The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-11-03
VIEWS OF LOCAL POLITICIANS.
Bourbon County Counted on by the
Fusionists.

Fort Scott Nov Ex-Governor Leedy
came to town yesterday afternoon from
the south where he had been campaign
ing during the past week. On his ar
rival he was met by some of the mem
bers of the county central committee
and escorted to the hotel where he was
entertained During the afternoon the
hotel lobby was filled with people who
called to shake hands and congratulate
the governor on the prospects of the
campaign.
The fight over county attorney is the
all absorbing topic in this county. Two
years ago the county. gave Governor
Leedy two hundred and ninety majority
and the Populist ticket ran about in the
same way with the exception of Attor-
ney General Boyle who carried the
county by six hundred and twenty
eight votes. This being BOyle's home
and his being very popular accounts for
him running ahead of his ticket. 1t IS
predicted that Boyle Will run as many
if not more ahead of his ticket this
year.
The fusionists are we'll organized and
are running a good campaign. The
workers are not making eXtravagant
claims as to their ability to increase the
majority of two years ago but seem to
content themselves with the assertion
that their majority will not be de-
creased.
The Republicans contend that there
has been a falling off in the fusion vote
of two years ago and cite the results of
the election proof of their claims.
1t Will be remembered that this is one
of the cities in the state where the pres
ent administration had a good deal of
trouble over the police boards. No less
than four different boards were ap-
pointed and removed. This of course
produced more or less fractional fights
in the fusiOnist ranks. The Republicans
have been counting on these fractional
fights and OBJECTIONS to secure BOur-
bon county for the Stanley ticket. Dur
ing the past four weeks many party
differences have been settled and most
of
of two years ago are at work for it this
year.
The registration of Fort Scott is ISIS,
which is large. The fusionists claim that
this is in their favor as they have regis
tered their vote. The largest registra-
ton this city has had was something
over 1900. This was when the town
claimed seventeen thousand inhabitants.
Now the city claims only twelve thou
sand inhabitants and registers over
twenty-five hundred. Last year the
city registered 1900.
The fusion central committee claim
gain from the colOred vote.
The action of the Republicans in in
ducing the mayor of Fort Scott to re-
fuse to appoint Democrats as election
Judges on the ground that there was no
Democratic party here has aroused
many of the Democrats who had been
somewhat apathetic and will probably
swell the fusion vote.
Representative Newt Ury Gre
publican) is taking no part in the cam
paign. Try last year carried the
Twentieth representative district by ia
votes. w r. Biddle whom he then de-
feated and who is now running again
claims he will be elected.
r. J. Bull chairman OF the county
central committee in speaking of the
situation said:
Things in the county are in good
shape. They are much better than they
were two weeks ago. We have had a
good many fractional fights down here
and these have made a few OBJECTIONS
but these are all settled now and are all
so far as I know now supporting the
state ticket. Boyle will run ahead of
! the ticket again this year. So will
Jake Shepard. The hot fight here in
this county is on Jake Shepard. Jake
will be elected though I think the
state ticket will have an average ma
jority of about 200 in this county"
Among the callers who paid their re-
spects to Governor Leedy was c.. w.
Bulger a. farmer. To the Journal cor
respondent he said: q cannot see much
of any change in the voters in the coun-
try. Those who voted for Mr. I.eedy
before will vote for him again. If there
is any change at all it is in his favor.
can't think of any men that I know of
in my neighborhOod that have chan
| ged."
John Graham. a colored man said:
| Il am sure Jake q. I. Shepard) will
! get about three-fourths of the colored
vote. Governor Leedy will get about
half of them. Mr.. Boyle will get more
! Of them than the governor and less
| than Jake"
The cOIOred vote of the county is es-
/ timated at 500.
Carl Drake secretary of the county cen
I'VE are going to carry the county by 200
votes. We have made a gain of 400 votes
| in four weeks. We have 500 colored voters
/ here and I am sure our ticket will get 20
/ per cent of this vote. There is a large
| registration in this city. Our men are well
registered. We are only two short in my
ward, and one OF them is out of town..
| W. p. billiard said to friend: I'VE (the