Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-28
THE FIGHT IN KANSAS
Gov. Stanley's Effort to Be
Senator.
HIS SHREWD METHOD
MAY GET THE BEST OF CURTIS
AND LONG.
Apparently is on Good Terms Both
With the Prohibition Element
and the Ants.

From Kansas comes an interesting story
Of the fight for the United States senator
ship II had been thought that the sena-
torial contest was between Representatives
Curtis and Long. Eugene Stanley Is the
governor of the state. When It was said
i, some months ago that Stanley was to run
for the Senate to succeed Senator Harris
democrat, nobody took the announcement
seriously. Curtis and Long are thought ia
be about the cieverest politicians in the
sunflower state. Long has machine which
extends to every county in the big seventh
district. Curtis has machine with head
quarters in Topeka which extends over two
or three congressional districts.
But while Curtis and LoAg fought over
ma ational issues and quarreled with each
other about national patronage, Stanley be-
gan to attend county meetings of various
kinds and interview the brethren in the
Methodist Church. The result is that up to
date more republican nominees for the leg
islature are for Stanley than have declared
for both Curtis and Long. Reciprocity is
quite an issue in Kansas, and they tried to
drag Stanley into it. He gave out an inter-
view declaring that every man, woman and
child in the state was for reciprocity.
There would be just as much sense -
said Stanley, "in trying to make an issue
out of the golden rule as out Of the reci-
proclty question.
Sunday School His Long Suit.
Sunday school is said to be Eugene STAN
ley's long suit. In politics he is declared
an understudy for John Wanamaker. When
he ran for governor the opposition sprang
story which it was thought would arouse
all the prohibtionists in the state. 1t
told in a circumstantial way how Stanley
conducted his Sunday school, One Sunday
the superintendent felt indisposed, but he
did not permit that to interfere with his in
structions to teachers and pupils. He had
the local telephone company rig big re-
sounding board in the Sunday school class
room, and he lay in bed and delivered a
lecture which Is said to be the best effort
he had made during his long service as
mentor for the Wichita Methotlists
AS governor Stanley has been a distinct
success. He has been able TO harmonic
conflicting interests with an ease which
has surprised the old politicians Carrie
Nation attacked hin-4savagely, but he
handled the smasher with Such tact and di-
piomacy that he strengthened his position
with the prohbftionists and at the same
time did not offend the other side. Stanley
and Long come from the same congress
slonal district, the big seventh which has
thlrty-seven counties and covers an area
t"lce as large as the average tate in the
American Union.
None of the old-time politicians In the
state are seriously advocating Stanley s
candidacy. Cy Leland and his faction are
behind Long. Bailey, the republican nomi-
nee 1or governor to succeed Stanley, is
also friendly to Long. Senator Burton is
said to be supporting Curtis, and Dave Null
vane, the national committeeman, is also
committed to him. Stanley's strength comes
from the rural, puritan element, but
strangely enough he has the entire deleea-
ton from Sedgewick county, of which
wichita is the county seat, Wichita being
frontier gambling town. There has never
been time since the prohibitory law went
on the statute books that the saloons of
Wichita have not been wide open and gam
bilng houses of all kinds running day end
night.
Nobody else has ever been able to secure
tne support OF a Wichita delegation who
was not openly fighting for a resubmission
OF the prohtbitory law to the voters. But
Stanley has contrved to keep this follow
ing, and has the enthusiastic support Of the
strong prohibition element In the &C untry