The Topeka state journal., 1897-03-27
THE RYAN SECRET
What Is at the Bottom of the
Trouble
Over the Appointment of Tom
Ryan of Topeka,
For First Assistant Secretary
of the Interior.
CYRUS PROMISED HELP
For Ryan to Curtis If Curtis
Would Endorse BristOW.
Curtis Endorsed" and Then
Leland Backed Out.

BY the latest adVices from Washing
ton it would seem that crafty Cy Le-
land had again been successful in fool
ing the crowd whose interests are not
altogether in harmony with his plans
and that he has another reef in the
lines with which he is driving the Re
publican party in the state of Kansas
Leland and the congressional delega-
ton from Kansas had been working at
cross purposes and Leland won.
The plan of the Kansas congressional
delegation was to get some one into
good office with a lot of patronage at
tached to it and thereby have a man
that could be Of assistance to them by
giving Kansans places. The name OF
Thomas Ryan of Topeka was suggested
for the place.
Mr.. Ryan was warmly supported by
Charlie Curtis. MIR. Curtis and MI
Ryan have always been good friends
and when Ryan was the congressman
from this district and found that he
could have the position OF minister 10
Mexico he threw everything in the way
of Curtis SO that he could have the
nomination for congress
Other friends of MIR. Ryan pointed
10 the fact that he was the most sue
cessful 'place-getter" for his constitu-
ants that Kansas had ever sent to
Washington and that as he had served
in congress with Mckinley he would
have d great deal of influence with the
administration
Mr.. Curtis. it is said, thought that if
he could get MI. Ryan IN the place OIL
first assistant secretary of the interior
Ryan would not only be able TO control
a LOT of offices which would be given 10
kansans. but he would also be sure of
retaining the pension agency at Topeka.
1t would also in all probability result III
Major Tom Anderson being appointed
10 the pension agency.
ola xrea7 n on
which was shortly after the Bristow
boom was started, he Immediately had
a conference with III congressional del
egatiOn from this state and assured
tnem, so private letters received in To-
peka say. that he had pull with
Mr.. Gary, the postmaster general, and
that Mr. Gary was a personal friend of
his and that it would go a long Way
toward helping in the appointment Of
Mr.. Bristow. This statement of Mile
lands may or may not be true, but it
was enough TO get the congressman in
10 line and they asked Mr.. Leland to
help them get the place Mr. Ryan
wanted. This Leland consented to do
and thaV all went to work to carry out
this plan. MrLelSnd had had some lit
tie political experience before, and he
readily surmised the scheme of the con-
gressmen and understood their purpose
in trying to get Ryan a place He did
net propose to have anyone hold office
unless he said they could. He SO ar
ranged matters that BristOw was ap-
Mr.. Ryan the support that was prOInis-
cd W nile he has not come out openly
in opposition to Ryan, the Leland forces
have secretly knitted him.
I-eland's opposition to Ryan was for
two reasons. 1t is the general impress
sion among Republican politicians that
Leland himself wants to be the pension
agent a { the Topeka agency, in case he
CO mot get something better. The place
would ena BILE him TO keep control of
Republican politics in this state and 10
assume charge of the next state cam
paign if he wants to. At the same time
Mr.. Leland is greedy of power. He does
does not want to lose the control of a
ngle province. He has always been
be to control the first congressional
district. with the exception of the last
time an election was held there. The
last state legisla ture changed this dis
tTict and added Shawnee county to the
old First district. This makes a new
element in congressional politics If
Leland can defeat Ryan he thinks that
he can turn Major Tom Anderson down
for the position of pension agent and
that this viii perhaps enable some one
to beat Charlie Curtis in his own cOun-
" when he comes up for denomination.
II MI Leland can get Curtis out of the
race for congress in this county he
thinks that he will be in better shane
TO name the man who will have the Re
publican nomination for congress in
this district There is just a chance
that Leland may slip up. President
Mchlnley Is beginning to see through
the Kansas muddle Whether. Leland
Will be successful in defeating RYAN or
not remains to be seen No one has
been named for the place and dis
patches from Washington are very con-
trajectory If Ryan wins it won't he
through Leland help This is generally
cones ded 1t will be because of the
personal friendship between him ar6
Nc klnley and through the efforts of
Curtis and Broderick which at last ac-
counts, however, seemed fruitless