The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-08-26
Big Contest Is On in the Con-
greSsiOnal Districts.
Fusionists Are Fighting Hard
For Three Congressman.
ALL WORKING HARD.
Republicans Watching Sixth
District Closely.
Kelly Exposures May Hurt in
the Second.

The closest and hardest big political
fights in Kansas this year will not be
over the election of state ticket They
will be in the three close congressional
districts, the Second. Third and Sixth
Two years ago the Second and Sixth
were carried by the Republicans and
the Third by the Democrats. Each party
realizes that it must fight hard 20 keep
what it mas in these districts. and at
the same time it is putting up nara
fight to get control of the districts which
it has not.
It has been realized all along that
there would be big battle IN the
Third district. The candidate of each
party is brilliant lawyer. an orator,
good mixer and hard campaigner- The
district is so close and so many diverse
elements enter into it's makeup that
very insignificant incidents may turn
the tide one way or the other
In the Second district the Republicans
had good lead two years ago and they
will not admit that there is any danger
of losing it this year, but the danger
is there just the same. The revolt
against Congressman Bowersock in wy
andotte county alone might be Suff1e1ent
to turn the tide, but there are several
other elements which will work against
the Republicans. The revolt against
Tom Kelly in Miami county cannot help
but cost the entire Republican ticket,
including congressman. a considerable
number of votes. unless Kelly is taken
from the ticket or repudiated by the
state organization in no uncertain
terms. The majority of Republicans, of
course, will scratch only Kelly and vote
the balance of the ticket. but there Will
be some disgusted at the nomination of
an embeZZler for the most responsible
financial position on the state ticket,
who will refuse to vote at all or will vote
for the opposition Then. too, the pop
ularity of Craddock in Wyandotte coun-
ty may have some bearing on the con-
gressional contest and add a few votes
to the fusion candidate.
The Democratic national congress
sional committee is interesting itself in
these three close Kansas districts and
is sending out personal letters to many
voters in each district. These letters
are signed by Ben 7. Gable, chairman
of the national committee. One of them
fell into the hands of Amos Lingard.
who was the Republican representative
from one of the Franklin county dis
tricts two years ago. 1t reads as fol-
lows:
"Sir-This committee. of which I am
chairman, is striving to secure a Demo-
cratic majority in the next congress.
We are very much interested in the
candidacy of Hon. Noah L. Bowman,
Democratic nominee in your congress
sional district, and 1 wish to ask you to
use your influence in his behalf. Be-
cause of his integrity and ability Mr.
Bowman is we'll qualified to represent
your district in congress This you un-
doubtedly know, and think I need not
make further mention of it The dis
trict is nominally Republican, and if
Mr. Bowamn is elected it must be large
lly through the efforts Of influential meh
like yourself. who will take more than
a. passive interest in his candidacy. I
should be pleased to have you write
and tell me something of the political
situation in your locality as you view
1t, for only in this we get anything
like a correct idea Of the political
ditions in your district. Again asking
your active interest in Mr.. Bowmans
a M f,-y1Ix
BEN T. CABLE
The Republicans realize that they
have hard fight in the Sixth district
and they are trying to make good there.
The odds are naturally against them.
because close fusion between the
Democrats and Populists on C. M. Cole
has been formed, and the Republicans
are in the minority on a proposition of
that kind. The Republicans will put
some of their best oratory into the Sixth
district and keep lao a hot fight during
the entire campaign. w. J. Bailey, D.
j. Hanna. j. r. Burrow and w. Y
Morgan made a tour of the district last
week, and Congressman Long is sched-
uled to make another this week and
next
w Y. Morgan denies the truth of the
communication received by the State
journal from ST. Francis yesterday He
says that the Republicans had a good
meeting there Saturday and that the
court house was filed with voters.
Notwithstanding the rainstorm.
II presume one-third of the voters of
Cheyenne county were present at that
meeting" said Mr.. Morgan. ''Thos-
people up there turn out to political
meetings. Cheyenne county is all right
That is about the only county in the
state where I have seen a good wheat
crop. but they have it up there They
have lots of cattle, too. and the farm
ers appear to be well fixed. 1 have
heard of using Russian thisties for for
age, but 1 never saw it done before
They were cutting the thistles up there
and putting them up for hay"
Mr.. MOrgan'S associates tell a good
joke on him. The only road running out
of ST. Francis is a branch of the Bur
llngton. on which Mr.. Morgan had no
pass. Consequently he had to paw fare.
He slid down in a seat in the smoker
and when the conductor came around
Mr.. Morgan gave him a bill The con-
ductor gave back some change and
went on. Soon the conductor came
back and found the state printer smok-
Ing. Look here, young man. he said.
If you are old enough to smoke you
can't travel on half fare. You'll have
to pay full fare. Give me another dol
lar"
st. John. Kan. Aug. %, 1902
To the Editor of the State Journal:
Some of US as Republicans are get
ting impatient concerning T. T. Kelly.
nominee for state treasurer. We think
II he will not withdraw from the ticket
the state committee should demand his
withdrawal. 1 have been a voter In
Kansas since before Kansas was a state
and L have never scratched a state
ticket and very mich dislike to begin
now. l was surprised at Wichita that
the Republicans would nominate man
with the charges preferred against him
that Kelly has He had ample time to
clear them up before the convention.
and now we are satisfied that there is
no clear up" We have made up our
minds to not only scratch or ignore T.