The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-11-01
AT COLUMBUS.
Governor Leedy Addresses a
Large Meeting There.
Questions Asked From the Au-
dience Which He Answers
SOME FIGURES GIVEN
To Show the POpuIist Strength
in the Southeast.
Chief Contest in the County
Over Representative.

Columbus, Kan, Nov. IA question
box was a feature of Governor Leedy's
meeting here today. In the middle of
the speaking the governor was inter
rupted by a soldier from the Twenty
second Kansas. Governor Leedy invited
the soldier to ask him any question and
said he would in his humble way en-
deavor to answer him. The soldier then
asked the governor why he sent the
Twentieth Kansas away in such a con-
dition that they were called tramps.
Governor Leedy explained what he had
done for the Twentieth by personally
taking blankets to them and said he
gave them such tents, clothes and pro-
visions as the state had on hand at that
time and that they were United States
soldiers and were looking to the general
government for supplies at the time
they were taken away. Several other
questions were asked, one being why
the governor had appointed cOlOred Of
ficers for the cOlored soldiers. The gov
ernOr said he had allowed the colored
soldiers to elect their own officers, as
that is what the men wanted. The an
swers to the questions caught the crowd
and it was liberal with applause.
Speaking on other matters Governor
Leedy said:
1--WE take the position that the cor
pOratiOn, and when 1 say corporation
I do not mean your banking institu-
tions, nor your small incorporated con-
Germs, but the gigantic organizations
that can crush them as a strong man
would an egg shell, should be regulated
and controlled, and that the poor citi-
zens should not be left to struggle with
them single-handed.'
He placed himself on record as in ia
vor of a new constitution, that would
give the state the power to buy or
build a railroad and that with this pow
er they would not have to do either the
one or the other, for the people having
hold of the cold end of the poker and
the corporation having the hot end pre-
sented would take off their hat and ask
what the pleasure of the people was
In answer to a question of his stand
on prohibition he said it was the busi-
ness and the fault of each individual
citizen if there were joints in his town.
That he could not be expected to ferret
out joints, but if man is convleteq
the law would be vindicated and that
man go to jail, and there would be no
evasion of the law in his favor.
Governor Leedy came to town Sunday
evening at six and went to the hOtel.
Monday forenoon was spent at the hotel
visiting with friends who called. In
the afternoon the meeting was held in
the opera house. When the speaking
began there were probably three hun
dred people present. The people after
ward began to crowd in rapidly and
filled up the house in a short time and
after the governor had talked for about
two hours even the standing room was
gone.
This is one of the largest fusion
counties in the state. Two years ago
it gave the state ticket fourteen hun
dred plurality. The POpulist leaders do
not claim so large a majority this
year but they say that the percentage
of the majority to the total vote cast
will be greater.
Ridgely, Populist nominee for con-
gress, will carry the county by an in
creased majority. The POpulists claim
their county ticket will be elected be-
yond a doubt. The chief contest in the
county is over state representative in
the Twenty-sixth district which is the
south part of the county. G. A. Gibbs,
a Democrat, is the fusion nominee. This
is the district that sent Ed WeiIep up
two years ago. Weilep is working hard
in the campaign helping Gibbs make
his canvass
When talking of the situation Mr..
Gibbs said: "Of course we will carry
this county. We have the majority and
our county ticket is conceded. One rep
resentative district, the Twenty-f1fth,
will be carried by seven or eight hum
dred votes and the other, the one I am
running in, 1 feel very confident OF car
rying. The Republicans are short in
their registration in Baxter Springs,
Galena. and Columbus Our meetings
have been school house gatherings.
They are uniformly enthusiastic.
place the majority at one thousand at
least and we hope to make it two to
four hundred more"
G. NJ. Cheshire said: "'The total vote
of this county will be less than two
years ago but the fusion. ticket will get
a larger percentage of the vote cast
than them
f. E. Weilep, a leading politician, ex-
pressed himself as of the same opinion.
After the meeting Governor Leedy
spent some time shaking hands on the
street. He left at 6 o'clock for Pitts
burg.