The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-04-03
HIS RABBIT FOOT.
Governor w. E. Stanley Pos
sesses One in Politics.
Has Never Yet Been Defeated
For an Office.
AN INCIDENT IN POINT.
How He Got the Nomination
For Legislature.
Was Almost Unknown When He
Entered Race For Governor.

It is not generally known that Gov
ernor Stanley has a political rabbits
foot in his possession, but it is a fact
just the same. He is depending upon
it to do him good service in his sena-
toria1 race.
Governor Stanley has been in poll
tics off and on for a good many years,
and he has never yet been defeated
when he started after an Office. That's
a remarkable history for a politician.
Years and years ago, soon after the
flood, Stanley came to Kansas and be-
gan to teach school up in Jefferson
county. After ne had been there three
or four months somebody suggested
that he run for county attorney He
knew a little law-not much-but he
thought the race would be interesting,
and he agreed to make it. He cam
paigned just like he has done since,
by getting out and talking to the peo-
pie shaking hands and kissing the
babies. To everybody's surprise he was
elected.
Later he moved to Sedgwick county
In 1874 he caught the political fever
again, and concluded he would like to
repeat his Jefferson county experience.
He did 1t. He acquired the Republican
nomination for county attorney, made
the same sort of canvass that he did
in Jefferson county, and was again
elected. He held on to the job three
terms-untf 1880
About the time he had concluded to
retire from politics and settle down
to practice law the Sedgwick county
Republicans held a convention to nom
mate, among other candidates, one for
Representative There had been a
bitter fight between two men over the
nomination, but one of them seemed to
have much the best of it, as a majority
of the delegates had been elected in
QDnOCifinn the nf fa11
About noon on the day of the con-
ventiOn one of the minority met Stan
ley on the street and told the future
governor that he and some other dele
gates proposed to spring him as a
dark horse for representative. Stan
ley protested, and said he wouldn't
allow it. The delegate said he couldn't
help himself, and he called on the dele
cation from Grant township to prove
that they intended to vote for Stanley
Stanley called two or three of his
friends together and told them of the
occurrence.
I wish you would find out If they real
~ mean it he told them. 4 don't care
If three or four vote for me, but I don t
nave respectable following, for it Will
look as though I am a candidate, and L
can convince them otherwise. This other
man has a big majority of the delegates
pledged to him, and I don't want to ap-
You fellows ind out what they propose to
Ills lIlGluS maze some INQUIRIES ana tod
Stanley that he would get a good many
votes and that he couldn't head them off.
1t was only half hour before the con-
Ventlon met, but the future governor start
! ed his rabbits foot working. and when an
informal ballot was taken in the cOnven-
/ ton Stanley had one majority On the
/ first formal ballot one of Stanley'S friends
/ had gone out and the vote was q tie. On
the next ballot the other man had one
/ ma ority. Stanley jumped up and asked
| some of his friends to move that the NOM
! inatiOn be made unanimous
! Hold onr' yelled the teller. There are
| too many ballots here. Somebody has been
stufing the hat.
There was really one more vote cast
On the next ballot Stanley had one ma
/ jority. but again somebody had stuffed
J But on the fourth ballot the rabbits foot
/ worked. The missing delegate came back
and Stanley received one majority on a
/ straight ballot.
/ the Grant township delegation that started
! him in the race didn't vote for him at all.
In the campaign that followed Stanley
/ had to run against an Independent Repub-
/ lican in addition to a Democrat. but his
4 rabbits foot carried him through and he
served one term in the legislature. That
was all the politics he could stand, and he
retired until he got a notion he wanted
] to be governor.
! place four years ago nobody outside OF
! SedgWick county knew who Stanley was.
1 But he set his old rabbits foot going and
got out among the people and in a little
while he was acquainted with hosts of
| people
seems so complacent over his senatorial
! candidacy. He feels that rabbits foot in
But this time he is not dealing with the
people direct SO much as he IS with the
! politicians If he was the other candi-
dates for United States senator would
have to hurry. but as it is he has a differ
! ent proposition to face, and the outcome
! is very uncertain.