The Topeka state journal., 1901-08-26
GRIMES is PICKED.
Burton Forces Want Him For
State Chairman.
Part of the Machines Plan to
Capture Everything.
EUn rC nN DTNMmRD
EYE Is ON RICHTER.
Burton Disposed to Force Him
For Governor.
What to Do With Miller Still a
Question.

More than one observer of things po-
litical says Harry Richter VIII be the
next governor. These are the believers
in the machine-made executive. and
they fully expect the next governor
viii be of the Burton brand and a man
the Burtonites can easily control.
There may be more than one kind of
opposition to this.
The senator's governor makers have
been somewhat hampered this summer
on account Of the federal appointn ents
and the trouble they have made. SEN
ator Burton expected to get his hand
free before this and get down closer to
the work Of whipping in the future
state officers. But one mishap after
another has occurred, topped by the
Tracy holdup, so thar the only one of
the senator's Big Five" who has been
able to put in any licks in this direc
tion has been Lieutenant Grimes.
"A future situation in Republican state
politics promises to be unique 1t will
he that Of bosses turned boss busters,
with the original boss busters doing
business at the old stand trying to hold
on to the grip already secured.
Indications are clear that the Burton
followers plan to capture the bulk of
the places on the ticket for their
friends
Harry Richter will be the next gov
ernor." said an observing politician,
whose name is withheld for obvious
reasons. or else it may be a man not
named yet. I mean by this that Richter
is undoubtedly picked by the strongest
influences and has the same for back
ing"
do you mean Senator Burton's?"
Yes" hesitatingly, and his own. You
see Burton considers the state in his
hands privately, but he is not sure
enough about it to go about openly
proclaiming the fact He is too snrewd
to start an uproar so early In the game,
besides One thing that is worrisome
is the fact that the strongly intrenched
and influential position Of state chair
man IS IN unfr1endly hands. It should
not nave got out at this time that the
Burton wing has designs on getting
control of thar chair Or If it was let
out on purpose. 1t was n ore of a threat
to secure a letup on present pressure
on the federal appointments than a
bona hde move to give Frank Grimes
the mana cement Of the next campaign.
If Senator Burton really wants Grimes
to run the next state campaign, taking
into account the fight it viii cost to
put him IN that position, it is a very
recently acquired idea.
No, no; there is too much risk for
the stake involved. There is always
the danger that the people will put
their ears to the grass roots and wake
UP at the wrong moment. Some strong
head may get the idea that Kansas
Is about to be 'Quayed.' and harp on
the machine string. Nothing would
raise a bigger clamor than the cry of
'Machinei' at an inOpportune moment
Mr. Burton and his friends are not
anxious to have this ringing in their
ears. Accordingly, up to this time,
they have not allowed their hand to be
seen propping Richter Besides they
have the task on hand of getting Sen
ator Miller down off the pedestal upon
which his friends have hOisted him Tt
IS intimated that Richter and Miller
understand each other TO the non
en- barrassment of the former. but the
hint thrown out that Miller is an
Albaugh-Lelands straw man is not made
good by the Usage mans inaction. If
he were going to give up without pres
sure he would have done it before this
A simple denial would have put an end
to the matter. Miller's backout is q de-
liberate while coming. and if it should
come after while 1t would be minus the
merit Of prOmptness.
Possibly the rank and file are no
more willing to take up Bailey than
they are Richter That viii not de-
stroy the unique features Of the next
gubernatOrial fight. If the one-time
bosses should not succeed in busting
the boss busters. or the boss busters
in busting the One-time bosses. object
Ors to both machines stfIl have a chance
10 bust both of them