The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-05-04
TO SUE FOR LIBEL
a Report That a. WI. Smith
VIII Seek
VindicatiOn Through the Courts
Against Leland.
BILL HIGGINS TALKS.
Tells What He Knows About the
Deal
Which Involved the Payment Of
$500.
BILL HIGGINS TALKS.

SO, 500.
There is a rumor among the polite
ians that Cy Leland is about to have a
bona hde libel suit on his hands 1t is
on account Of the sensational charges
made the other day against Farmer
A. w Smith.
A private telegram is said to have
been received here saying that Smith
has secured an attorney to commence
proceedings against Leland in the dis
trict court of this county.
The general impression is that the
matter viii not stop, but that charges
and counter-charges will be the order
Of the day. If this continues, there viii
be such a washing of soiled political
linen as to make it mighty interesting
for those outside who are watching the
fight.
a man who is known all over Kansas
as a shrewd and conservative Repub-
lican politician said this morning that
unless the whole thing We're stopped in
a few days there was only one thing
that could prevent the Republicans go
ing down to defeat this year. That
was the endorsement of Troutman by
the state convention This Republican
said:
Speaking not from a prejudiced
! standpoint. but as q Republican who
| has the interests of the party at heart,
I say that the party is i'm great danger
\ if this wrangle between Smith and Lee
/ land keeps up
1T is my opinion that the disgust for
/ this kind of thing and the feeling that
I Morrill,, Leland and all the rest have
made mistakes. viii bring the OppOs1-
4 tion to the state convention in such
force as to entirely clean out the Lee
/ land, the Morrill, and all other tac-
] ending in the nomination OF Jim
! TrOutman.
] Bill Higgins was interviewed on the
/ controversy between Leland and Smith
i in Kansas City Saturday night. This
! is what he says of 1T, u happen to
! know al about this particular incident
| because I was mixed up in it,
] 'sCy says Smith offered to withdraw
/ from the race in favor of Morrill, in
/ consideration of So 600 which he had
! spent during his campaign for COVER
| nor in 1892 he says this oner was
/ made at a meeting between Morrill, and
/ Smith at the Grand Army reunion at
/ Newton in February, 1894
THE facts in the case are these: Lee
land Smith and myself held a confer
| ence at the Copeland hotel in Topeka
/ one night shortly before the Grand
Army reunion. Leland tried his
| very best to get Smith to withdraw in
| MOrriIfs favor. He promised him the
Z job of bank commissioner or warden
| of the penitentiary if he would get of
the track smith refused all these
/ Overtures and said there was no gift
/ within the power Of the governor to
/ bestow that he could afford to accept.
He said he would like to be a railroad
1 commissioner but that Office was not
| the governors to give, being elective
| by the entire executive council
Then Leland asked Smith about his
| election expenses when he ran for gov
/ ernOr, and was beaten by LeWelling in
1892 Smith replied that he didn' [
| know exactly what the canvass cost
him, but he thought it was in the neigh
| bOrhOod Of $4,000. Leland suggested
! that the payment Of this amount back
to him might be some inducement for
him to withdraw. Smith absolutely re
! fused to entertain this offer for a mo-
ment.
"As a last resort Cy asked Smith
about the United States senatOrshfp.
and promised him his backing. This
was the first time the senatOrship had
been suggested to Smith. He said that
if both Leland and Morrill, would work
for him in the fight for senator he
would withdraw from the race for gov
ernor. Leland said he could only speak
for himself. but promised to talk it over
with Mr.. Morrill,. This meeting at the
Copeland lasted all night, and until 8
o'clock in the morning
II arranged the meeting between
Smith and Morrill, at the Newton en-
! campment. Leland wasn't there. They
I were clOseted together for more than
two hours was in the next room.
When the conference was over Smith
said Morrill, was committed to ingalls,
in case ingalls, was in the race when the
time came, but he agreed not to oppose
him. This satisfied Smith. He believed
| that the active support of Leland and
the friendly disposition of the state ad-
ministration gave him a strong comb
l tiOn in the fight for senator and good
| chances to win. He agreed to quit the
chase for the Republican nomination for
governor. and few days after that he
made public his letter of withdrawal.
Il do not make these assertions be
cause / have any feeling toward Ie-
land. I simply tell the facts in Justice
to Farmer Smith, who is an honest
man. While do not approve of all o1
Leland's methods. I admire him as 2
fighter. In deserting Morrill, at this
time he is not guilty of treachery. He
simply says what any one with anv 20
litical sense knOWs-that Morrill, cam
be reelected if he is renominated
I'm my judgment Jim Troutnan is the
most available candidate for governor
The temperance people would raIly
around him and he has the admira.
tiOn of those who are opposed r.
prohibition. The fact that he commit.
ted himself to a constitutional conven.
! tion mas helped him wonderfully. Tn,
-prOhibiHOuists are becOnoine
aware that the repeal of the law vii
3 not come until after it has been en-
2 / forced"