The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1922-09-26

nm accepted nm. ne was poIAleu W
with pride. 1t was believed he had
accomplisncd the ultimate. From a
poor Indian BOY 10 the county attor-
neysh;p of Kansas second largest
and most important county was some
lump. He was pointed ou1 to youths
as a wonder.
But that was only the beginning
for Curtis. He decided to make the
race for congress from his district,
the fourth. He was elected after q
traitor in his ranks defeated Inn: 12f
the nomination the first time. He
denounced the traitor, pledged his
help and gave it in aleeting his op-
ponent, and set to work to retire that
individual at the end of two years.
He did it.
After his frsts election it came to
be just a matter Of the lead each
election would give him over his op-
ponent. Kansas went to the Pupu-
lists but Curtis returned to congress.
Then came the gerrymander, that
masterpiece of political manipulation
that was expected to end the career
of the Indian, as his enemies scorn-
fully called him. Shawnee county
was taken out of the fourth district
and attached to the first district
where powerful men, each opposed to
Curtis, controlled each of the coun-
ties with which Shawnee had been
allied.
But work and Curtis had remained
friends all through the years. And
Curtis recognized early in his polltl-
cal career the importance if organl-
zation and personal acquaintance.
So he accepted the challenge and
went to work in the remodeled dis
trict.
Beginning early in the spring he
visited every community in the dis
trict. It was said he shook hands
and had personal visit with some
5000 voters in the campaign OF that
year. 1t was a battle. Each county
had a candidate. The bitterness Of
the first campaign for county attor-
ney Seemed pleasant compared to the
onslaught in the congressional tight
Rut the congressman without dis
trict," as he had been called, would
MT give up. And on the 714th ballot
he was nominated. He was elected.
All told he spent IA years IN the
house.
Meanwhile, the Curtis acquaint-
ance had grown. His friends and
enemies extended to every nook and
corner of, the state. The congress
man from the first district, more than
half his mail came from other sec
tions of Kansas. HIS old friends in
the fourth district were taken care
Of Just as when he depended on their
votes for reelection. A letter from
a man a hundred miles west Of the
district brought response as quick
ly as one from one Of the leaders at
home. And eventually Curtis ran
for the senate.
It didn't seem possible Curtis could
be a candidate in 1920. All was too
serene in Kansas politics. There was
no crowd out "after Curtis" It was
all too peaceful.
Senator Curtis and work still are
good friends. He is ABOUT 60 years
old but still he wastes no time, the
plan which began with the lessons
studied while waiting for trains still
being the Curtis plan. He has tre-
mendcus correspondence. Any one
in Kansas that desires anything
writes to Curtis, it would seem from
the sacks of mail that go to and from
his Office. No letter is unanswered.
If the aspiring or requesting kansan
desires anything within reason, it is
obtained for him. Pensions. In his
"docket" are the names Of more than
10000 veterans for wnom ne obtain
ed aid. That is one Of the reasons
his enemies couldn't end the Tope-
kan's political career. No matter
what was the story the orders or the
request carried to the family OF an
old soldier, if Charley" had obtain
ed the pension the efforts were use
less. Often they were useless be,
cause of the knowledge OF a friend
who had been thus assisted. And
the politicians point out, Curtis IS q
"handshaker.' He is more. He has
ono of +1,a most re-1,arka bla memories