The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-03-26
is CURTIS
SlDETRACKED?
Report That Cy Leland Has AL
ready Played Double.
He Secured the Support four
tbs for BriStOW
Then Threw Curtis Overheard
for BrOdericko
CURTIS COMING HOME
Will See Just How the Land
Lies in Shawnee.
Shawnee Republicans Glad if
Curtis Parts With Leland.

Congressman Charles Curtis deliver
ed his speech on the tariff measure now
before congress yesterday and will come
home al once for a short stay. The rea-
son given for his coming is to visit his
grandmother who is, and has been ser
iously i'll for some time. There are some
matters of a political nature that will
undoubtedly be looked after while Mr..
Curtis is here.
The Kansas City Journal today con-
tains a special from Washington re-
lating the following story of reconcile
alton between Congressman Case Brod-
erick and Cy Leland, which has direct
bearing Mr.. Curtis future:
washington, March 25-The Kansas
HEADQUARTERS at the Normandie were
buzzing today with political gossip
bearing on things partly developed and
partly still under the surface, but all
relating to state patronage. In the
first place, there has been complete
reconciliation between Committeeman
Cy Leland and Representative Broder-
ick, and the two Quondam antagonists
with but a single thought, two hearts
that beat as one. If all the reports are
to be credited which were crossing and
counter crossing each other at head
quarters BrOderick and Leland have
formed an alliance on terms according
to which the Doniphan county patron
age is to be dispensed under their joint
supervision, neither of them to act with
out the consent of the other. The i'm
portance of this agreement is made
plain when it is remembe first, that
Doniphan is Leland'S home county, and,
second, that the First district will
henceforth be the arena in which Cur
tbs and Broderick will do battle for the
congressional denomination.
So far as it can be gathered from the
confused talk among the Kansas lay
delegates today, Leland, soon after his
arrival, had a conference with Curtis
at which he proposed that Curtis should
take charge of the patronage for Donf-
phan and two other counties in the or
igtna1 First district, which is represent
ed by Broderick. Curtis refused to in
terfere with his colleague unless BrOd-
erick should approve the arrangement,
which would take the patronage out of
his hands and practically turn it over
to his enemy.
Leland, it is understood, waxed wroth
al this. and threatened. unless Curtis
consented to act with him, to take the
patronage question direct to the presi-
dent, vowing that he would never con-
descend to ask favor of BrOderick-
Curtis promptly disclosed the situation
to Broderick, and. of course, found him
inaccessible to any sort of proposition
looking to the abridgment of his rights,
insisting that the distribution of the
federal places in the First district must
pass through his hands and through
those of nobody else.
land and Broderick met for the first time in
many days and had a long talk and made
up 1t is understood that Senator Baker
acted the gO-betWeen, at Leland'S SOli-
citation. They met in secluded place
somewhere uptown, where they formally
buried the hatchet. 1t was a surprise to
Broderick, who had no idea that Leland
had any use for him. but apparently their
mer differences that the Jackson county
sta tesman agreed to make no recommen-
dation for places in Doniphan county un-
less satisfactory to Leland
In all the other counties of the First
sway.
In the meantime. Curtis appears to have
on a problem which is agitating the Kan
sas crowd-what effect Leland's course
whether he will still support w j. Bailey
of Nemaha county for congress or trans
fer his influence to Broderick-
RyanS friends today, for the first time,
asserted openly. and above board. that the
Leland faction is fighting Ryan's appoint
ment as first assistant secretary of the in
terror. Hints to this effect have been
dropped for several days, but none of the
Ryan men were willing to assume respoh-
sibility for the charge. Now they have
come out openly and declared that oppos
ition is being secretly exercised by some of
the Kansans who are themselves appli-
cants and have heretofore received sup
port from Ryan's friends Their identity
has been fully established by documentary
evidence and other proof and, it is said,
will be disclosed as soon as Ryan's fate
is determined. The latter's friends are
promising some sensa tional developments
and incidentally some sharp retaliation
cIaiming that the oDposition to RYAN is
due to teh fear that his selection will
operate to their own discontinue
Some of the Republican leaders who
have remained at home, but have kept
close watch of the trun of affairs have
taken in Washington were at a loss to
account for the way in which the Kan
sas' congressional delegation
supported the candidacy of
J. L. Bristow when such
move was, in the opinion of the stay
at-homes, certain to increase the power
of Leland and decrease the power of
the Kansas delegation.
Several letters have been received
during the past few days by Republican
leaders from Congressman Curtis in
which he says that there had been an
agreement between Leland and his
crowd on one hand and the cOngression-
al delegation on the other hand. that the
congressional delegation should turn in
and help Bristow get the place and that
in return Leland and his crowd should
help Ryan get the place that he was
after.
The letters go on to say that the con-
gressmen kept their part of the trade
but that Leland is not giving Ryan the
help that he ought to have from them
The open declarations of the Ryan men
referred to in the above special to the
Journal confirm the rumors
that have been going around for the
past few days that the opposition to
Ryan would be strong enough to down
him.
If there has been a reconciIia ton be-
tween Leland and Broderick as is