Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1910-08-25
Stubs, FIGHTER,
Liked IN KANSAS
Powerful Force Now Heading
For United States Senate.
vIGOR, NOT GRAMMAR, Wins,

SunfIower States Chief Executive.
Victor In Republican Primaries For
Second Term, Succeeds by Fighting
Corporations and Appealing to the
People Directly.
Governor Walter Roscoe Stubs.
who has been renomnated by the
Republican voters of Kansas has had
short career in politics compared
with most leaders. 1t Is only seven
years since he began to interest him
self at all actively in public affairs.
and now he seems assured of a second
term in office. which may lead to his
going to the United States senate.
| For it Is no secret that the gov
ernor's ambition is to succeed Senator
Charles Curtis. whose term expires
in March. 1913. and whose successor
will be chosen two years hence.
| Stubs is red headed. like that other
insurgent leader of Kansas Repuh-
LEANS Victor Murdock Red hair
means energy. and Stubhs is hrimfu!
of energy. Oddly enough. he comes of
Quaker stock. His parents. who lived
in Richmond. Ind. when he was born.
wore very poor: also they were mem
bers of the Society of Friends.
Proved Himself Fighter.
a ''nrhting Quaker" is proverhiaily
o bad mHn to run against. And StubbS
has proved to his opponents that he
can fight, out of pure love Of lighting.
if fer nothing else. in politics. Ills de-
can only wonder whether the chamber
of the digniied senate could contain
him in one Of his crusaGing moods.
Now ffty-two years Old. the gov
ernor is wealthy as a result of many
years Of hard work as contractor,
mostly in railroad building. Thus he
has IN intimate acquaintance with one
feature of railroad affairs. the cost of
new lines. During his political cam
paiGns Stubs has been charged with
ingrattude to the hand that fed him.
for he has risen in politics chiefly as
an anti-rairoad man. But he has al
ways answered that he had nothing to
do with the railroads except to build
good many miles Of them at fair
profit.
Stubs is an open fighter and always
Its straight from the shoulder or dis
,'"ns to hit at all He has no hPsi,H-
tIon about iakiHg The whole people into
Lis conference when he has com
plant against the Standard Oil COM
pany or some other corporation.
Not an Orator. But
AS Il spepchmaker he is not gifted.
His voice is harsh. his language is fire.
quently un"rammatical. and his Ges-
lures are awkward. But he can ask
more questions and express more fer
vid thoughts about things in general
when on the stump than probably any
other man in political life. And he
gets down to facts-or allegations
and proceeds to hammer 1T his enc
mics with sledgehammer strokes.
| The weakness of Stubs as poiti-
clans look upon him is that he has no
machine. He is essentially u one man
power. He insists that everybody in
the employ of the state shall do a fair
day 5 work for his pay. and he has cut
eff graft in numerous places. The sup
pert he gets is from the people. not the
politicians. primarily. 1t is true many
strong politicians aided him in the
| fight for denomination. but he did not
win their support through promises or
favors. They took to Stubs because
of his strength. and Stubs may or
may not reward them.
Stubs opponent in the fight just
ended was Thomas Wagstalr. Il bright.
energetic and shreWd young lawyer of
| Independence. Wagstaff made a good
fight. pleading for harmonious support
OF President Taft. the policies of the
administration and traditional Eepub-
| licanism.
But Stubs made a better fight. He
stripped off his coat and vest on Il hot
day while campaigning and talked to
the voters in heart to heart way that
brought confidence. enthusiasm and
votes. He has hardly any book learn
ing" and one secret Of his strength
may be that he does not pretend to
have any. lie has been, however. a
very good friend to the states eluca.
tional institutions and appreciates edu-
cation.
Began In Legislature.
Stubs began his political career in
1903 by going to the legislature. He
didn't know anything about lawmaking
at the start. of course. and the par
ty managers saw to it that he was not
placed on any important committees.
That annoyed Stubs. and he began
to fight He took the reform side of
everything and made name on the
anti-pass question and other issues t"''
were considered burning by the farm
ers. He fought the ring that con
trolled state politics and soon found |
| himself a power
Tarsus Has Electric Lights.