The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-06-01
POLITICAL GOSSIP
Senator H. B. Miller May Be in
Race For Governor.
He Is Strangely NOncommittal
on the Proposition.
ON LAWRENCE'S TRACK
Sumner FusiOnists After the
Representatives Scalp.
Information For Every One In
terested in State Politics.

Political pugilists are giving Con-
gresham J. NJ Miller, Of Council
Grove, much, trouble over the boom
started for State Senator Fl. 3. Miller,
of Usage City, for governor. Many be-
lieve that the springing of the name Of
H. B. Miller for governor came from
the friends of the congressman, who
saw in the Usage senator a dangerous
obstacle to their candidates nomination
for third term.
The people of Usage City are taking
Senator AIiller's candidacy seriously,
says Fort Scott paper. They believe
that stranger things have happened;
that he would make a good governor;
that his record in the senate would
make him a strong candidate.
Usage City people believe in him, and
back him for anything that his name
might be connected with.
But what does Senator Miller think
of it him self?
On being questioned about it the con-
versation was like this:
How about your talked-of candidacy
for governor
I wanted to be senator. the people
gave me what I asked for; am crate
full and satisfied"
But you are being mentioned seri-
ously in connection with the nomination
for governor
Il am not a candidate
Either aggressive or receptive?"
II am not a candidate in any sense
of the term
Then you had nothing to do with
your name being mentioned?"
If had wished to push a candidacy
for the governorship, I certainly would
not have sprung it at this time nor in
the manner in which it was brought
out. I knew nothing of it until it was
shown me in the papers on my return
from Texas"
wouldn't you accept the nomination
if it were given you2'
T don't know as any man in the
state would say no to that replied
the senator frankly, with no inclina-
ton to hedge or dodge
That he had nothing to do with the
springing of his own name is likely
from the manner and time in which it
was sprung But real and successful
candidates. have come from Just such
Miller viii be considered a force to be
reckOned with in the governorship
talk.
The erstwhile fusionists in Sumner
and Cowley- counties are after Repre-
sentative James LaWrence's scalp in
approved fashion. Lawrence had the
township registration bill passed, affect
ing those two counties. The Pops
blame it all on me, and say I did it
just to make Sumner county Repub-
lean Lawrence says. We'll, this was
the state Of affairs: Sumner and Cow
ley are both border counties. There
were more votes cast than could be
accounted for in several places. Where
did they come frOm2 Perhaps some
voters were run up over the line from
Oklahoma. The threshers were voted.
Now Caldwell is in the center of Cald-
we'll township. The township is nine
miles across. A voting place is two
miles from the Oklahoma line. The fell
lows down in the southern part don't
know the fellows all over that town
ship There We're Al extra votes there
that could not be identified Threshers,
most of them I know myself OF young
men with thresher gangs that We're
challenged in one precinct and went
over into another and voted. And some
voted in one precinct and drove on to
the next and voted again In the Cald-
well precinct the judges We're a Demo-
crat a Populist and a Silver Republi-
can. To his credit be it said that the
Democrat objected to the voting of sew
eral doubtful electors. If I had the law
passed to put Sumner safely in the Re
publican column, it seems to me- it
wasn't the Republicans that were run
ming in the Illegal voters They make a
howl as if a pet corn had been stepped
on
There is a rumor afloat in the Sixth
district that Charles f. Hail. postmaster
ct Russell is in the hunt for the place