The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-11-12
Senatorial Situation is Daily
Growing More Exciting.
SPEAKERSHIP FIGHT.
Senatorial Candidates Looking
for Their Men.
Nearly All Aspirants for Senator
Never Met Defeat.


1on convention four years ago?
That is what some of the politicians
are now wondering. The senatorlal hsIt
thus far has drifted in much the same
channels that the contest Tor the re
publican nomination for governor dld at
that time 1t resulted in the nomination
of Governor Stanley, who most OF tIS
politicians said a few weeks before nad
no show whatever.
Some of the politicians have been say
ing that Stanley has no show in the
atOrial race. They have sald that the
"other fellows" were only playing MIN
to catch candidates for the legislature:
Early in the campaign 1t was stated
that Stanley and Long mad formed an
alliance in making the race More re-
Gently it has been rumored That STANLEY
and Curtis have formed the same sort
of an alliance. Now il is whispered thal
Stanley will help Curtis elect the speak
er Of the house. And in the meantime
Stanley has been going ahead without
any machine or organization Now the
Republicans who have been elected 10
the legislature are beginning to let thelr
sentiments be known. and the result Is
a surprise to the politicians 1t Is re-
ported that Stanley viii have as many
votes on the start. and possibly more,
than any other candidate. He has not
fought anybody else, but has simply
made hay for Stanley. This is the same
way he won at Hutchinson four years
ago.
When Stanley became a candidate for
governor he was scarcely known outside
OF Sedgwick and the counties immedi-
ately surrounding 1t. He had been prac-
ticing law, and had never mixed in state
politics The politicians all laughed at
his candidacy. Few of them knew him.
But he went around to some of the
county conventions making friends and
shaking hands with the delegates. and
about three weeks before the convention
the managers for the other candidates
began to realize that he would be a fac
tor in the convention. When the con-
vention met II was found that he had 3s
many votes as anybody else, but there
were seven candidates and he lacked
$50 of having enough to nominate. He
had not fought against anybody else,
and as result he was the second choice
Of nearly the whole convention, and was
easily nominated.
Then came the campaign. Governor
Leedy and the other fusionists thought
they had things all theirs-own way.
Stanley had never campaigned over the
state and knew very few people. He
began preaching the doctrine of optim
ism, however, and people were ready for
it. 1t took He was elected During
his first administration he turned down
some of the old-timers in politics and
gave appointments to new men, who,
like himself. had been little known in
state politics. Then It was said that
Stanley was no politician and that he
could not build up an organization. 1t
doesn't look as though he wanted one.
and it Is now conceded that Stanley has
given the state one of the best admins
trauons it has ever had
This is not saying anything der0ga-
tory of the other candidates for sena tor.
Both of the other leading candidates
are extremely popular in their reSpec-
tive congressional districts. but none
has the general popularity of Stanley.
The hope of both Calderhead and
Bowersock is in a deadlock in which
none of the three leading candidates
can win. Calderhead will have a great
er support than Bowersock. but Bow
ersock has bari" and that some
times counts in a senatorial controver-
sy
Then there is a possibility that Con-
gresham Reeder may break into the
race since ne has been re-eleete5 in the
Sixth district. Reeder is proverbialIv
lucky and there might be such COM
plication arise as to make the election
possible but it is not probable Reeder
has never been defeated, although he
has several times hung over the brink
of defeat with only q finger holt" and
the edge crumblng. But While Reeder
has never suffered defeat. the same
thing can be said of Curtis and OF
Stanley 1t does not follow however
that none of them Will be defeated
The speakershiD contest will break
loose next and the sena toriaI fight viii
be the chief feature in it 1t IS general
ally supposed that ex-Congressman s. s
Kirkpatrick of Wilson county viii be
the Long candidate for sneaker and n.
George J. Barker who was sneaker il
the last house. will be the Curtis Row.
ersock candidate. Just what STANLEY
viii do is not known 1t is doubtful /
ne knows yet himself, but it is quit,
his own.
Il have not fully decided what nosi
ton l VIII take regarding the speaker
ship said Governor Stanley TODAY. -
Mt 70 mi
due my supporters that they have some
thing to say about the matter"
The exact total vote on governo
which will decide the various guessin.
contests on the vote in Kansas This va
will not be known for some tine No
vember "A is the date on which accord
Ing to law, the vote on sta4e and ION
gressional officers would be canvasssd !
the returns are all in but the law a Ie
gives the county clerks 25 davs in ,vi7i,-
to make their returns to the secretar.
of state That will give them until No1
20, so the vote may be canvassed n
November "a and it may not. II the r.
turns are not all in by November % ~
secretary of state is authorised tc sen
for them.
Returns from only a few countie
have yet come in and they are oDpna
only as fast as Chief Clerk Whttmo...
of the office of the secretary of stat,
gets around to tabulate them
Then there are a number of contest
on in the state. and the outcome T
these might make consider atl.- Giffe1
ence in the total vote of the state.
considerable number of counties hav
not yet completed the local official car
vass because they have not .-et receivs
the returns from the Soldiers home {
Dodge City. The canvass will proDa III
be completed in those counties on FIR
day.
SIX out of the eight Kansas conrres,
men are quoted for Cannon for speake.
THE two exceptions are Bowerso..5 an
Campbell and they may also be Il