The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-03-03
STATE POLITICS.
A Very Small and Select Circle
Selects Itself
To Open Republican Headquar-
terS in Topeka
AND MANAGE AFFAIRS
Pertaining to the State Cam
paign of 1898.
While Many Good Men on the
Committee Are Ignored.
AND MANAGE AFFAIRS

Kansas Republicans are thoroughly
disguised at the action Of Cy Leland
and his lieutenants in opening head
quarters in Topeka for the coming cam
paign, for the alleged purpose of help
ing the party but in reality to advance
the interests of himself and to help only
those who are standing by the boss
and the men he has selected to put 1or-
ward for the various offices.
Jim Simpson and Frank Brown VINO
have been selected to manage the mead
quarters are not members of the state
central committee. They became mem
hers of the executive committee through
trickery Simpsons election as CHAIR
man of the state committee was accom-
plished by the same means. Ihese gen gen
tlemen represent Mr.. Leland ana the
ideas he intends to have carried out In
the campaign which is now on.
The opening of headquarters IN To-
peka at this time finds the most pecu-
liar state of affairs which has existed IN
all the years of the political history Oh
Kansas.
board of railroad commissioners, a po-
sition he is very anxious to regain,
Simpsons home county refused to SEND
him as a, delegate to the state conVen-
ton. He was turned down; badly de-
feated and consoled himself with being
admitted to the convention as a spec
tatOr
central committee but Leland'S princi-
pal men, Nat Barnes, Frank Brown, Lit
Crum and @. S. JObes were not given
places thereon By some manipulation
the chairman who was to be selected by
the candidates was authorized TO
name an executive committee ana the
practice of all parties in the history OF
politics in Kansas has been to select
such committee from the members of
the state committee. But this was not
done.
Leland, who with Joe Bristow dictat-
ed Governor Adorrill's action, demanded
that Simpson be named as chairman of
the state committee. Morrill, demurred,
saying that Simpson had lost one cam
paign by bad management and he
feared the same result, which was not
altogether pleasing prospect when he
headed the ticket. Leland and Brlstow
insisted and the governor consented.
This was the first step in the pro-
ceeding to thwart the will of the con-
vention.
Chairman Simpson then named the
following executive committee: Nat
Barnes, Kansas City; F. L. Brown,
Garnett; L. S Crum, Oswego; c. 5
Jobes, Attica; r. Vincent, Washington;
J. A. Kimball, Salina; K. F. Willcock-
son, Oakley; NJ. Albaugh, Kingman; J.
NJ. Chisman, AtchisOn; w. E. Sterne,
Topeka; Cyrus Leland, Troy.
1t will be observed that the commit
tee was composed of eleven members.
Six being necessary for a majority. Mr..
Vincent and Mr.. Albaugh, two gentle
men VINO COulQ De IelleQ upon TO 90
Mr.. Leland's bidding, were members of
the state committee elected by the state
convention. 1t was absolutely neces-
sary to have four others. Among the
remaining thirty-three members of the
committee Mr.. Leland could not find
four men suited to his purpose, cOnse-
quently Chairman Simpson, after be
ing SEEM, graVely announced that he
had selected Barnes, Crum, Brown, and
JObes. These four with Leland, Vim
cent and Albaugh gave the boss a good
majority of the executive committee.
The executive committee then held
a meeting and Joe Bristow was elect
ed secretary over the protest of some
of the state officers. But BristOw got
a job at Washington and was compelled
to leave the state. The committee
then held another session and Frank
Brown was elected secretary.
This gave the Republicans of Kansas
a chairman and secretary of their state
committee who were unable to hold suf-
ficient influence at home to get on the
state convention delegations or on the
state committee.
The indignation among Republicans
first arose when it became known that
Leland's majority of the executive COM
mittee had held a meeting at the Cope
land and decided to open state head
quarters for the campaign of 1898
Why was not the state committee
called together do decide upon this?''
was a question which suggested itself
in various parts of the state.
Because the executive committee has
got the brains ana the central commit
has the members" Mr.. Leland is quoted
as having said in reply to the question
asked by an inquiring brother from the
ShOrt-grasS country
Already the charge is being made that
the headquarters are to be conducted
in the interest of certain candidates for
state offices. 1t is also limited that this
headquarters crowd proposes to use the
influence of the state committee, in so
far as the managers can make he
heve they control it, to advance their
interests when the distribution of state
patronage takes place.
No less a parsonage than w. E Stan
ley of Wichita, a promising candidate
for governor, in discussing the scheme
said:
IF the men in charge of the head
quarters undertake to advance the per
sOnal interests of themselves or any
particular candidate they will be dead
very dead, in the Republican party be-
fore the campaign ends.''
Then again the members of the party
are dissatisfied because the remainder
of the state central committee has been
ignored by the self-constituted and ir-
regularly formed majority of the execu-
tive committee The committee has
not been asked for an opinion on any
subject pertaining to party policy. The
seven members of the executive COM
mittee have done exactly as their polit-
tcal godfather Cyrus Leland, has told
them to do
After this minority of the state com
mittee had decided to open headu11a TT
q anu ia Things so no one else could
interfere with their plans, Chairman
simpson, in response to numerous pro-
tests and unceaslng demands, decided
to call the state committee together
He first came to Topeka and consulted
Mr. Leland and the result is that the
state committee has been called togeth-
er to fix time and place for holding
the state convention this summer. The
committee will meet in Topeka next
Tuesday evening, but it will be OBJ
served that Leland and his gang fix