza-
ton, and shaping the campaign
for results. We we're asleep
here till Harris came, writes a
Western Kansas Democrat, but
now we are awake, and ready for
an active campaign. Harris sure
put life into u.s." That is a sam
pie of the enthusiastic reports re-
ceived at headquarters.
The Republican supreme judges
who are running for reelection
lately joined in a letter to The
Stubs square deal league, saying
that they favored the abolition of
free passes. 1t is not related,
however, that they sent th cir
passes back. The Supreme Court
judges are great users of pass es,
and the fact that they wear err
mine don't make them differ ent
from other Republicans so far as
passes are concerned. A Repub-
lican just naturally hates to give
up his passes, and so far as is
known not a single candidate on
the Republican state ticket has
surrendered his free transpor Ia
ton. 1t will be remembered that
the Republican safe convention
turned down the anti pass plank.
The Stubs league has pushed
the Democratic anti-pass plank
under several Republican candi-
dates for the legislature, and that
is the extent Of the Republican
anti-pass move. II the Republi-
cans who ran the state convent on
obtain control of the legislature,
nobody expects that there will be
any anti-pass legislation. There
won't be any anti.pass law. except
by the aid of Democratic votes.
Governor Hoch says that no
matter which way the United
States Supreme court decides the
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