The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-25
POLITICAL GOSSIP
New Ballot Law a Source of
Endless Trouble.
Republican Says 1t Isn't an
Honest Law.
MAKE MANY MISTAKES.
All Shawnee County Ballots
Have to Be Reprinted.
A Few More Suggestions About
T. I. Kelly.

sandy Richards claims the credit for
framing the new ballot law but the
'credit" is rapidly changing into lgnom-
tny in the eyes of all voters irrespec-
tive of party Little is now said con-
Cerning the anti-fusion part of the law
that is the least Objectionable part OF
e. It has so many foolish and uncaH-
ed-for provisions that county attorneys,
county clerks, newspaper editors ana
publishers who are to print the ballots.
who are generally men OF at least aV-
erage intelligence, have become all mix
ed I'D over it.
Richards explains in his own defense
that the law is very simple and tnaI
the majority of people who make mis-
takes and ask for opinions do not read
1t. Whether this is true or not, the at
torney generals deparement as noodeu
with requests for opinions concerning
different matters, and nearly every day
cases come to light in which there IS
vast difference of opinion. Yesterday
afternoon it was discovered that the
greater part of the 10000 ballots for
Shawnee county have been wrongly
printed and in practically every county
in the state where there are Independent
nominations a similar mistake has been
made.
It is expected, too, that there will be
Still more trouble after the election be-
cause of contests over the returns as a
result of wrongly printed ballots.
4 expect to be a subject for the IN
sane asylum within three days after the
election said Attorney General GODDARD.
Il am seriously considering the advisa-
bility of disappearing as soon as cast
my vote on election day and hiding out
for awhile"
In every part of the state people are
uttering maledictions on the law, and
Republicans are worse now than the
fusiOnsts-
Il am sorry the Republican party is
responsible for that law" a prominent
Dan T7a1i 1iop17
1 couldn't say so for publication with
my name attached, but 1 really don't
consider it an honest law. The next
legislature ought to wipe the whole
thing off the statute books 1t is full
of b1unders and bad provisions.
The mistake which inyalidated the
Shawnee county ballots was in placing
the Independent nominations on the
ballot Circles were placed at the head
of both the independent and blank col
umns. Then in the Independent column
the names of the state Offices and the
words No Nomination. were printed
in the space corresponding to the state
ticket on the other tickets. The county
ticket was printed in the same relative
position as in the other columns, and
the words mo Nomination" was used
for all the offices except county attor-
ney and sheriff. for which the names
of Stebbins and Stahl were given.
When the matter was brought to the
attorney generals office for an opinion
placed over the independent and blank
columns, and that the Independent col
umn must be blank except for the Of
fees for which there were Independent
4 nominations, and they must be placed
Cat the head of the column without any
such designation as county ticket" or
anything else. So the names of Steb-
bins and Stahl will appear at the head
of the independent column and the rest
of the column will be a blank space.
In Kingman county Morton Albaugh,
chairman of the Republican state COM
mittee. had the sample ballot published
in his paper. This brings out the fact
that it is wrong. No circles were placed
over the independent and blank coll
umnS, nor were the words mo NOmina-
ton" put anywhere in the independent
column, but the independent county
ticket was run in the same relative
@pOsitiOn as the county ticket in the
other columns, and the words County
Ticket" were placed over it.
The Lindsborg News. formerly edited
by Supt. Frank Nelson, has come out
in opposition to T. T. Kelly for state
treasurer and also against c. H. Luling
for superintendent of insurance The
News is now edited by Miss Anna Carl
son, and is among the most widely
quoted papers in the state. 1t says:
''The name of T. T. Kelly, Republican
candidate for state treasurer is in our
estimation absolutely unworthy a place
= On the Republican ticket, consequently
We NAVE QIODDcQ his name. NO man
who believes in strictly honest office
holders can vote for a man after his
guilt has been so cOnclusively proven
as that of T. T. Kelly.
''The Republican candidate for stale
Insurance superintendent Chas H Iu-
ling. certainly does not deserve the vote
Of any person who believes that drunk
snness should disqualify a man for
holding a state Office. With these two
= exceptions, we sincerely hope to see the
tRepublican state ticket elected"
At the head Of its editorial column tbe
Garden City Imprint carries the Repub-
fcan ticket with the following exDlana-
tion preceding it;
The following nominees on the Re
publican ticket, state, county and con-
KressiOnal. have the endorsement Of the
imprint 1t is the ticket complete. ex-
cept for state treasurer We regret that
the nominee for that office has failed to
explain satisfactorily his shortage in
Miami county. The records of the local
bank in this matter agree with the find
Alngs of the county commissioners. To
stand for Mr.. Kelly is to discredit the
sworn statement of these commissioners
and to say the records of the local hank
are not correct. We cannot stand for
or endorse the elevation of such men to
efIices Of trust And for the first time
N our life we refuse to support nom
nee of the Republican party"
The Wichita Star contains the fol-
lowing editorial:
There have been no recent develop
nents in the Kelly case As the matter
stands Thomas T. Kelly is still the Re
publican candidate for the important
Dffce of state treasurer, and his accus-
ms continue to reiterate their charges
Mat he was defaulter in the sum of
more than 81 300 of the funds of Miami
county while holding the office of coun-
" clerk
1.-The case in brief is as follows: The
charges that Kelly was a defaulter was
vention, but instead of defeating him.
actually helped his cause. as such just
before-election stories usually do. But
after the nomination had been made