The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-03-30
ARE NOT POLITICIANS.
Republican Candidates for the
Council Not Wire Pullers.
SKETCHES OF THEIR LIVES
There Will be a COlored Councilman
for the First Time in TODeka's His



council to elect next Tuesday. While
the positions are of little pecuniary ad-
vantage to honest Topeka councilmen,
care should be exercised in their selec-
ton. The councilman is a martyr, for
there are always great many of his con-
stituents who expect him to do all sorts
of unreasonable things. Usually he does
not do them-not once out of ten-and
then he is denounced as numskulf and
boodler The average councilman, how
ever, does not mind this after his first
term and he meekiy becomes a sacrifice
for the city's welfare.
The council is no place for the vision
airy dreamer The man who has thous-
and untried schemes is not a man to
elect. The members of the city council
should be business men rather than pol
iticians for the affairs of the city should
be conducted on the same basis as a good
business man would his own affairs.
The Republicans have nominated five
men and there is not politician among
them. Three of them have never been
candidates for any office in their lives.
None of them are unsafe men against
whom there could be a suspicion of
wrong doing.
Olin D. Skinner, the candidate from
the First ward, is one of the men who
have never had anything to do with pol
itics. He was born in the southern part
of Vermont, forty-tive years ago In 1915
he came to Kansas and naturally settled
in Topeka, for Mr.. Skinner is a man of
excellent judgment For fifteen years
he has been in the ice business, and
while in no wise cold man himself, he
has succeeded very well in keeping other
people cool. Mr. Skinner may be truly
called self made man, for his father
died when he was seven years old and
he was thrown upon his own resources
Mr. Skinner has always been a Re-
publican. He has been one of the men
who voted the Republican ticket and ex-
| pected no reward for doing so. Twelve
years ago he was married to Miss Aggie
Pattison, teacher in the Topeka schools.
Mr.. Skinner can receive no better COM
| pliment than that he defeated N. c.
Holman the popular First ward coun-
Gilman, for the nomination at the Repub-
lican primary.
The people of the Second ward knew
! what they were doing when they elected
| Frank L. Stevens, a Santa Fe shop
man. to the council two years ago. He
is an excellent workman and has made
| the same kind of councilman Mr..
Stevens has been the youngest member
of the council and one of the most active.
He has worked in the Santa Fe shops
for nearly 16 years. 1t is right that
there should be a practical working
man in the council, and he
is that kind of man. Honest
and conservative, he never falters in his
duty to the people of his ward or the
city The people of the ward showed
their confidence in Mr.. Stevens when
they elected him by majority of 6142,
and they evidently still have confidence
in him, for he was renominated over two
| opponents by a majority of over 200.
The candidate from the Third ward is
Mr. John Elliott He has been tried and
was not found wanting. Mr.. Elliott
served the people of his ward in the
council until two years ago, when he re-
fused to again be candidate, and was
succeeded by the present mayor, T. W.
Harrison. 1t is not necessary to say
much about Mr.. Elliott-he is too we'll
known. He will probably be elected by
big majority next Tuesday, because
he is we'll known. He is one of the old
est residents of the city and knows what
Topeka needs.
Charles ]. Drew, the man the people
of the Fourth ward will vote for, has
lived in Topeka for twenty-five years
and he has never even been a candidate
for constable. He was born in Wilton,
Connecticut, in 1886, but is more of
Kansan than he is New Highlander.
He was a sailor for eight years and
served three years with the navy during
the civil war. When the war broke out
he was in Mobile Alabama. Mr.. Drew's
union sentiments did not suit the people
of Mobile and he was given twenty four
hours to leave the city.
He left, and his property was conffs :
Gated and went to equip the southern
soldiers. Mr. Drew worked his way to
Chicago, where he enlisted in the cause
of his country. When the war was over
he came to Kansas and has ever since
been a contracting mason. In 1871 Mr.
Drew married Miss Emma Boughton of
Seneca. They. have one child, a boy
of II. Mr. Drew has the respect of
every one and should make good coun-
Gilman. He lives in cottage at 513 Clay
street.
For the first time in the history of the
city, Topeka will have colored man in
the council. The candidate from the
Fifth ward is Fred Roundtree, who will
be the youngest man in the council He
is % years old and was born in Nash
Vile, Tenn. He came to Kansas sixteen
years ago and has lived in the Fifth
ward ever since. His ambition is shown
in the fact that he did the ianitor work
in the high school while he was attend
ing that institution and was thus enabled
to graduate from the city schools with
honor.
He is one of the brightest colored men
in the city, and if the colored people
have a representative in the council
they could select no better man than
Fred Roundtree. He is now principal
of Monroe school and has been for four
years ROundtree deserves the support
of the Republicans of his ward aud he
will be safe man to have in the city
council
Cough and Cough and Cough.
But if you desire to stop coughing, try
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market Price 30. 80 and $1.OO. A posi-