Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1908-07-08
Sarcasm vs. Facts

didacy by that paper two weeks ago.
Copies of the article were furnished to
all the papers IN the county last week
after the Index was printed but it ap-
peared only in the Kiowa News-Review.
1t will probably appear in the Cresset
this week. The Index prints the article
at Mr.. Grlfhns request:
Editor Cresset:-I desire again to
speak to the republicans Of Barber coun-
ty through the the columns Of your pa
per, not because | enjoy an argument
through the medium Of the press, but be-
cause the exigencies Of this campaign de-
mand dispassionate discussion Of the is
sues involved. From the view point Of
satire and sarcasm your last weeks dis
sertaton on my article entitled. Issues
VS.. Personalities" is a success, but apply
ing it to the facts. it is remarkable for the
truths it does not contain. Concerning
the record Of Representative Gesner on
the important bills to which called at
tention in my former article, you say that
MIR. Gesner supported all the measures
when so framed as to be right and fan"
but, except in two instances, you do not
attempt to say what would be right and
fan" Was it right and fair" for Mr..
Gesner to absent himself or fail to vote
when the bucket-shop and freight rate
bills were up for consideration Both Of
these bills failed to pass and they are ac-
knowledged necessities in Kansas and so
admitted by even politicians Of both high
and low degree. In justifying MIR. Ges-
ners vote against the primary law in the
regular session you say it was so franz
ed to defeat Senator Long" Yet at the
special session he supported this same
Stubbs bill with this identical clause re-
lating to the nomination Of United States
Senator and it was not emasculated until
the famous senate lodge" got its prun-
ing hooks in operation In conference. |
regard this vote as significant Of weak
ness. 1t proves to me that Mr.. Gesner's
vote was dictated by politicians at the
regular SESSION. md then. after expenenc-
ing the storm Of public indignation it
caused, he evidently was told to go back
to the special session and make the
atonement In any event you must con-
cede that one Of these votes was wrong
for they are diametrically opposed to
each other.
Again you say, "Mr. Gesner voted
against the first anti-pass bill because it
did not provide for return transportation
for stockmen who ship stock to market"
Did he not know that shippers con-
tract is entirely foreign to an anti-pass
law and that shippers contract is in ef-
feet ticket and not passp But waiv-
ing this, if that was the only objection,
why did MIR. Gesner not offer an amend
ment to cover this supposed defect, or
why is there not an explanation Of the
vote somewhere in the House JournaI2
If Representative Gesner is the able leg
islator that his hackers say he is, it would
seem that he should have had a part in
framing these bills so that they would
have been right and fair" when they
were voted upon in the house and then
he and the machine" would not have
so much to explain away.
Reverting to the personal portion Of
your article in which you say | should
have first consulted Mr.. Gesner before
announcing my candidacy for representa-
tive, it seems to me that your argument is
faulty. Why consult Mr.. Gesner2
From what meat doth this Caesar eat
that he hath grown so greata" Right
here is where the vanity of the 'machine"
crops out. No man has right to be-
come candidate unless he consults the
"eminents;" it makes little difference if he
consults republicans in the different out
lying precincts and the plain republicans
in the towns, but unless he literally crawls
on his belly and fawns on the bakers
half dozen Of politicians in Medicine
Lodge and kiowa and, so crawling, wins
their favor. he has no right to become a
candidate. PreposterousI Whom the
gods would destroy they FIRST make mad" !"
There is settled sentiment among Bar
Der county republicans that the "Coterie" :"
have gone mad and the ides of August
will surely tell Of their destruction.
deny that this discussion was started
by me. 1t was Started by those who
made false statements concerning my po-
siton on certain questions, and silence on
my part would have been equivalent to
an admission. | sincerely believe tha.
my nomination m August will do much
toward restoring harmony IN the party,
and. conversely. Just as sincerely be-
6eve that Mr.. Gesna's nomination viii
have the opposite eGed. There are
many republicans who believe there has
been entirely too much domination N
po6ics and the course that the Csessel
and the Kiowa Journal are takino m th;,