Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-21
TO SUCCEED SENATOR MARTIN.
Wires Alrendy Being Laid BY the
Kansas Politicians.

Special Dispatch to The Evening Star ,.
TOPEKA, Kan, Dec. 21.-The victory
achieved by the republicans of Kansas in
the recent local elections has inspired them
TO enter the campaign for next year with
renewed hope, and the battle that will be
waged for the election of members Of the
lower house of the legislature by both re-
pubiicans and populists will attract national
attention. Already the wires are being laid
and pins set for this contest. A United
States Senator is to be elected and 1t all
depends upon the election Of the lower
house of the legislature.
Instructions to the Kansas leaders have
already been sent out from Washington
calling their attention to the Importance
of a thorough organizat ton of the party this
winter, urging the league club plan as the
best means of getting the republicans to-
gether. The Kansas leaders are told that
this state is expected to return a republican
to The United States Senate to succeed Sem
a tor Martin.
With the republicans and populists nearly
evenly divided this may not be an easy
thing to do. The state senate consists of
forty members and holds over. The house
is composed of 125 members to be elected
next November. 1t requires eighty-three
votes to elect in joint convention. OF the
forty hold-over senators twenty-tnree are
populists, two democrats and fifteen re-
pubIicanS. To win the republicans must
elect sixty-eight members of the house.
This, 1t is conceded, will tax their best en-
ergies. 1t they should fail of a majority on
joint ballot, and the democrats should have,
as they did last year before several popu-
lists were unseated, the balance of power,
it would add additional interest to the sit
uat ion.
The republicans take it for granted that
they will elect the Senator and this feeling
of assurance has started several robust
senatorial booms. Whenever this question
is sprung in Kansas the natural inquiry
comes, VIII ingalls, be candidatey' AL
though retired to private life, his name is
inseparably connected with the United
States Senatorship, and other men who as
pire to this honor in Kansas are measured
by the ingalls, yard-stick. If they do not
possess the burning eloquence and cutting
sarcasm which chara cterized ingalls, career
of eighteen years in the Senate they are at
once read out of the lists by the former
worshipers of the rebel skinner. But In
gals is no longer factor in Kansas poll
tics, and is not seriously regarded as a
Senatorial possibility.
There already four candidates in
training in the republican camp and they
are losing no time in letting their desires
be known. One of them, eX-Cnited States
District Attorney j. w. Ady, has been in
the field since he failed to defeat Martin
last winter. He is persistent and deter
mined and will be strong candidate. j.
r. Burton, worlds fair commissioner from
Kansas, and next to Ingalls, the most bril-
liant orator in the state has announced his
candidacy. Burton is a young man, and for
that reason will develop a great deal of
strength.
Ex-senator Bishop w. Perkins it is an
nounced will return to Kansas and make
the fight for reelection. He has been living
in Washington since the expiration of his
term, but is possessed of a gnawing desire
to return to Sena torial life.
The last candidate to announce is Judge
J. b. Johnson of Topeka, though his cam
didacy is not regarded as dangerous to the
other aspirants.
There is another Kansan, however who
has a stronger hold upon the affections of
the republican party and the people of this
state than any one of the candidates nam
ed. That man is Geo. X. Peck, general So
lctor of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa
Re Railroad Company. Although Temporal
rily residing in Chicago, Peck is regarded
as Kansan and with his legion of friends
over the state could return here and secure
more votes for United States Senator than
all of the gentlemen named combined In
ability he is the superior OF any of them,
and, while he has been connected with a
great corporation, he has always been
strong with the people. He has helped
hundreds of men in different ways and
without hope or thought of reward There
is a strong sentiment for Peck for Senator
his name will be used in that connection
and chances are even that he will have
more votes than the combined opposition
Two years ago when Senator Plumb died
Governor Humphrey sent for Peck and
urged him to accept the appointment, Peck
declined because of his obligations to the
corporation he was serving. At that time
the sentiment was almost unanimous for
Peck, and there has been very little change
since. Governor Humphrey delayed the ap-
pointment for week hoping that Peck
would reconsider, but he did not and SEN
atOr Perkins was <ameo