The Topeka state journal., 1897-12-06
BUSY CYRUS LELAND.
Latest PerniciOus Activity of
the Man Who Runs Kansas.
Also Kicks From the Million or
More Other People
Who Live in Kansas and Want to Say
Something About the Way it
Should be Run.

There was another meeting of the
Republican fixers headed by Cy Leland
at the Blossom House in Kansas City
Saturday night The object of the con-
ference was tWo-fold.
First, Mr. Leland entertained Nat
Barnes and other Wyandotte county
politicians to hear their reports upon
the progress of the effort to deliver
Wyandotte to the gang next year.
Second, Mr.. Leland met w. J. Bailey
of Nemaha county and a small number
of men from the first district for the
purpose Of working on the plans by
which Mr.. Leland hopes to land Bailey
in congress next year.
The latter conference was more to
Mr. Ieland's liking than the first Mr..
Barnes reported that 0. J. Peterson, A.
l. Berger lake Shepherd Dow Nc
Lain, Ben SchnIerle and other Repubn-
cans in the county who have not been
identified with the factIonaI nights to
compromising extent, are opposing Le-
lands schemes and have bright pros
poets OF success in their efforts to take
the county from the influence OF those
who have dominated it for some years.
This made Mr. Leland indignant and
he at once proposed stringent measures
to overcome the opposition.
1T will do no good, MI Barnes IS
reported to have said. THE cards are
out against US and we will be beaten" :"
wen stay with it until the end, re
piled Mr.. Leland. Il am Of the opinion
that we can beat those fellows in Wy
andotte and have things our own way
there lust as we viii in other parts of
the state when the time comes"
Concerning the situation in Wyan-
dotte county and in the way of sugSes-
tions for the next state campaign, viii
T. Walker, q prominent Republican in
Kansas City in an interview says:
IF the sovereign voters of the party
are let alone next year they Will nonli-
nate ticket which will sweep the state
like the pr0verbial Kansas cyclone. The
candidates must be named by the peo-
ole without regard to the bosses just as
President Mckinley was nominated by
the people months before the St. Louis
convention assembled. 1t was we'll un-
derStOOd that the bosses We're opposed
to him, but when the people rose up in
| their might and declared for Mckinley
/ the bosses withdrew further opposition.
THE proper thing to do is to reOr-
| ganiZe the party in Kansas, on a new
/ and practical basis ] would suggest
/ that a state convention be called for
| that purpose early next year. At this
| convention a new state central COM
/ mittee should be selected, composed Of
! not more than two members from each
| congressional district and one at large,
| making d committee of Is members. A
/ committee selected in this manner at q
/ time when there are no candidates to
! be nominated would take the matter
/ out of the hands of the bosses.It would
/ be created in the interests OF the Whoie
/ party and not in the interest of the
| bosses and their creature [fho may be
| nominated for governor.
"A committee named in this manner
would be free to act Independently OF
the dictation of the alleged bosses. The
| executive committee of such state
! committee should be held accountable
| to the committee which created it, in
! stead of becoming the whole thing as
we have seen the present executive
! committee become this year.
The executive committee has been
| called together to determine matters
! which should have been left to the
/ whole committee, something which is
| manifestly unfair and unjust to the
| party. Until we have reform along
| these lines the boss will continue to
| rule with a high hand and we will con-
! tinue to meet defeat
The state committee now has 81
| mem bers, one from each judicial dis
| triet.