The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-08-12
The People Have Already Nom
mated David Martin.
BUT PARTY SCHEMERS
Want a Convention for UlteriOr
Reasons.
Something About Chief Justice
David Martin.

For the first time IN the history OF
Kansas the people have taken the bits in
their teeth and nominated a candidate
for chief Justice without regard to the
action of committees or conventions.
Chief Justice David Martin is the
choice of four-fift of the voters of the
state, and it is perfectly safe to say that
if all the parties should meet in state
convention and nominate candidates for
this office and ignore David Martin, he
would be nominated by petition and
elected anyway. The Republicans know
this is a fact and the Democrats and
Populists admitted it when ex-Gover-
nors Click and Leweling headed a Pc
tition to make Justice Martin a non
partisan candidate. Chief Justice Mar
tin is. therefore, already nominated and
it only remains for the Republican COM
mittee which meets here tomorrow to
make it unanimous.
David Martin is a pure man. He is a
just judge. His decisions will be in ac-
cardauce with the law In northeastern
Kansas where he is best known he is
strongest with the people. He was
twice elected judge of the First district,
comprising the counties of Atchson,
Brown, Donphan and Nemaha without
opposition. He will be elected Chief
Justice in November in the same way
On the one great question which is now
agitating the -silver-Judg
Martin reflects the sentiments of the
masses of all parties. He has been a
consistent advocate of the free coinage
of silver, and has not lodged from one
side to the other to gain popular favor.
he has been right, and the people are
fast finding it out. Fonr- fifths of the
voters of the state endorse his
views on the money question,
and his personality as the
candidate for chief justice is a better
and stronger free silver platform for the
Republicans of Kansas than any that
could be made by a convention.
There are several interesting coinci-
dences connected with Martins appoint
ment to succeed Horton. The latter,
upon resigning last spring, Immediately
formed partnership with B. P. Wag-
gener and J. W. Orr, Martins old part
ners. Horton and Waggener were law
partners in Atchison eighteen years ago,
when Horton received his appointment
to the supreme bench. When Horton
left Atchison to make his home in To-
peka he sold his residence to David
Martin, who still occupies it.
Outside of the officials and employees
at the state house who occasionally see
Judge Martin as he darts in and out of
the building through the east entran ce
under the steps, there are not more
than twenty-five people in Topeka
who know Judge Martin. Since his
appointment to the supreme bench he
has appeared in the corridors of the
Copeland hotel but twice. Both times
he went there to attend aud give encour-
agement to q meeting of free silver Re-
publcans He did not chat with the
politicians, as is the custom of members
of the supreme court.
The reason so few people in Topeka
know Judge Martin at light is because
he never appears on Kansas avenue
when he can avoid it. He boards at the
Throop and when he goes to the state
house he walks down Fourth street to
Jackson, thence to the northeast entrance
to Capitol square and then along the
we'll beaten path which leads to the
"cave of the winds" under the steps of
the east wing
Judge Martin does not visit with state
officers unless they climb the stairs to
his room off the senate chamber. There
he spends his time, working ten hours a
day endeavOring to untangle the many
knotty problems which come before him
for final settlement.
While there is no opposition in the Re
publican party to the nomination of
Judge Martin. there is a division in the
anti administration crowd want a state
convention because a gathering of pro-
hibitionists, anti prohibitionists, free sill
yer advocates, sound money theorists
and anti administration Republicans at
this time would be an attraction worth
travelling many miles-to see.
The "cuckoos" on the committee are
those the convention advocates claim are
liked by Cy." The majority of these
are holding Office and will, it is charged.
vote as Cy dictates. Then it is claimed
that Cy has been travelling over the state
for the past ten days securing proxies
aud that he has enough to defeat the
convention crowd in the committee. The
fellows on the committee who wanted
something and didn't get it are dema1 Id
Ing state convention. They argue that
IL is always safe to trust the people and
that it is never safe to trust Cy Leland.
Among these might be mentioned
Charles F. johnson, who wanted to be
bank commissioner; w. E Sterne, who
didn't name the police commissioners of
Topeka; J. j. Cox of Lawrence, who
wasn't appointed member of the state
board of public works; ]. L Senior of
Coffey county, who failed in his candi-
cacy for bank commissioner; Geo. II.
Burr of ST. John, also a candidate for
bank commissioner. and a number of
others who are. fighting Cy and the adj
ministration for various reasons,
The "cuckoos" who are said to be con
trolled by Leland are George A. Clark of
Junction City, member of the state board
of charities; Morton Albaugh of King
man, member of same board; K E. Will
Gockson of Logan county, same; J. C.