Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1908-07-22
Retreating Under Fire

to the Cresset by Samuel Griffin last
week, but the publisher Of that paper
could not find room for it. He proba-
bly, will print it this week.
Editor Cresset- | am more amused
than chagrined at your last article in re-
ply to my article entitled Sarcasm vs.
Facts" Your retreat from the position
you took in former efusions relative to
MIR. Gesners vote on the different pri-
mary bills is noteworthy and very forci-
bly, illustrates the policy and strategy Of
the machine" in this contest; but even
In this retreat you still sustain your repu-
tation for glaring inconsistency. OBJ
serve that you now assert that Repre-
sentative Gesner voted against the orig
inal bill on account Of the secret ballot
clause. How recently was this discov-
cred? What other reasons have the
gasping and rapidly depicting cohorts
Of the expiring machine" to spring on
an unsuspecting public at some future
time when driven into a corner? You
still persist in advancing the senatorial
clause OF the bill as a standing reason
why he voted against it, Notwithstanding
that in my former article called your
attention to the fact that he voted for a
bill containing this clause at the special
session in 1908. Do you not yet un-
derstand that Mr.. Gesner's vote in this
instance forever disposes Of this objec-
ton?
In your reference to the buckets-hop
bill you are as far wrong as it is possible
to get. Will you kindly turn to page
656 Of the House Journal Of 1907 and
there read and be convinced? Mr.. Ges-
ner Is recorded as among those absent
or not voting" No matter how CALLING
this may be to you, you are out on a
limb on this proposition must admit
that | am rig hit and you are wrong. 1t
rs true that similar bill was killed in
committee in the subsequent special
session, and it is also true that Mr.
Gesner, as a member Of that committee,
either voted against it in the committee
or absented himself as he did when the
roll call was on at the regular session.
This is probably one Of the bills upon
which he did not receive instructions
from ms polihca.. <.ef, zscI y all.i. an. K
to make sure Of not offending them he
managed to avoid being recorded on
either side of the question.
You say that Mr.. Gesner was against
the freight rate bill on account of the
omission Of the clause concerning live
stock. Is it not singular that this wise
man has been able to find flaws in all
the important bills and opposed them on
that account until the very last moment9
Is it not strange that only he and hand
ful Of others in the House could see these
hawsp Is it not true that after the num-
erous amendments were tackled on this
bill and MIR. Gesner finally voted for it,
that it was practically meaningless and
more worthless than when he was
against it9 AS stated in my FIRST arti-
Gle, it was the policy Of the "allied"
crowd in the legislature to defeat good
legislation either by doing it outright or
by riding it to death with amendments
and in this Mr.. Gesner has always been
a willing tool.
You have also found a new reason
why Mr.. Gesner voted against the an
ti-pass bill. Two weeks ago it was be.
cause it did not provide for return trans.
portaton, ETC.; now you have Learned
that the bill did provide for this identi-
cal thing, and you have invented as 4;
reason, that it did not provide for trans
portation for stockmen who shipped tc
other than market points. This objec
ton is really no objection at all, for rea
sons before stated, but taking the Ges
ner view Of the case, did that justify him
In opposing the anti-pass bill and thu
use his best endeavor to perpetuate tn
pass system which has been a powerful
weapon in the hands Of the railroads tc
control political conventions and legisla
tures and in the end compelling tn
common people who pay fare, to pa,
excessively so that the politicians anc
lobbyists might ride free and conhc
public policies!
AS to the statement that | injected
personalities into this campaign, | cha
lenge you to prove it. What | hav
said concerning Mr.. Gesner has bee
directed against his record and again'
the methods that got him into the rae
this year-there has been nothing pei
.onal R,t II IL noticeable that the Gre.
set and the Kiowa Journal articles cor
cerning me are exceedingly personal an
might say cowardly personal. becaus
they cast out mean inuendoes witho,
the manly courage to come out IN th
open and make definite charges so thi
may meet them. The sole question
this controversy is, does MIR. Gesn,
represent the people or does he repr'
-, f.,., rol;t;cians1 Was he WI