The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-10-10
POLITICAL GOSSIP.
Fred j. Close Talks of Old POpu-
list Days.
Was Private Secretary to Gov.
Lewelling.
LIKESTREND OFTHINGS
Says He Was Only Fifteen Years
Ahead OF Times.
Tells Good Stories of Exper-
fences in DOniphan County.

Politicians of the old days will re-
member Fred ]. Close, private secre
tary to Governor L. D. Lewelling, and
the Populist leader who won so many
fights from Cy Leland in Doniphan
county. Close is located in Kansas
City, Kan, now. Returning from
trip to Emporia he talked to the State
Journals political reporter in an in
tersting way about the political battles
of other days. One story in particular
that he told is a gem of humor and
worth preserving for this generation to
use in the book of Political Progress.
Mr.. Close is a civil war veteran and
lost an arm in the service of his coun-
try. He came to Kansas from Ohio
after the war and settled in Doniphan
county where he lived and continued
to fight battles for many years. His
political success in gaining county Of
flee was thorn in the side of the Re-
publican bosses up there. Close was
elected clerk of the district court two
terms and served several terms as
county attorney, being elected as the
Independent candidate.
During the progress of one particu-
larly not campaign when the efforts of
the Republican politicians were devot-
ed to trying to beat Close, a county
leader drove from Troy down to High
land Station. Just before reaching the
station he met an old farmer coming
to town. This farmer was q radical
temperance man. The politician asked
| him how he was going to vote for
| county attorney, as that was the only
! office over which there was any par
| ticular fight. why, 1 guess I'll vote
| for Fred Close" replied the old farmer.
| He used to live here and know nm
| mighty well. 1 couldn't vote against
him.
| do you know" asked the politician.
that Close is drinking like a fish up
! there in Troy? Why, he is drunk half
the time and is neglecting his business
! in a shameful manner. Another two
years in the county seat will about
/ finish him."
| The news broke the old farmer all
up. He expressed his surprise and
sorrow and drove on into town with
| the matter of his old friends downfall
| before John Barleycorn on his mind.
The politician finished his business in
! Highland and drove back to Troy. Be
| fore he had gone far he met another
farmer, a man of an entirely different
stamp, one who was liberal in his ideas
and inclined to favor the vets in an
election The politician stopped this
man and asked him where he stood on
the county attorney fight The man
| was a Highlande~ and of course he was
for Close. The politician said to him:
| do you know that Closes wife is the
head of the w c. T. U. in this county
and that he is helping her all he can.
| He has come to be regular crank
on the temperance question A man of
your liberal views cannot afford to sup
port a teetotaller."
The wet Highlander was as aston
ished and hurt as the dry had been
at these disclosures regarding the
transformation of an old friend, and he
drove on to Highland with a thought
| full brow
The seed had been sown in good
ground in both cases.
But these two men met in Highland.
| The politician had not foreseen that
possibility. The temperance man was
! still feeling badly over what he had
heard, and with that on his mind ac-
costed his neighbor. They had not talk
| ed long until the dry told the wet
| how Fred Close had fallen. The wet
was dumbfounded and asked where the
| information had come from. When told
/ he saw, like Ben Adhem, an all 'waken-
| ing light. He told the story that had
| been told to him. Now the two stories
did not fit any more than round peg
| in a square hole.
| The old temperance man beamed his
relief and shook hands with his wet
neighbor and made him this PROPOSE
! ton: I'VE car e very nearly being dup
| ed by that politician. Now 1 think we
owe it to Fred Close to ride the county
for him until the end of the campaign.
| Will you do it,"
TIL be ready in the morning re-
| piled the liberal citizen.
| They rode the county until election
| day, and Close did not know how close
he came to losing two friends or of
the work they did for him until after
he had been elected by the usual ma
! jority.
Had Talked With w. A. White.
While IN Emporia Close called on
his friend William Allen White. Since
the Republicans have adopted all the
old Pop planks 1 feel that L can lift
my head and take notice again." he
said Il remember well when 1 first
advocated the initiative and referen-
dunn some fifteen years ago. They
were going to mob me for an anarchist.
1 told White about it today and he
laughed and then admitted that we
were fifteen years ahead of the times.
people vote as they please now, and
this reminds me of a funny incident
in connection with an old Topeka cam
paign. Chef Thomas was one of the
local powers that be at that time and
a hot election was in progress. The
party leaders were gathered in a room
listening to reports on the progress of
the battle Suddenly Thomas, who
had been sent to watch the old Second
ward. burst into the room. He was
greatly excited and always spoke in a
high falsetto voice when in that con-
1ioI1 hal