The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-05-03

other parties at the conference on Tues
day evening, but made no recommended
lions. It was explained that the Demo-
Gratis who attended the conference, and
Lee Jones in particular, thought it
would be the better policy for the anti
fraud Republicans to wait until after
the conventions of the other parties be-
fore making a nomination, for fear that
the Democrats might not stand by h
man selected by the "anti-frauders'
unless they selected him first. The COM
mittee ~refrained, however, from recon-
mending that this be done.
A discussion followed as to the adv1s-
ability of making an immediate nomtna-
ton. The members of the committee
were inclined to look with suspicion
upon the recommendations OF Lee Jones,
particularly as he is an ardent anti
prohibitionist and was making a fight
for the nomination Of /. a Stebb1ns,
who has been active in n enforcement
of the prohibitory law as member of the
Committee of Seventeen.
It was urged that any Democrats who
would support a fusion candidate be-
cause he happened to be endorsed by
the anti-fraud Republicans would prob
ably vote for Nichols anyway and
against any candidate that he fusion
forces might decide upon.
Probably the strongest reason that
impelled the committee to make an I'M
mediate nomination was the statement
made by several members that there
was doubt about getting an Independent
candidate on the official ballot If he had
first been made the nominee of a con
VentiOn. 1t was claimed that an 1noe-
pendent candidate could be endorsed by
a party convention, and his name be
placed on the official ballot as the NOM
inee of that party, but if he was a party
candidate first there would then be no
legal reason for placing his name on
the ballot as independent candidate, ana
it was doubtful if it could be DONE.
On the strength of this statement the
| committee voted unanimously to MAKE
an immediate nomination, n a discus
sion Of candidates began.
While some of the committee were
| personally favorable to John F. SW1tzer,
the sentiment of a majority Of the com
mtttee was that the nomination of the
f~usionists would undoubtedly go to the
Populists in view of he fact that tne
Democrats would have a candidate foI
judge Of the district court in the person
of Judge John Martin.
An informal vote was taken to tndl-
/ cate who the Individual members OF
the committee considered the strongest
candidate for the place, and it resulted
in IL votes for George W. Clark and
for L. a. Stebbins. This was followed
by q secret formal ballot in which one
of the Stebbins men did not vote, anc
the committee then declared unanimous
ly for Clark.
A committee consisting of N. H
LoOmis. Albert Watkins, Peter He'll anc
08-A- S1A < 60 8kECLI1@-
tive committee to have charge or tn'
campaign for the present
Dr.. T. W. Peers, J. H. Skinner anC
J. D. CoddingtOn were appointed to pre-
pare petitions for the purpose of gettlns
Judge Clark's name on the official pal
lot as an independent candidate, and w
W. Mills was appointed as committee O
one on finance.
After the meeting Of the eommitte'
adjourned, Albert Watkins went to tn,
residence of Judge Clark at SO SIKH
avenue west and informed him OF IN
nomination, Judge Clark said n
would accept.
The nomination Of Judge Clark seem
to give satisfaction to the great mayor
ity of the three an1i-Niehols factions
although a number Of people beilev
that it would have been better poAtlc
had the anti-fraud Republicans alloWe'
the Democrats to hold their convention
first.
I am perfectly satisfied with Clark,
nomination" said r. b Kepley, who
regarded as a Democratic Wheel horse
My personal preference was for SW1l
Ter. because I believed him to be IN