The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-03-08
STANLEY WAR CRY
Governor Proposes a Campaign
Against the Railroads.
Administration Would Try Its
Hand at Reform.
BAD FOR M. A. LOW.
Mo- D,,A TTS-. Mt 80 Dooo Eo,,
May Put Him Out of Race For
Committeeman.
Will Reconstruct the Usual
Campaign Methods.
Harris and JObes Centers ofPO-
litical Opposition.

Three prominent men in the Repub- |
lican party of Kansas are being talked
of for the position of national COM |
mitteeman for Kansas: NJ. A. Low, |
Topeka, vice president and general at
torney for the Rock Island; J. P. Harris, |
ex-congressional candidate in the Sec |
Ond district, banker and postmaster at
Ottawa; C. S. Jobes. Wichita, national
bank examiner for Kansas and one of
the wisest of all the politicians
The contest which is now shaping up
presents some peculiar conditions and
has undoubtedly more complex ques
tions involved than have ever before
been presented as issues in a. similar
contest. The three men named are the
peers of any in the party, but their en-
vironments are likely to result in their
retirement from the contest.
Perhaps the greatest interest is di-
rected to Mr.. Low because he is ac-
knowledged to be one of the strongest
men in Kansas politics; an organizer
with great ability and a man who never
fears to express his convictions and
then to support them unfiinchingly.
And, too, he is not the representative
of a particular crowd or faction of the
party. For this reason he is conceded
to be a man upon whom the various ele-
ments could safely unite, but the in
1uence which may prevent Mr.. Low 9
selection Is one which has not yet been
permitted to show a hand.
It is the fact that Governor Stanley
proposes that the Republican party in
the campaign this year shall make an
anti-raiIroad fight. With this purpose
in mind it would not be consistent to
have a railroad representative as a
member of the national committee.
The managers of the Republican party
have been working quietly on this
plan and the purpose was to prevent an
carly publication of the fact that a
fight against the railroads is proposed
this year The policy of those inter
ested in this matter will be first to deny
the imputatiOn that it is proposed to
fight the railroads with which the party
has always been on intimate relations,
but the information comes from too
high a source to be discredited.
Since the cattlemen and Iumbermen,
the shippers of merchandise and other
interests which depend upon the rail-
roads for transportation have been
making so many prolonged and fire.
quent complaints against freight rate
extortion the state administration, and
the governor in particular, has decided
that the time to take up the cudgel in
the interests of the people is at hand.
Governor Stanley during the meeting
of the state board of agriculture made
the statement that 'in the present era
of prosperity when the people should
be enjoying the fruits of their labors
the railroads were demanding extor-
tionate freight rates" He followed
this idea and gave the roads a gen
eral rounding up. At that time, al
though it was not regarded as sig
nificant, the war upon railroad rates
was declared. Then too the railroads
became angry at Governor Stanley.
SO many appeals have been made to
the governor; so many people have COM
planned to him; so much of a demand
has been made that he convene the
equitable freight rate law or railroad
law, that the chief executive believes
great injustices are being practiced by
the railroads and he believes that the
Republican party should be the first to
take up the fight. This then is the in
fuence which will lay the foundation
for railroad crusade by the Republican
party, something which is decidedly re-
markable in Kansas politics.
There is another influence at work,
though it is not as strong as the con-
victiOns concerning rates. 1t is the
secret belief among some of the R pub
lican leaders that unless something is
done to get away from the old moOrings
on Kansas issues that the victory is
liable to perch on the banners flying
from the opposition camp The present
Republican administration believes it
has made a good record, but the gov
ground and go after things which the
people demand Probably the most
important subject in the minds of the
people and one which is and has been
gone over for years is the railroad ques-
ton. Governor Stanley's attitude on
this question is in a measure respon-
sible for the strong resistance which
the state will offer in the fight to break
down the court of visitation law.
With the plan to make an anti-rail-
road campaign thoroughly outlined, it
is extremely doubtful if the managers
of the party would think it wisdom to
unite on Mr. Low for national COM
mitteeman. With the proposed con-
test in view Mr. Low would doubtless
prefer to keep out of the fight and per-
NIT the administration to open its
guns without interference.
This condition of affairs has been re-
sponsible for the suggestion of Jack
Harris, of Ottawa, for national COM
ris has come from all sources imagin-
able. Especially are complaints Wig
orOus from the Second district Mr.
Harris is a wealthy man. He is pres
ident of a bank in Ottawa He has a
small fortune, but he accepted the ap-
pointment of postmaster in Ottawa at
the hands of Congressman BOWersock
1t is now charged that Harris stepped
in and took the Office thereby depriv-
ing an old soldier who really needed
the office from a place which meant
much to him in the care Of his family
However, Harris was largely respon-
sible for the nomination of BoWersock
Being himself a candidate who was
unable to secure the number of votes
necessary for a nomination Harris
threw his strength to BoWersock and