Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-11-04
DECLARE THEY WERE BETRAYED
BY SILVER REPUBLICANS.
ELECTION RETURNS SHOW 1T.
LIKELY TOsREsULT IN A BIG SPLIT
IN KANSAS FUSION FORCES.
Home Counties of All the Silver Re-
publican OHicehoIders Went Back
on POpulism-POps Will Get
Even by Demanding
Removals.


Iitical sensation is threatened in Kansas
as result of Tuesdays election. The re-
turns show that every county which Is
the home of any of the free silver ReDub-
lican leaders who are now feeding at the
public crib went Republican by good ma
jorities. Some of those counties have not
gone Republican before since the Farm
ers' Alliance first swept the state. The
Populists now claim that they were be-
trayed by the free silver Republican Office
holders. and pressure will be brought TO
bear to have them removed.
The fight will open first on R. W. Tur-
ner. secretary Of the state board of rail-
road commissioners. Turner is regarded
as the most influential free silver Repub-
lican in the state. He resides in Jewell
county. That county has always been n
Populist stronghold. Yesterday 1t not
only elected a Republican county ticket
but gave Dick Pickler a sufficient majority
to make certain his election as district
Judge. No sooner had the result been
learned than the Pops determined to or
ganize fight on Turner. They declared
that he was the sole cause Of the trouble:
that he was an migrate and that 1t was
duty Governor Leedy owed to the Popu-
lists of that section to remove him. Sec
retary of State Bush resides in Jewell
county and he declares emphatically that
Turner must 60. He said this afternoon
that he would have a conference with
Governor Leedy tomorrow concerning the
matter. Word was received from Mankato
that the local Populists there had decided
TO issue a protest against Turner's feeding
longer at the public crib. and that
strong committee would be sent to Topeka
to demand his removal. Turner Is not in
Topeka to-day. He has not returned from
his home. For this reason, his views
could not be ascertained. but a friend Of
his is authority for the statement that
Turner does not care what Leedy does.
Turner. he says. never claimed to be a
Populist. On the other hand, he has al
ways maintained that he would not as
sociate himself with that party or its
members. If he went to any party It
would be TO the Democrats. 1t has long
been known around the state house that
Turner does not like the POPS. At every
turn In the road he has antagonized them.
IT was he who paralyzed Leedy's railroad
theories by boldly declaring that Kansas
did not need any additional railroad leg
islation.
When the local campaign opened this
fall Turner prevented fusioE deal in his
GewelD county. The Democrats and free
silverites got together and put up COM
biRation ticket. That ticket polled enough
votes to defeat the Pop county ticket.
Turner also stumped the district for Dick
PickIer. Republican, against Sutherland
the Popocratic nominee for judge. 1t is
for these things that the Pops want him
fired.
The returns also place the other free sill
yer Republican officehoIders in a bad light
with the Populists. Smith county, the
home OF Insurance Commissioner McNall
last year gave the Populists over 800 ma
jcrity. This year 1t gave Pickler. Repub-
lican candidate for Judge, a small major
ity.
Ed Litt1es home county, Dickinson, has
always been a reliable Popocratic strong
held until yesterday. when it elected big
majority Of Republican county officers.
Harper county is the home Of Assistant
Attorney General George smelling. 1t has
always been a fusion county. This year
It went Republican.
About four months ago the Populist pol
iticians accusedsthe free silver Republicans
of Matching up scheme to down the Pops
this year. At that time 1t was claimed
that the leaders of the free silver forces
would show their strength by defeating the
Pops in their own counties, with view to
getting recognition next year on the state
and congressional tickets. The result of
the election in their counties certainly in
dicates that the suspicion Of the Pops was
well founded. Now the Pops claim that
the place to put the silverite bosses where
they will do the least harm is outside the
breastworks, and tight will be made with
that end in view. II they succeed in get
ting Turner's scalp. then they will turn
their batteries on McNall. and follow this
up by attacking Little and Smelling. They
declare that If Leedy insists on keeping
these fellows after being urged to let them
out, a fight will be inaugurated to prevent
his denomination for governor.