The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-12-23
SOME HARD HITS
Mr.. Smelser of EmpOria Writes
a Letter AbOat Mr.. Eastman.
The Latter "Hangs His Hide on
the Fence
AND INCIDENTALLY
Says a Lot of Things Mighty In
teresting
About Kansas Politics and Poll
tics in Lyon County.
INCIDENTALLY
AN ID


prominent figures now in Lyon county.
a young man named Smelser, a Mr..
Riggs, who wants to be state account
ant, whose brother holds the same place
under the Populists, and Mr.. D. w.
Eastman.
SmeIser was a candidate for the leg
islature in Lyon county. He claims that
Riggs and Eastman helped beat him.
So when Mr.. Eastman was making his
pull for a place with Governor elect
Stanley, a telegram came from the
county central committee of Lyon
county one night apprising Stanley that
the county wanted nothing.
Following this, Smelser wrote let
ter to Morton Albaugh. which has raised
a great storm. 1t is as follows:
Morton Albaugh, ESQ, Wichita, Kan:
''Emporia, Kan, Dec. 18.-My Dear
Sir: 1 see by the papers that one of the
leading office seekers of this city was
in Wichita the other day looking after
his candidacy for superintendent of in
surance, and that Mr.. S. B. Riggs is
also looking after the position of state
accountant.
Now, I do not want to be placed in
the line of a 'knocker,' as 1 see the pa
pers dub a person who objects to the
appointment of persons from his own
county. You will remember that made
the race in this, the Forty-ninth dis
trict, for representative. 1 was openly
fought by both Mr.. Eastman and Mr..
Riggs, for no other reason than that
their man was defeated for the nom
inatiOn. I knew the Importance of Mr..
Stanley having &, legislature at his
back, and urged the Republicans upon
that account to stand loyal. Regard
less of this pleading, these two gentle
men did hard work to cause my de-
feat, and it was accomplished.
I am not Objecting because [ was
defeated, and do not feel sore, only to
think that a few Republicans would
run the risk of losing the legislature
at a critical time to even up, because
their own personal friend did not re-
ceive the nomination
I'VE have too many good Republicans
in this county who are entirely com
petent to fill any position that they may
ask for who worked night and day for
the ticket, and to them should the offices
be offered.
If you desire to know the feeling of
the Republicans of this county, in re-
gard to the attitude of these gentlemen
during the straight ticket. I refer you
to any of the leading Republicans here
I hope you will refer this letter to
Governor Stanley when he is consider
ing his appointments. do not feel as
though 1 am in a position to suggest
names of men from this county for ap-
pOintments, but my interest is with Mr.
Stanley and I want to see one of the
best administrations Kansas has ever
had made under him. Yours very
truly. w. N. SMELSER.
Mr.. Eastman has come back in COM
Inu1llCdI1On
I cast my first Republican vote for
Abraham Lincoln, for president
have never voted any other than the
Republican ticket. I shot my first bull
let in battle to uphold Republican prin-
ciples, and never shot any other way.
I have for thirty-eight years been
working for, and voting the Republican
ticket. There has not been a year in
all these years when I have not given
freely of my time and money to the Re
publican cause. When those young Re
publicans, who nowit seems. by the Times
article, nave gotten into the saddle in
Lyon county, were unborn, or were in
swaddling clothes, I was fighting for
my country and Republican principles
and voting for the Republican ticket.
Yet, it seems now, that l am not
known as an earnest worker for the
Republican cause
Mr.. SmeIser's statement that fought
him after his nomination is absolutely
false and unqu9lfedly false. opposed
his nomination because [ believed from
what I knew Of the Republican senti-
ment in his dist-i t. that he could not
be elected The result justified my be-
lief. Mr.. SmeIser ran behind his ticket
as compared with the vote for governor
in every precinct in his district, and re-
ceiVed 27S votes less than Governor
and ran behind the vote for county
superintendent 223 votes. He was
beaten by his opponent by 284 votes in
a district which gave Republican plu-
ralities from 1856 to 253. His vote was
1870 while Mr. Lynn, candidate for
county superintendent, received 1928,
and Governor Stanley received 1,348 in
his district. If. Mr.. Smelser thinks he
was defeated because some other mans
friend was not nominated, he would
better go around among the Republican
voters of his district and see what they
say was the reason they did not vote
for him. The rank and file of the Re
publican party are not refusing to vote
for the nominee because some mans
man is not nominated. The statement
of Mr.. Smelser that [ worked hard. or
worked at all, to cause his defeat, has
no foundation in fact 1t is false. 1t
was not necessary to work against him
He was defeated from the moment he
was nominated. Republicans every
where. in city and country, men who
were looking for no job and did not
aspire to be in the saddle, openly and
repeatedly said they would not vote for
him, they would not stand such a nomi-
nation. They did not seem to see the
necessity of electing Smelser so that
Mr.. Stanley might have a. legislature
at his back The statement that I have
been a chronic office seeker for twenty
years, is too silly to consider. When
the people of this county and city have
had an opportunity to vote for me
have always been elected by a. hand
some majority. I do not think this is
disgrace. No criticism, so far as
know, has ever been made of the con-
duct of any office which I have held. I
am not an applicant for any appOintive
position under Governor Stanley. and
shall not be. I wrote Mr.. Stanley to
that effect some time ago. [ never re-
ported the stories of the disreputable
things that I have heard Mr.. Smelser
was doing except in a single instance.
and then I told it to his friend and
warm supporter, Mr.. Higgins, in order
that he might know what was being
said about Smelser.
I have lived in Emporia twenty seven
years. I have never heard the Repub-
of
He is Christian gentleman and a stall
Mart Republican. He is a man of great