The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-03-23
Ought to Be Permitted to Sc
Iect Commissioners.
ACTION OF MEMBERS
Of the City Central mmittee
Not the Action
Of the Whole COmmittee-BuS-
mess Men Indignant.

in overturning the nominees of the
members of the Commercial club for
park commissioners is wide spread.
The public censors'' who nominated
a ticket to show the Commercial club
"a thing two about politics" has not
changed his mind and the name OF
Henry Worran will be placed on the
Republican ticket" in place of the
name of Edward Wilder whose sense of
justice would not permit him to accept
a nomination under such circumstances.
There was some talk of making
compromise but Chairman r. S. Brig
ham who presided at the Commercial
club meeting says, and rightly too, that
he has authority to make any
changes in the nominations made by
the meeting. Strictly speaking the
meeting was not a club meeting. 1t
was rather a meeting of Commercial
club members who believed that the
organization would be given the priv
ilege of naming the park commissioners.
r; " Squlres. who man aaa ms
was afterward elected secretary of the
Republican city central committee, said
today: We attended the meeting as
representatives of the city central COM
mittee but we were not consulted and
when l said that something should be
done to have the names placed on the
Republican ticket Cliff Baker said that
they did not want them on the ticket.
Mr.. c. G. Baker said today in refer
ence to this statement: 81 said nothing
of the kind. did not know what should
be done to have the names placed on the
ticket and 1 suggested the appointment
of a committee. 1t was my idea that
they should be certified to all the COM
mittees and when this committee was
appointed it was to see the city clerk
and find out what it was necessary to
do.
I regret as much as any one that
any trouble should have arisen over
this matter. l was interested only in
getting the best men on the park board
and that is all. There was no thought,
so far as 1 am concerned, of ignoring
the Republican committee"
Major T. J. Anderson said today:
THE Commercial club started the move
ment for parks. The matter was thor
oughly canvassed and a plan outlined
by the club. bill was drawn up and
submitted to the legislature and became
a law. 1t was only reasonable to sup
pose that after that the club would be
allowed to name the park commission
ers. do not believe that the RepubH-
can central committee is responsible for
Tending any one but made an honest
effort to select men who would do the
best thing possible for the city.
Il do not believe that the people will
approve of that kind of politics. The
idea of dragging petty partisanship into
an affair of this kind is outra geous
and 1 believe that the members of the
Commercial club will feel as [ do
about it,
Mayor c. A Fellows said today:
There ought to be no question what
ever about this matter The CONNER
cial club is a representative Organiza-
ton. 1t includes in it's membership
some of the very best men of Topeka.
There is no reason why the wishes of
the club should be ignored a mat
ter which is of such vital Importance
to everyone in the city. Topeka needs
some parks and they will never be
secured if the people will allow such
actions Of
the park board
Judge A. B. Quinton said: "It is
plain that the members of the central
committee who refused to act on the
recommendation of the Commercial club
are in the wrong. 1t is reasonable to
give that organization the privilege of
naming the park commissioners and the
members of the central committee
should rise above personalities and
name the candidates suggested by the
Commercial club"
C. S. Elliott said: ga big blunder has
been made, and I think that everybody
realizes that. The position of park COM
missioner is an honorary one and the.
nominations of the Commercial club
should have been accepted"
r. S. Brigham, who is president of
the Commercial club, said: Il am very
sorry that this controversy should have
come up. ] am sure that the gentle
men who were present when the NOM
nations were made acted in perfect
good faith and that they did what they
believed to be Tor the best interests OF
the city. The meeting was not one of
the Commercial club. 1 was named as
chairman at the suggestion of Mr..
BOnebrake. There was no disposition
to ignore the gentlemen who were pres
ent representing the Republican COM
mittee and appointed one of them as
member of the committee on notification
and he acted with the committee. Mr..
Downs. who has been named by this
committee one of it's candidates, was
present and acted with us in making
the nominations.
II am extremely sorry that any trou-
position to be unfair and if the COM
mittee from the central committee
wished to suggest any names they
should have done so. They had the
same privilege of speaking that any
one had
Messrs. Van Vechten and Squires now
claim that they are the injured parties.
Mr.. Squires says that the members ig-
nored them. This was construed into
the committee appointed by the caucus
just as if his feelings had not been
injured.
The city central committee is not
responsible for this proceeding for the
two members of the committee did not
think it necessary to call a meeting
of the executive committee which
would have been qualified to act.
1t is possible that the tangle may be
Strengthened out this afternoon and
that wiser counsel will prevail. The Re-
publican central committee can not af-
ford to be in the position of antagoniz-
ing the commercial interests of Topeka.
Poisoned by Wild Parsnips.