The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-12-09
Baker and Burton Forces Be-
come Aggressive.
Contention About Nomination
of Senator Continued.
SUFFER FROM REBUKE
Followers of Abilene Man EYor-
ried About State Committee.
Claim That They Did Not Try
to Force an Expression.

10 FOFce an IN pfeSSlOHs
The Baker and Burton forces have
reached the period where both say L
never did it."
BurtOn's friends are still booming his
state convention scheme for the nomi-
nation of a United States senator and
the Baker people are stiH interesting
themselves in smothering the fire
Wherever any is discovered.
The Burton managers claim that it
was not their purpose to present the
proposition concerning the nomination
of United States senator to the recent
meeting of the state committee The
Baker people say they We're afraid.
Burton has a majority of the state
committee" said a Burton man, and
we Will have our plan adopted when the
state committee meets to fix the time
for holding the state convention. We
have the fight won now Burton is
strong with the people and we viii
have the convention do the business for
US"
Those fellows must be badly fooled
said a Baker man to a state journal
reporter. They have not on the side
of Burton on the state committee n
dozen of the members. [ can name all
the Burton men and the number is not
more than eight"
The Burton men claim they have 20
members of the committee and that
this number of men viii vote for the
proposition to have the state convcn-
tiOn nominate the candidate when the
proper time arrives. This time. they
say. will be when the state committee
meets to discuss the plans for the state
convention and to select the place for
holding it.
The committee meeting seems -
have caused a wide split between thc
Baker and Burton factions. The Bur
ton men claim they were not licked:
the Baker men say they won and there
it is.
Cbairn7ar, Alna11eb and C,y--1is 7 Gland
are said by the Burton men to have
worked diligently to prevent the pro-
position going before the committee-
The BurJOn1teS say Leland ana Al
baugh were scared that Burton would
carry the committee. Mr.. Leland suid.
q cOunselled the committee to NOT
take this subject up because the com
mittee represents the Republican party
of the whole state and can not afford
to become the promoter of a plan To
help any one man to the detriment %
another"
Chairman AIbaugh says. ct think th7
plan to submit the proposition 70 the
state committee is unWise and there
fore opposed it"
The Burton men claim Leland ana
Albaugh feared that Baker would lose
if the committee adopted the co1ven-
tiOn plan, but at the same time the
Burton men argue that this is not their
scheme. Since they are so eager to
point out the fact that Bakers friends
were scared. it seems reasonable to
conclude that it is,a Burton scheme. thu
Burton organ to the contrary notwith-
standing
The Burton men claim, too that AL
baugh called the state committee to-
gether when Burton was in Washing
ton and Frank Grimes was in ONO and
other supporters of the Abilene man
were out of the state with purpose in
view. The Burton men say that pur-
pose was to have the committee sQuelch
the scheme by voting it down The
Burton men also claim that the Al
h24IUh LELAND crowd had planned
for this action but discovering the Buy
ton people controlled the committee, at
once took to the woods and pleaded
with the Burton men TO refrain from
presenting to the committee the reso-
luton for this new method of nominate
ing a senator.
Then this committee meeting seems
to have plunged the administration in
trouble The head of the administra-
tiOn is charged with opposing the Bur
ton plan through the private secre-
tal-v's interviews and there is gem
eral row among the Brethren over the
senatorial election which is more than
a year in the future.
Discussing the controversies which
have developed since the meeting of the
state committee Frank T.. Grimes, who
is one Of MI. Burtcn's managers, said
today:
$ "The Burton men were not defeated
at the recent meeting Of tine state COM
mittCc- The plan to have the state
convention Of the Republican party
nominate the candidate for United
States senat tor was not presented to the
committee: no action was taken by
which to judge results. consequently
we were not defeated in any sense Of
the word.
Mr.. Burton is not fostering the plan
to have the state convention name the
candidate for senator. It is the plan
of some Of his friends Mr.. Burton
has declined at all times to take n posi-
tion on this proposition claiming that
NE was not pushing this scheme but IS
perfectly willing 10 abide by the result
of the deliberations Of the committee
and the state convention upon any
proposition or any plan which either
body might see fit to adopt for the in
terests Of the party, which is the para
mount issue, and superior to the plans
Of individuals Mr.. Burton made no
effort, neither did his friends make an
effort to have the proposition disposed
of by the last meeting of the state COM
mittee. He took no part in it, 1T is a.
plan which has been generally talked
about and because some Of the friends
of Mr.. Burton favor it. il is unfair to
charge that Burton is behind it. How
ever, Burton is willing to 20 before
the convention or before the legislature
just as the people see fit. some of US
have favored this scheme because we
believed it to be for the best interests
Of the party