The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-11-17
MAY BE A BOLT.
Latest Talk Concerning the
Senatorial Situation.
Burton People Threaten to Pre-
vent a Caucus.
REFUSE POPULISTS.
Resent Senator Bakers Sup
port From FusiOnists.
Election in ''Open House, Would
Defeat Both Aspirants.
POPULISTS.

A new feature has appeared in the
contest for United States senator which
viii likely result in a bolt from the Re
publican caucus. Such a condition
might force the nomination and cleo
ton of a senator on the floor of the
house and senate, which if true, ten
chances to one, would defeat both Mr..
Baker and Mr. Burton
The bolt does not seem to be premedi-
tated by the Burton people, but Repub-
Hcan members of the legislature who are
uninstructed and unpledged on the SEN
atorship are resenting the idea of adj
hitting Populists to republican eau
Gus, unless those Populists first confess
to the Republican faith.
It is argued that g. Populist or Demo-
GRAFT has no place in a Republican eau
Gus and upon this theory there is trou-
bic now being stirred up with the view
of keeping the fusionists out of the Re
publican caucus to nominate a senator.
The Baker forces are, however, charged
with an ayOWed and open effort to enlist
the aid of fusionists to defeat Burton.
The latest gossip in political circles be-
ing over an alleged conversation be-
tween Senator Baker and John Breiden-
thai at Independence.
The two men were campaigning in the
interests of their respective parties and
met by accident, but discussed the cam
paign and its features before separat-
ing. In the course of that conversation
it is alleged that Senator Baker made
this statement, or substantially this
statement, to Mr.. Breidenthal:
''Mr. Breidenthal, if you folks do not
win this legislature for yourselves, I
hope that those of your party who do
win and are in office will help me defeat
Mr.. Burton
Probably within twenty-four hours
this alleged conversation will be denied
by the persons most interested in dis
abusing the minds of Republicans of
such a concession or request from the
leading candidate for senator, but it is
I'm f1aT- IA Ar will
deny that the conversation took place.
This cow ton, followed as it has
been, by the announcement that the
three PopuliSt legislators from Bourbon
county and one from Linn county, along
with Senator Tapp of Sedgwick, will
support Mr.. Baker, the four first men
toned going into the Republican eau
Gus, has started fresh trouble. The Bur
ton people are industriously circulating
these two incidents, while the Baker
people are saying nothing about it, ex-
cept to suggest that this is another po-
Htical movement in opposition to Baker
'sWho has Mr.. Burton beaten now"
This is denied by the Burton people
and by Mr. Burton himself. And, by
the way, the chances are that Ed Nc
Keever, of Shawnee county, who was
elected as a Burton man, may be In the
Baker camp soon, because Burton has
given McKeever a shock at this early
date following the election. The story
goes this way among the politicians:
Soon after the election the State Jour
Ild1 dlluOu4fSCQ lI4oL A1CEAGCNCA .WOdA0
be a candidate for speaker of the house
of representatives. George J. Barker,
of Lawrence, was also announced as a
candidate.
1t is said that Mr. Burton called Bar
lxer by telephone, or communicated with
him in some manner, informing Barker
that "We' had selected Barker for
speaker. The following day the Burton
organ published in Kansas City, an
nounced that Mr.. Barker would be
speaker.
Mr. Burton, it is alleged, told Mr..
Barker at that time that he, Burton, |
had a constitutional majority of the
legislature for himself for senator.
AS Mr.. Barker has announced to his |
political friends that he expected to sup |
port Mr.. Baker for reelection, the in |
dications are that the Baker people, if |
Barker continues to be good, and is !
slated later for speaker by the Burton |
people, will make no contest on the |
speakership. Otherwise the Baker man |
ayers are likely to put forward Henry |
Mason, of Garden City.
Mr. McKeever denies that the Barker |
incident has made him oppose Burton's |
reelection, but some of Mr. McKeever's |
warm political friends claim him for the |
Baker faction.
The threatened bolt, the origin of |
which seems to be a mystery, is causing |
much interest in Republican political |
circles today, and as the time ap-
breaches for the Populists to go into the |
Republican caucus, the trouble will as
sumo larger proportions.
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