The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-10-17
SILENT FACTORS.
Political Workers Who Are Not
Known to Outsiders.
They Form the Secret Service
Department.
KEEP TAB ON VOTERS
Their Duty is to Watch the I'm
certain People.
Furnish Information to the
KEEP TAB ON VOTERS
Furnish Information to the
State Central Committees.

The secret service of a campaign is a
department concerning which the public
has little knowledge. In fact, it is a safe
proposition to suggest that nine out of
ten men not actively identified with po-
litical machines do not know that the
state committees Of the great parties
have secret agents at work all the time.
These men do not get on the pay-rolls
as detectives or spoilers, but simply as
clerks, messengers or some other equally
innocent appellation. Yet these men are
entrusted with important missions and
upon their activity largely depends the
length of service and payment which
they enjoy.
The principal business, however, which
this feature Of the political machine has
to do is to keep tab on the voters It
is important that the state committees,
for the purposes Of mailing lists and
other campaign uses, be we'll informed
as to the attitude of voters. OF course
the great majority of men express their
political opinions without fear or favor,
but there is a class of men who profess
in the presence of one man to agree with
whatever political opinions are ex-
pressed, but placed in company with
representatives of an opposite party and
they express their approving views of
ideas and utteranceS contrary to those
agreed with while among the others.
This class of men in Kansas is large
enough to make their influence danger
Gus to the success of any party. For
this reason the manag gers of all parties
make an effort to get down to the bot
tom of the ideas Of such a man, and
poll him wherever. he belongs.
This is one of the secrets of the two
political headquarters in Topeka. The
Populist and Republican managers will
not admit for publication that it is
necessary to watch men so closely but
they will confess confidentially that this
very class makes the elections in Kansas
uncertain. That is to say, there are 50
many men who say one thing and do the
opposite that it is next to impossible to
keep an accurate record of the actual
happenings.
Then there is another class which this
secret service is maintained to look after.
This is made up of the men who have
something ito telp' on the other fell
lows.
1t is an unwritten law in the manage
ment of state political headquarters to
hang out the danger signal when man
of this character comes along. He is
permitted to stay around until his pres
ence becomes offensive, then some one
tells him it would be better were he seen
less Invariably this individual then
seeks the headquarters of the party
which he desired to scandalize in some
way or another and there abides until
subject to the provisions of the ordi-
nance against nuisances and vagabonds
Then he seeks the town which he claims
as home and abides in peace until an
other set of officers take charge of the
state headquarters.
Not many weeks ago a man dropped
into the Republican headquarters and
very confidentially informed the man
ayers that he was possessed of valuable
information concerning the fusiOnists.
He animated that he would sell this in
formation for a small consideration.
Mr.. Albaugh ordered the western Kan
sas man out Of his office and admonished
him to remain away from the head
quarters
Within two hours State journal re-
porter saw this same individual seated
in a comfortable chair at Populist
Have you bought that fellows
goods?'' said the reporter to John II.
Curran, secretary of the Populist COM
mittee.
Mr.. Curran gave the reporter a look
of incredulity when the subject was first
mentioned, but later said
mo; and we don't expect to. We are
on to the game this kind of men work,
and while this one sits around and at
tends to his own business he will not
be disturbed. When he opens his
samples we will boost him"
This fakir was certainly boosted" as
he is not now seen at the headquarters
where he was formerly frequent Wis
itor.
Another branch of the state commit
counties. In this department represent
tatives of the various parties count the
voters at meetings of the opposition.
This system was first introduced in the
state by the old Alliance movement, but
it has been fostered with great diligence
by those who have followed that po-
litical upheaval in Kansas
In every county of the state there are
men whose special duty 1t is. represent
ing both parties. to count and report to
the state committee of the party to
which they belong the number of voters
present at a rally or speech making held
by the opposition.
Many of these local representatives are
very diligent. furnishing the committees
with the total attendance at these DEM
and children and voters
an this day of political activity not
much publicity is given to these figures,
but the state committees receive their
daily bulletins for the special informa-
ton of the chair1nen or mana gers
With these three branches of secret
service the state committees manage to
keep in close touch with the local stu
atoms and the doings of men interested
in politics. It is one of the spolxes in
the great political wheel which revolves
once in four years and the Importance
which it attains is dependent entirely
upon the result of the election. Both
sides can not win. The element which
to the secret service The element which
loses never refers to it until the time
again comes to press it into service.
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