The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-11-22
MAY RUN THIS WINTER.
J. R. Burton Would Like to Be
a Senatorial Candidate Be-
fore This Legislature.

J r. Burton has strong expectations
that he may be elected United States
senator this winter To do this it viii
be necessary for Senator Baker to re-
sign and although Mr. Baker has said
that he has no intention of resigning,
Mr.. Burton believes that if the bill re-
firing Judge c. G. Foster can be passed
this winter, Mr.. Baker might be induced
to accept the vacant judgeship.
Mr.. Burton is now in Washington US
ing every influence he can summon to
secure the passage of the bill The bill
has passed the senate and is now in
the house committee of which Mr.. Hen
dersOn of Iowa is chairman
The legislature this winter is over
whelmingly for Burton andif the contest
for the senauOrship could be hastened
by the resignation of Mr.. Baker, no
other candidate would venture to op-
pose Burton for the prize. He would
be elected hands down. Indeed, the
friends of Burton last summer manipu-
lated the nomination of Burton men for
this legislature in the hope that Mr.
Baker might be induced to resign. or,
failing in that, the same men would be
renOminated for the legislature of 1901.
Mr.. Burton thus had two strings to his
bow, but since the election of November
8, other aspirants for the senatOrship, to
succeed Mr.. Baker have shown their
hands, and are making a desperate ef-
fort to keep off the fight until 1901.
Burton, while all along he has been
confident of success at the expiration
of Bakers term, has become alarmed
at the new phase of things, and, is anx-
iOuS, more than ever, to precipitate the
fight this winter, for if he might be
elected this winter he would be in pos
session and so firmly entrenched that
nobody would venture to come out
against him in 1901.
Among the men mentioned for the
place two years hence are Major c.
Hood, Cyrus Leland and A -. Horton.
These men are manipulating all the
forces within their reach to put the fight
off until 1901 and Mr.. Baker is expected
to be a candidate for reelection and
naturally will be in the lead in the eau
Gus with Burton second. Then in the
mixup there would be dark horse
prospects and when the break might
come the other candidates would have
a chance.
Against the proposition for Baker to
resign now, the politicians cite the bar
gain between Governor Humphrey and
Bishop w Perkins when the former
named the latter to succeed Senator
Plumb, receiving in exchange, as his
share of the bargain, Mr.. Perkins sup
mort for the congressional nomination
in 1892 This raised such a row in the
party that the Third district, where
Humphrey ran, has been POpulist ever
since. except when there was no fusion,
and Mr.. Perkins was denied the caucus
nomination for reelection. Tt is argued
that a bargain between Baker and Bur
ton now for the judgeship in exchange
for the SenatOfShlp would De equally
unpopular in the party and smash the
power which the party has gained by
it's recent success at the polls.
While this scheme is under way to
help Mr. Baker to the judgeship and
open the way for Mr.. Burton to the
senatorship. the former has publicly
said that he has no desire to be judge;
his friends say more than this-that he
wants to keep his seat, not only for the
remaining two years of his present
term, but for eight years, and in 1901
will be a candidate for reelection.
In addition to this Mr.. Baker is re-
ported to have promised the judgeship
to his friend and law partner, w. c.
Hook