The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-10-29
BENNINGTON FIRED OUT.
Trouble Among the Middle of the
Road ConspiratOrs

Road COnsp1ratOrs-
There is trouble between W. H. Ben
nington of the middle of the road com
mittee and Abe Steinberger and John
f. Willis, the chairman and secretary
of the committee.
Bennington was expelled from the
committee because they claimed that
he was in league with BreidenthaI and
Love ana was preparing to give the
middle Of the road leaders away
In talking with a friend today Mr..
Bennington is reported to have said
that the committee did not dare to
fire him. Following close upon the
report given out by the committee that
Bennington had been expelled came
the announcement by the committee
that he had been reinstated, which in
dicates that there was some ground for
his statement that they did not dare
to dispose of him.
Mr.. Bennington did tell a prominent
Populist a few days ago that he was
sick of the whole middle Of the road
crowd and he said he was thinking of
issuing a manifesto. The POpulist adj
vised him to do so but nothing came OF
the matter then. Mr.. Bennington told
a Journal reporter that he had intend
ed to issue a manifesto. He said:
II talked with Willis about the pro-
priety of issuing manifesto and read
to him portions of it from my short
hand notes In the manifesto I dis
cUssed the situation and purpose of our
movement, paid respects to popocrats
and advised middle of the road Popu-
lists to vote for Doster and the ticket
but when I left him, I thought it was
understood that all idea of issuing
manifesto was abandoned. Willis and
7 have talked freely and frankly all
through this campaign, and I feel sorry
that he should have participated in do
ing what he has been reported to have
done.
But to bring this thing to a focus.
you must just say for me that I shah
expect and demand that Mr.. Willis
and Mr. Steinberger, as chairman and
secretary of the committee shall take
such action and make such statement
of the facts as shall take from me and
my character any stain or reflections
of treachery or inhdelity, and that such
retraction be made publicly in the col
umns of the same papers in which the
report appeared and that if have been
removed that ] be reinstated as a mem
Der of the committee.
''I see that have been expelled from
the middle of the road committee be-
cause am a traitor and a spy, work
This is absurd. but I confess that am
surprised that our committee should
say anything of this kind or take such
action as they are reported to have
taken in the journal. have not seen
the books of the committee and do not
know whether they have formally or in
fact expelled me or not and I cannot
say that / care very much, except for
the impression that an act of this kind
would leave in the minds of the public
but I do know that 50 far as my being
a traitor and spy is concerned, that
is absolutely false. The statement that
i have been promised a clerkship ln
the supreme court, or in Breidenthals
Office. or any other position. is abso-
lutely false. but fortunately, every
body understands that all this class
of charges are simply made for poh1lcal
effect
Manager steinberger of the middle of
the road committee says it is true that
Bennington has been expelled from the
committee. and he does not propose to
restore him.