The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-04-29
TIME SERVERS.
A FactiOuS and Small Minded
POpulist Element
Hampers the Kansas Leaders
of the Party,
SAYS r. w. TURNER
Turner Pays His Respects to
TOpeka's Anti-Leedyites.
Thinks Leedy Makes No More
Mistakes Than Predecessors.

Discussing Kansas politics today, R.
W. Turner said:
From my standpoint I do not believe
that anyone free from party bias will
deny that Governor Leedy, General
Boyle, Auditor Morris and Treasurer
Hef1eboWer have made excellent Off
GERS. On them has rested the burden of
the administration which, as a whole,
has been exceptionally creditable to
Kansas.
There is, however, a chronic weak
ness in the POpuliSt party, which keeps
from it men of breadth and excellence.
refer to that disposition, on the part
of many of it's members, to regard eV-
erything that they don't understand
with suspicion, and to delight in fight
ing and hlndering the leaders of their
party rather than to uphold their hands.
An incident occurred a short time ago
which very APPLY exemplifies this. I
asked resident of your city, and a
prominent Populist, as to whether or
not Leedy would carry this county for
delegates to the state convention, he
told me that he would not; and when
asked why, he stated that in making
the appointments connected with the
police commission, the aggregate sal
airy of the appointments given to the
Democrats and Free Silver Republicans
exceeded those given to the PopuliSts
by $3.50 per month; and that Jim this,
and John that, had not been appointed
policemen. 1 asked him if he thought
the matter could be healed up and the
delegates given to Leedy if this was
rectifed, and John this and Jim that
given appointments, and he promptly
answered that he had no doubt it could
be done. l then stated that / thought
the whole state would rise up and say
the county was justified in fighting
Leedy, and that all sensible and can
did people would rise in arms and turn
down the governor, the entire admin
istration and embrOil the free silver ell
ements in contentious, in order to have
Jim this and John that appointed pO-
licemen. This kind of politics is a
stencil that the good people of the state
should abate with carboEc acid.
There is a factious and turbulent ell
ement in the Populist party that is too
partisan and too hide bound to realize
that great mass of the people are
honest, candid and sensible, and cannot
be influenced by the chickering's of those
who seem to believe that every act of
a man is influenced from selfish
standpoint.
Governor Leedy, recognizing the
Funston colonel of the First regiment
regardless of politics. Immediately this
factious, turbulent element in the Pop
ulist party commenced to growl. An
ex-editOr of a leading Populist paper
in this city did not hesitate to say that
he believed Governor Leedy was actu-
ated by patriotic motives in making the
would give him 10000 Republican votes
in this state. While the howl is still
going up over Mr.. Funston's appoint
ment, some one from Newton utilities
the columns of the Capital to charge
Governor Leedy with giving military
appointments to no one but his ''polit-
zeal chums,' and ignoring military men;
while, as a matter of fact, the COVER
nor has turned down many of his best
friends in order to equip every regiment
with men of military experience, and
If the charges were true critics should
remember that those political chums
are Kansas boys who go to face fever,
bullets and death.
Some criticisms are made because
Leedy vetoed the railroad bill passed by
the state legislature. He vetoed it be-
cause he believed it to be his duty to do
so, and because he was urged by count
less kilograms and letters from all over
the state of Kansas from leading and
influential Populists to veto it.
Il am not a partisan, and never ex-
pect to be, and I am sure of this, that
the great body of POpulist voters in the
state of Kansas will take pleasure in
sitting down on an element who has no
better cause for complaint than not get
ting an office
1T was this spirit that prevented fus-
ion and divided the silver forces in Jew
ell county last fall and it is against
this spirit that the great majority of the
best Populists in Jewell county protest; |
POpulistS who don't want office, who
never expect to hold office, but who |
don't want the men in their party to |
ignore the faithful and loyal allies of |
1896 who gave their time. money, votes
and energies to a cause in which each |
element has common faith and expec-
tation.
IF these elements get together, lit
may disappoint few OF the turbulent |
elsewhere referred to- the state will be |
carried by 10000 majority. Because,
while some of them might vote the Re- |
publican ticket, 1 know in my own per- |
sonal acquaintance at least SO liberal |
independent Republicans that would |
vote the ticket of the allied forces, and |
1 don't have to go out of Jewell county |
to find them. resigned my office and |
asked Governor Leedy to send me to |
Cuba I want to go. I may be disap- |
nointed in this ambition but I am not |