The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-01-25
Sixth District Statesmen Are at
Swords Points.
John Dawson Objects to Being
Called "Windy john"
KNIGHT THE OFFENDER
Trouble Dates Back to State
Convention.
How Knight Was Disposed of by
a RuSe.

Two ,of the Sixth district statesmen
in the state house, who are accused
of running the affairs of the district by
long distance telephone, are at swords
points. They no longer speak as they
pass by. Each gazes steadfastly in the
other direction when he sees the other
They are e. s. knight of the secre-
tary of states Office, and John Dawson
of the state treasury. Mr. knights
home is at Goodland and he is a strong
factor in Sherman county. He is a
staunch Reeder man. Mr.. Dawson lives
at Hill City when he votes, and is
power in Graham county He is first
and foremost for Dave Hanna for lieu
tenant governor, and has strong lean
Ings towards Wellington for congress
in opposition to Reeder.
They have been dwelling together in
harmony-on the surface, but that's all.
When the Hill City Recorder attacked
Hanna a short time ago, Dawson rush
cd into the papers in his de1enSe- Inc
Hill City paper promptly attacked DaW-
son, calling him Windy JOHN and
accusing him of running on the Popu-
list county ticket at one time. This was
too good an opportunity for Knight 10
lose and the next time he met Dawson
he addressed him as Windy john.
Dawson stood it all right that time,
but when Knight kept it up it. was
more than he could stand He began
to look over Knights head whenever
Knight came his way, and as knight is
six feet and then some this was no
small job Dawson got the idea that
knight was fighting both him and Han
ma, although knight had also given out
an interview in defense of Hanna
Dawson accused Knight of fighting him
and since then they do not speak
The trouble between them really
dates back to the state convention two
years ago, when Dawson executed
maneuver and elected Dave Hanna as
from that judicial district when Knight
thought he had the place in his pocket
Hanna was candidate and they were
very nearly evenly divided, Hanna
would have gotten it clearly if it had
not been that one of the Graham county
delegates was unfriendly to him and
announced that he intended to vote for
Knight. No perSuaSiOnS would go with
the unruly delegate, and it looked rs
though knight would get the place by a
majority of one.
The delegates from the five counties
in that judicial district held a caucus
in a room in the Copeland. The Hanna
men had the chairman of the caucus.
Before they came to vote on their can
didate for member of the state commit
tee, Dawson slipped out and went over
to the state house, where he called up
the unruly Graham county member by
telephone and led him to believe tele-
graph boy was there with a telegram
for him The Graham county man,
fearing bad news from home, left the
caucus and rushed over to the state
house after his supposed telegram.
As soon as he was gone one of the
Hanna men moved that in the case of
absentees the entire delegation of each
county be voted by the chairman of the
delegation This motion carried and
they then proceeded to nominate q
committeeman There was a tie and
the chairman decided it in Hanna's ia
vOr.
As soon as it was over some one tele-
phoned the news to Dawson. In the
meantime he and the Graham county
man were hunting for the alleged tele-
gram, but the other man finally caught
on and Knight and his friends discov-
cred that a job had been put up on
them
Knight laughed good naturally over
it at the time, but it went against the
grain with him. That is the reason ne
likes to rub it in on Dawson when
ever he gets a chance, although he has
been standing up for Hanna in the pres
ent fight that is being made on Hanna.