The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-07-02
TRICKY CY.
How He Defeated J. G. SIOneck-
er, TOpeka's FaVOrite,
For the Appellate Judgeship at
the WyandOtte Convention.
He Wrecked the SIOnecker Pro-
gramme Utterly,
BUT IN THE WRECK
His Own Political Hopes Also
Went GIimmering.
The Petard Exploded All Too
Soon For Him.
is NOMINATED
BY the SIOnecker Delegates and
Spangler Slaughtered.
Spangler, Cy's Man, Was to Get
the Plum
In Return For Douglas COun'
tvs Delegation For Peters.

| AS. stated in last evenings dispatches
in The Journal the deadlock in the ju-
dicial convention in Kansas City, Kan,
was broken yesterday afternoon about
o'clock and on the 183rd ballot, Abijah
| Wells, of Seneca, was nominated as
the Republican candidate for judge of
the court of appeals for the eastern di-
vision, northern department of kan
sas.
There is some unpleasant feeling over
the result among the defeated candi-
| dates and their friends.
Cyrus Leland, from Doniphan county,
Kansas, the owner of the Republican
machine in the state of Kansas, Obut
not of the party) may not believe in the
divine right of kings, but he does be
lieve in the divine right of Cy Leland
to run things just as he wants to in a
political way.
Leland had made a bargain with the
Spangler men from Douglas county
that he Leland) was to secure the
nonina tion of SpangIer for Judge and
in return Douglas county was to send
a Peters delegation to the state con-
vention-and although Leland voted
with the DOniphan county delegation
for Wells throughout the contest, he
was only waiting for a chance to carry
it over to the Spangler camp.
The following is the detailed and Sc
cret story Of how Leland manipulated
| the convention:
There was no judicial central com
mittee in the district, 50 the state cen
trail committee appointed the members
| of the state central committee who
| lived in the district as a committee to
/ prepare a call for a judicial convention
and to present a roster Of the delegates
| to the temporary meeting.
day morning but managed to keep the
| members of the committee from as
| sembIing and comforting till he had
counted noses and found how many Of
| his henchmen were present. When the
meeting was called there were present
besides Leland, J. J. Cox of Lawrence,
| whom Leland uses as if he were a paid
! employe, -eX-Bank Commissioner Chas.
| Johnson of jefferson county, who al
| ways wOrships at the shrine of the
Troy god. Ed Felt of Atchison, a son
| of A J. Felt, who held the proxy of
| Committeeman Chisholm, Mr.. Getty of
Wyandotte and Charles Fellows Of To-
peka who held the proxy of W. E.
| Sterne of this city. Leland felt certain
| of Johnson and Cox, he knew them of
| old but as he was in some doubt as to
young Felt, he Immediately adjourned
| the meeting for d while and took Felt
in hand and went down the street with
| him for half an hour.
When he came back and called the
meeting again the contest between the
| Trickett delegation which held Gre
| dentials from the county central COM
mittee and the Buchan delegation was
taken up. Leland was magnanimous
enough to allow thirty minutes to each
side to present arguments, but sat
there with a satisfied smile as if he
| had things coming about right. The
/
| Monday evening to meet at $3.50 Tues
/ day morning.
Tuesday morning the committee met
and after some further arguments on
motion of Cy an adjournment of ten
| minutes was carried by the Leland
four and Cy and young Felt again went
| down the street. When the vote was
taken it stood for the Buchan crowd
and for the Trickett men. Then Cy
began his bluffing; he claimed that the
/ minority had no right to either make a
| report or to have it read in the conven-
ton.
When the convention was called to
1 order Cy Leland had Ira Collins nomi-
mated for chairman and threw all the
1 strength to him and elected him. Then
/ he took his stand beside the platform,
with his elbow on the desk of the chair
man, and told him how to run things.
| A motion was made that a committee
| on credentials be appointed consisting
/ Oh OIl1 rum @etCn county OGOISS Dbl
| ker of Lawrence moved as a substitute
| that the roll as reported by the com
| mittee be accepted as the roll of the
| convention. The chair called the roll
on the substitute and the convention
voted till Wyandotte county was reach
ed: the clerk then footed up the vote,
| and when Leland saw that the substi-
tute had not carried he turned to Col
Inns and said: Call WyandOtte." The
chair called WyandOtte- 1t (the Ru-
chan delegatiOn) voted in favor of the
4 aTrrra
substitute carried. Several delegates
Jumped up demanding an appeal from
the decision of the chair. The Chair re-
fused to recognize any one. but looked
at Leland and smiled and Leland stood
and smiled at the Chair
The Buchan delegation gave Leland