The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-02-16

Topeka Like it Was Communicating to
the Touch-Hotels are Deserted and
the Committees Refuse to Assign Any
of the Large Conventions TO it-Bpard-
ing House Keeper. are in Despair and
Suggest Several Ways to Regain the
Lost Prestige.
Topeka, Kan. Feb. 15.-(Special)-
Topekracy is dying in Kansas. Time
has been when Topeka was the state
Of Kansas That il no longer is. Tope-
ka can no longer rule Kansas or rule
in Kansas. The day when no man
could be eligible for the United States
senate unless he lived in Topeka died
when Baker succeeded John Martin.
The day when a coterie of second floor
connivers could name a speaker Of the
house from Topeka had its sunset when
LObdell, man from the coyote re-
giOns" as Topekans call ii, was cho-
sen.
And now all that is left for this
once proud town of w.lful sovereign
~ is the legislature once every two
years. and the struggling delegations
which call on the governor occasionally
Topeka is dying hard. It wept bit
ter tears when the central committee
gave a convention to Wichita. 1t
will weep still harder when the same
committee will give the state conven-
ton TO some town other than Topeka.
1t mOurned last night when the Popu-
lists announced their two conventions
and gave one 10 Abilene and another
to Hutchinson and nothing 10 Topeka.
Many remedies are suggested 10
brace up the topping king Of politics.
Some of the mourners suggest that an
auditorium should be built, or that
more biscuits be served with every
meal. Others, in sheer desperation, de
clare that the thing to do is to cut
down the Republican majorities and
bring the Republican managers to their
senses.
Topeka has changed. The lobby of
the Copeland hotel is no longer the
battlefield of Kansas Republican pol
itics, or the hot house of rare species
of political tricks. The lobby is de-
serted. Old man Guthrie and a few
old cronies sit around, it is true, and
disapprove Of everything and every
body, but when Cy Leland has an ap-
pointment with outside men he asks
them mot ITO show up at the Cope
land" In the evening Morrill,, gov
ernor of Kansas, strolls over TO the
hotel from the state house bent and
almost decrepit. He takes his seat
at the dining table listlessly, and or
ders little cracked wheat which he
eats gingerly, and tops it off with a
little cold water. He will not be strong
enough TO go through another cam
ion DYr-e- 70 p
Topeka as the political center of
Kansas is equally as dead as the hotel
which was so typical of III in the days
Of its triumph. Schemes are Matched
outside of Topeka, and without ask
ing Topeka's advice. Cy Leland was
turned down at Horton the other day,
and Topeka, which had not an ink
ling of what was to happen, held up its
hands in horror. When Lucien Baker
has an appointment, it is at Leaven-
worth. ingalls, is paying a great deal
Of attention to politics but he never
comes to Topeka. Cy Leland is get
ting in the habit of seeing his friends
in Troy, not in Topeka.
In short the town is no longer
Mecca. 1t appears to be hoodooed.
And il is all the time getting worse.
CY LELANDTS SUCCESS.
Topeka, Kan, Feb. 15.-(Special.)-
1t is just coming to light that Cy Lee
land played his cards with a shrewd
hand when he secured the convention
for the selection of delegates at large
for date as early as March 10. There
Are rumblings in the air, which are not
heard by the small fry as J. r. Bur,
on denominates them, but which are
heard distinctly by the big politicians
Those rumblings threaten the classic
head Of Major Mckinley of Ohio.
The country is full of Mckinley en-
-husiasts. But certainly and quietly
he slate and machinery is being turn
I'd against him in the east and the first
.oUches of its influence are being felt
n Kansas.
Governor drill is a Reed man. So
5 Dick Blue, and Senator Baker and
J. r. Burton and Lobdell, that is,
hey are Reed men at heart but the
wave Of Mckinley enthusiasm has
warned them into silence.
Cy Leland'S early convention is in
some quarters regarded as the saliva
ion of Mckinley in Kansas These
say ii is idle 10 suppose that
Will have a walkaway in the
st. Louis convention and that long
before the st. Louis convention meets.
he glowing prospects Of Mckinley will
lave faded away and mat the result
# the convention Will be in extreme
ioubt and not the fOregone conclusion
or Major Mckinley that ii now APP
)ears to be-
But however strong the Reed boom !
nay grow il can not now invade Kan !
as. Ohio on March 10 brings out rs
aVorite son Ond on the same day Kan |
as endorses him and whatever betide |
Kansas will stay by him. There is |
10 doubt that if the convention a I !
Wichita had been put of a couple of |
months and Mckinley had remained |
'trong, Kansas would have been for |
i'm anyhow. But IL he weakened. |
Kansas would have been in doubt Cy
Glands early Wichita convention set
les all doubts. Kansas viii be for |
Mckinley whether the rest Of the ma
ion is or not.
POPULIST CONVENTIONS
The Populist state central committee
net in the office Of the state bank COM /
missioner last night for the purpose |
T preparing for the campaign Of 1895 |
he following comTtteemen were pres
Mt: John Breidenthal. Topeka; z. H |
ample, ottawa; D. g. ZsrCheT. Olathe: |
ames Pickins, Linwood; J. NJ Allen. |
'eosho; J. p Williams. Fort Scott; 2.
= Fritch, Independence; W. T Tip |
on. Burlington; Taylor Riddle, Marion 1
3. c. CraHston, Abilene; o. L. Smith. |
Burr Oak; u. 2. Sullivan, Mankota. |
Rufus Cone. Wichita; c. A Taylor, |
sratt;.
light. II was decided 70 hold the con
sntion 70 elect delegates 20 the nation
! convention a. Hutchinson. March IS. !
nd the state nominating convention |
< Abilene. August 5
Il was evident from the start that /