The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-08-08
HIS SPEECH DID IT
LEEDY CANE A BRYAN SORT cF
GAME ON THE P0PULISTs.

and They Nominated Him With . Shoo
just as He Expected-It Is Charges
That 1t was the Gang That Lsweliins
had Around Him That Beat Him fe1
the PI.ce-Leedy ID Said to be q stroni
Nan and Ii of Welsh Extraction-A De
scriptIon of Him.
Kansas City, Aug THE Times has
the following from Abilene:
Abilene, Kan, Aug. THE nomina-
ton by the Populists of John w. Leedy
for governor was not a surprise. The
fight between the Leweiling and Har-
ris factions grew so bitter that before
the voting commenced the conservative
element began to figure on stan1pedins
the convention to one of those known
early in the contest as minor candidates
Leedy had only sixty votes on the first
ballot. He was fourth in the race, but
he had been a popular candidate and
| had friends and admirers in every camp
He was the only candidate who had
the personal friendship Of all the other
! candidates.
Leedy's opportunity came right after
| the first ballot, when the candidates
were called out for review. He was
| the only candidate who did not appear
somewhat worried about the situation
/ He stood before the convention with his
/ hands stuffed in his pockets and sailed
| into the questions Of the day and into
the Republican party, especially the lat
! ter, with as much ease as If he had been
addressing a farmers alliance meeting
! in Coffey county. His speech caught
the crowd. 1t probably nominated him
The delegates were waiting for chance
! to break, and Leedy gave it to them.
He made rapid strides forward on the
second and third ballots. On the fourth
Atchison, which had been ar ardent
supporter of Lewelling, broke to Leedy.
! The rest of the First district followed.
| This was the signal for a stampede and
! the delegates fell over one another in
their efforts to vote for the Coffey coun-
| ty man.
Lewelling was weakened by his sur
roundings. The men who disgraced
and scandalized his administration were
among his principal hackers in the con-
vention. This fact was the greatest
obstacle in his way. "Lewelling is all
right personally, but we can't stand his
gang" was heard on every side. Lew
cling had a positive strength of proba-
bly, $50 votes when he came to Abilene
but he could not build 1t up.
Harris strength was negative. He
had no organization and absolutely re-
fused to permit anybody to manage his
campaign. When Briedenthal sugges-
ted that the forces fbe brought together
and the fight be made according to
some system, Harris replied that he did
not believe in that kind Of politics. IF
the delegates want me for governor,
they will nominate me-" he said. Har-
ris' friends worked hard, but in ram
bling sort Of way. because they had
no leader. With his 263 votes at the
etart Harris could have made a winning
combination If he had adopted the tao
tics employed by some Of the other can
didates Populists generally are salts
fed with the nomination. They feel
that they can go into the great contest
this year with their forces united, while
the nomination Of another candidate
might have disrupted the party in a
fractional quarrel.
Leedy is one Of the ab1est campaign
ers in the state His rough, off-hand
style seems to suit the people, especially
those in the rural districts and he has
an original way Of handling his sub
jects. which has given him the reputa-
ton of being a great vote-getter. 1t
will take some time to hear from the
Democrats throughout the state and
ascertain what they think of the nom
nation, but the Populists express the
opinion that it will prove satisfactory
to them.
J.. W. Leedy is Of Welsh extraction,
but his people have lived in America
several generations. He is native of
Richland county, Ohio, and was born
forty-seven years ago. He was reared
on a farm and has been engaged In ag-
ricultural pursuits his entire life. In
1881 he settled In Coffey county on a
farm, moving to Leroy, in that county,
about three years ago. where he has
been dealing In live stock. For about
a year, when the Missouri Pacific built
it's lines in that part of the state, he
was employed in the construction de-
partment
Before becoming a Populist Leedy
had been a Democrat, but he never took
any part In politics until 1892, when he
was, against his Will nominated for state
senator for the district composed OF
Coffey and Franklin counties. He
went into the campaign with vigor,
and, to his surprise, he discovered that
he could make an acceptable public
speech. Since then he has developed
into a forceful campaigner, probably
the best catch-as-cetch-can speaker the
Populists have, and the equal of any
on the Republican side. He was chos-
en- state senator by safe majority and
was a member of the senate in the fam
Gus legislature of 1898. when the house
had a dual organization which Ted to
the sensational senatorial legislative
war
IIeedy became at once leader on the |
Popuiist side OF the senate and WAS al |
ways put forward to contend with I.,l-
Glen Baker, a leader OF the Republican
now United States senator.
His manner OF speech Is waspish and
sna ppish. He is not so ornate as In |
gals, but more ready on his feet, and |
a catapult in force. He has taken good !
care OF himself. and can ride more miles |
and speak oftener in a given time than |
any man In Kansas. He never wearies |
and after a long nights work rises |
from his brief sleep In time for an early l
breakfast fresh and alert, and ready /
for Populist love feast or a battle |
with the enemy. He Ia a typical Popu- |
list in his creed. but practical in method /
bringing to bear the sixillfui mind Of a \
politician In accomplishing party ends. /
While Leedy goes the full length o 4
the PopuliSt doctrine. he is reasonable /
and understands that everything de- /
nranded by his party cannot De accom- 1
phshed by a single campaign. One Of +
the greatest reforms accomplished in 1
Kansas. the Australian baF1ot law. orig /
mated IN the senate committee on elec- !
tons and was reported by him as its /
chairman