The daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 190?-1908, 1907-08-23

lutIt we're Two ldtllOuS III Aht ANO-
publican party in the Seventh Con
gressional district One faction, called
the Silk Stockings. contained the men
of wealth and influence. The other.
called the Barefoot Brigade. was
made up OF disappointed Office seek
erg. men Of unsettled occupation and
those Of anarchistic and socialistic
| tendencies.
For many years the SILK Stocking
element had been in control. The Re
publican party had a large majority
in the district, and all nominations
were equivalent to elections. The
Silk Stockings dictated the nomina-
tions and filled the Offices with their
own men. They had built up a ma
chine harmonious in all its details
and working perfectly in advancing
| the ambitions of its masters.
The Barefoot Brigade was OF waver-
ing and uncertain size. They were
| without organization and the attempts
| of any of them to assume leadership
were promptly put down by the ieal-
| ousies of their friends. Occasionally
they caused the Silk Stockings annoy
| ance by their meetings in which they
loudly denounced machine politics
and the power of wealth. but a few
keOj Of beer or some minor offices
pacified them and their actual opposi-
tion was slight.
The congressional district was com
posed of FIVE counties Every two
years each of these countries held an
election, voted for the man they de-
sired as a candidate for the congress-
man and selected delegates to the
congressional conyention the popula.
| tion Of a county determined mum.
Der of its delegates. These delegates
were instructed to vote in the con-
vontion for the candidate chosen by
their county and to use all honorable
means to secure his nomination.
The conventions had heretofore
| been only formalities. The Silk stock
ings agreed upon candidate for con-
gressman and the counties nominated
him.
But conditions had been slowly
changing. Young men of ability
were growing up and in the old. CON
servative faction there was no place
for them. They gradually formed
an organization of their own, drew
into it the Barefoot Brigade and those
who had been drifting between the
two factions. and worked out a Sc
ries of plans by which they could
eventually gain some recognition and
power in the party.
For the first time the Barefoot
Brigade had a candidate. Hiram
Stevens, a wealthy lumber dealer Of
Sherman county, announced his de-
sire for the nomination for congress
man. He was man of excellent
standing, and had never ailliated with
either faction. This was his first po-
litical experience.
The Silk Stockings chose Randolph
Hardin of Allen county as their can
didate.
The strength of the new group was
not suspected, and election day
brought a stunning surprise. The
barefoot Brigade had carried three
counties for Stevens and the silk
Stockings two for Hardin. The re-
turns showed: Allen, 21 for Hardin;
Blaine, 10 for Stevens; Morton, 16 for
Hardin; Sherman, 27 for Stevens;
York, ~ for Stevens. Total: Hard
in, 81; Stevens. 40.
The convention was to be held in
Allendale, the county seat of Allen
county, and the home of Hardin. The
evening before the convention a dis
couraged, disheartened group of Silk
Stockings sat in Hardin's library dis
cussing their defeat. There were but
two ways by which they could yet
nominate their man. by persuading
the other candidate to withdraw or
by buying his delegates. So far all
their efforts to persuade or to buy
had been unsuccessful.
1T looks as If we were completely
done for" said one of the men from
Morton county.
You'd better withdraw, Hardin.
give Stevens your delegates, and make
the nomination unanimous" advised
one of the leaders.
Not yet" said Jones, Hardin's DO
litical manager and the chairman Of
the Allen county delegation. The con-
vention does not meet until noon to-
morrow. Something may turn up be-
fore then"
1T isn't possible" said one OF the
men. These fellows are after our
scalps, and they'll get them. Stevens
has no antagonism toward us. but he
wants to go TO congress. We can't
change his mind for him and we cant
get his delegates"
Il never saw such a stubborn crowd
as those Stevens delegates" grumbled
a prominent silk Stocking. "They
don't know what money looks like,
and they don't care to know. We
can't do anything with them"
Sherman county Stevens home,
viii stay with him, of course" said
Jones, and the chairman Of the
Blaine county delegation is his broth.
er, 30 we can't do anything with them.
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