The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-08-24
WHICH OF THESE?
POpulfst Candidates For Gov
ernOr Now Appearing.
To7,, D..o;don4hoI IL MayinO a
John Breidenthal Is Making a
Still Hunt.
YOUNG CROWD RACE
Their Champion Is Ex-Lieuten-
ant Governor Harvey.
Ambition of Webb McNall, Ex-
Insurance Commissioner.

John Breidenthal denies the soft i'm
parchment that he is a candidate for
governor, yet he is working in that d.
rection and his friends are confident
If there is any pronounced opposition
TO Breidenthal, he will not enter the
race because he does not care to pre-
cipitate a quarrel over men in his own
party, but if he succeeds in straight
ening out the tangles which have re-
suited over disagreements among the
leaders of the party, he will accept the
nomination.
Mr. Breidenthal is working among his
friends in various parts of the state and
has made several speeches during the
past few months. He is on a still hunt.
The people in his office do not know
where the bank commissioner has been
on the trip which he is now taking, but
the knowing ones in the party say
Breidenthal is fixing up his fences.
Mr.. BreidenthaTs ambition in pub
lie life lies in the direction of the I'm
tied States senate. He would enter
fight of this kind if the legislature were
of the proper character next year and
some people say he is now planning on
that contingency rather than to become
a candidate for governor. Whatever
may be Mr.. Breidenthais intentions,
he is not confiding in his friends, but
is saying nothing publicly and seems
to be increasing the size of his wood
pile
Lieutenant Governor A. NJ. Harvey
has a strong following for this honor.
When Governor Stanley recommended
Harvey for a commission in the army
the friends of the major were sorry
that this condition had arrived, but
since the government has notified Mr..
Stanley that no additional officers will
be named, the friends of Harvey are
rejoicing because they will now go to
work with renewed energy to blaze
the way for him to enter the state
house as Governor Stanley's success
sor Harvey made his reputation and
gained great strength as presiding Of
ficer of the state senate. There is no
man in either party who viii say that
Harvey was at any time unfair or pre-
JUDGED by partisanship. He was as
quick to rebuke unfair and sharp
practices among the members of his
own party as he was to suggest fair
ness to the opposition.
Then, too Harvey's cool judgment at
times prevented the Populist majority
of the senate from becoming too viO
lent. There We're stormy times in the
senate when the counsel of Harvey dur
ing an adjournment or recess made
smooth the troubled waters. Once
during the special session a bitter argu-
ment was developing and the chances
were that some of the hOt-headed sena-
tors would soon arraign the governor,
who at that time was John w. Leedy
Things were warming up in good shape
and the newspaper men were anticipat-
ing a hot story during the impending
battle, but were surprised by the chair
man of the POpulist caucus, Senator
LeWelling, moving for a recess. The
motion carried. Harvey had sent a
note to Lewelling asking him to inter
pose this obstacle.
Then Harvey took the fiery senators
in his room and advised peace. 1t came
and the trouble was averted.
The objection urged against Harvey
is that he is too young. This is met
with the counter claim that he is the
very man that is wanted, because he
has friends among the young men and
is esteemed by the older members of
his party.
"a young man always has more
strength than an older man. said one
of HarVey'S friends today.
Another man who is standing in the
shadow Of this honor is Webb McNaI.
Although McNau is said to be a candi-
date for the place, it is claimed by the
politicians that McNaH really wants to
be nominated for superintendent of in
surance. However, McNau would like
to be governor so he could have a hear
ing of charges against the man who
succeeded him as superintendent of in
surance and decapitate him as he was
decapitated by Stanley
With these three men available and
a score Of receptive candidates for the
nomination for governor, the party is
not lacking in material Breidenthal is
probably the favorite in the race, but
he is opposed by many of the politi-
clans of his own party, because he is
charged with having recently been au-
thorizing the publication of prosperity
stories, which tend rather more to sub
Stantiate the claims being made by the
Republican managers than to support
those theories dear to the Populist
heart.