The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-02-12
SHORT ON RANK AND FlLE.

SHORT ON RANK AND FILE.
Il know about how the leaders Of
the republican party Of Oklahoma
stand as to TAFT, writes republi.
can OF the Central states group to
The Leader, but what as to the rank
and fley
Our friend shows an astonishing
ignorance about affairs out here. II
seems almost ridiculous to tell him
there is no rank and file OF republi.
can persuasion here in Oklahoma.
The postmasters and the various
ether men who hold Office by APP
Iontment, with a two dozen elected
tc the state legislature by the peo-
pie added to a few who do not agree
with democracy on some MINOR
points, and the party is listed.
In the days when the party soughr
to accomplish anything out here, in
territorial DAYS the men who were
republicans from principle were SO
mercilessly lambasted by the Office
holding brigades. with the latter
forced to Whatever expedient they
deemed necessary TO hold their jobs
caused the desertion of the rank and
file TO be made complete
The loud wboops for and against
Taft are but the two factions OF Of
ficeholders who have guessed as TO
results
One brigade feels that as MI Taft
ig the friend OF President Roosevelt
and their pie comes through the
president, II IS a matter of personal
safety to support the cause Of Mr.
Taft.
Others. being hampered by the
closeness OF the Taft followers 10 the
appointive wagon. have arrived at
the conclusion they can best get to
/ the slicing by opposing Taft, and be.
ing, if some other Is nominated and
elected. able to say they had the fore
sight and patriotism to aid in the
great battle
And so it goes When there is pie
10 cut the officers of the pie brigade
array themselves in fatigue suits.
their followers put on their hungry
/ garments, and, al given moment.
| they charge in two columns. and,
right now the charge has been or
dered
AZ close range it looks as If the
Hunter ~ Kansas City-Grimes crowd
is charging on the Taft bakeshops.
while the Jones, Stanford, and Doug
las combination had scented the In
dianapoiis iceberg and making a
noise like they favored him a great
deal Stragglers may be found ali
along the route, left by astute lead
lers to switch any other train on a
bad track should both charging col
umns fail, to enable the hunters to
get on the last coach before il is too
late
So many of the officers were dis
couraged by being unable TO fool The
people. they moved away when state
hood came into being that Il is now
almost Impossible To spare a detach
ment big enough 10 lie about the
democratic state administration. The
Inst for federal patronage is 50
strong. and the utter distrust Of eact
ether SO complete that the mel
chosen TO lie about the democratic
state administration persist In alsc
Watching The federal maneuyers
fearing they may be uncared for by
those brethren who are not presumei
to remain on guard here in Gnthrie
With twantyfour men represent
ing the party in the legislature an'
many counties in the state wher'
the party can not even ever hope Z
elect man who looks like an ofi
cial. the bflgadiers still wire Wash
ngton that such and such candidate
arc or are not strong as suits th
view Of the one doing the sending.
The Leader did not presume ther
was an intelligent man In the uniol
who studies such questions who pre-
amed there was a real rank and til
wing of the party In Oklahoma
And Il hopes TO correct the ha
ideas OF the man, and allow him Z
study Oklahoma politics as they arr