The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-02-16
EYES ON IHE SENATE
Aspirants are at Work Busily,
If Quietly.
BURTON, LELAND ct AL.
And How the Situation APP
pears Arborescently'

Topeka, Kan, Feb. 15.-(Special)-Sur-
prisingc combinations are forming beneath
the apparent lethargy which has settled
down over Topeka and the legislature
now in session here.
From the looks of things since Hook S
appointment and the organization OF the
legislature, three things seem very likely
to occur:
The defeat Of Lucien Baker for the
United States senate two years hence.
The election of ]. r. Burton to succeed
him.
The election of Cyrus Leland to succeed
Senator Harris in 1903.
This much is known as positively as
conditions in politics can be known. Le-
land wants to go to the national seate.
Baker will OF have the support of the
railroads for reelection and he will have
some of the big politicians against him.
There is considerable talk in the Hobbies
here that Baker is far short of being a
popular senator. The railroads represent
ed by NJ. A Low, Bail:e Waggoner and
colonel Joe Richars will pull enough of
Bakers political friends away from him
to compel Leland, whom Baker has twice
turned down, TO let go. Burton will be
taken up because of his availability in
two or three ways. He has worked hard
for the Republican party and been turned
down repeatedly, but he never gets out Of
line. He has for ten years stumped the
state in the interest of each succeeding
Republican state ticket, travelling long
roads and cold nights without complaint
and without a break or halt And all
these years of defeat and waiting he has
maintained the most superb good humor
and cheer. The friendliness toward Bur-
ton in the present Legislature amounts
almost to enthusiasm. He has worried
the people of Kansas into admiring him.
And the admiration is genuine at this
time
The railroad people have taken this to
be ground swell OF popular favor lifting
for Burton and regarding him as safe
man have taken him up. For they didn't
want Hook to be judge. Ike Lambert
and Senator Hessin of Manhattan are
Doth candidates, but it is the opinion or
politicians that they VIII both postpone
their plans until the time comes for the
election Of man to succeed Harris.
There is an opinion held by a respectable
number Of the push, however, that Lam
bert will gather up his strength for a
stampede in case Burton, who will be an
open candidate against Baker, should nil.
But if Lambert goes over to the time
fir electing a successor to Harris he will
withdraw in Difference of Leland, who in
a very large way has made Lambert in
Kansas politics. The feeling toward Le-
land viii not be as it was when he was
a candidate before. He has paced scores
of men since then. Cy Leland is a bust
ness politician. He is everlastingly at it.
He is personally responsible for placing
more men in public positions than any
other man of the west Missouri states.
He began the next day after election to
prepare for the following one. He keeps
his mouth shut and his brain at work
H sticks to his friends and pounds his
enemy on the back until the field is clear
ed. Leland isn't a gutter and he has his
eye on the United States senate. Leland
and Burton are not enemies. 1t isn't
necessary that they should be; and Lee
land doesn't make enemies for the fun
of It.