The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-08
POLITICAL GOSSIP
Governor Situation Appears to
Grow More Complicated.
Who Will Be the Strongest
Man i'm Convention.
TROUTMAN'S SHOWING
His Outside Strength Has Sur.
prised Politicians.
Struggle Will Come For the
Home Delegation.

OS AA1OIc AAP41CaNSO IAAdA CNCA SAAASS
Kansas Day is past. If three or four
politicians meet and discuss the matter,
it is quite possible that no two of them
will agree as to the relative strength of
the candidates.
Some of the politicians argue that it
is Bailey against the field This is par
ticuIarly the belief of the Burton ele-
ment, and a few of the supporters of
Troutman and Cole. 1t is a virtual ad-
mission their part that Bailey is the
strongest individual candidate in the
race, and that the other candidates will
all unite in fighting MIN.
But this view is not conceded by all
the opponents of Bailey, nor do all the
Bailey men believe positively that Bail
ey is in the lead. Troutman and Cole
are both we'll up towards the front, and
county ii is not improbable that these
three candidates will go into the state
convention with about the same nunier-
ical strength.
Cole is the only one of the candidates
for governor who will go into the state
convention with the solid support of his
congressional district behind him. He
has the Third district lined up behind
him as unit The First district will be
divided between it's two candidates and
the Fourth will be divided between it's
two candidates. Enright will not get the
entire Second-at least the politicians
Sixth and Seventh will scatter.
Cole is especially strong with the fell
lows who are tired of factional fights
in the party and want to get rid of
them He has a considerable following
among those who do not belong to eth
er the Burton or Leland crowds, and
these-part of them at least-will unite
with his Third district following. Besides
Cole is said to be the second choice of
both factions and either of them would
go to him in order to keep the other
faction from winning.
Troutman's strength lies in the fact
that he is a general favorite over the
state and is widely known because of
the great number of campaign speeches
he has made. He will go into the state
convention, if he wins his fight at home,
with delegates from every congressional
district in the state except the Third. He
will divide the First district with Bailey
and get a strong following in both the
Fifth and the Seventh, in addition to
scattering counties in the Sixth and
Second. The strength that Troutman
has developed since he announced his
candidacy has amazed even some of his
closest friends. There are those who
freely prOphesy that he will lead on the
first ballot, provided always that he gets
his home delegation.
Bailey is conceded to have a great
amount of strength along the northern
counties and in the Seventh district, as
well as considerable in the central The
other candidates seem to fear him most
Cyrus Leland and it is only necessary
for Leland to say boo" to have the
politicians in the state tremble with ap-
prehenSion.
The Populist papers are earnestly dis
cussing the coming PopuliSt conference.
A few weeks ago the sentiment seemed
to be against the proposition to go into
the Democratic party, but just now 1T
seems to be drifting towards the Demo-
Gratis Senator Harris comes out this
week in favor of going into the Demo-
cratic party, and it is likely that his
advice will have great weight with the
rank and file of the party
Sixth district struggle. An early con-
vention will probably be called to meet
at Colby.
1t is possible that the charges which
are made against T. T. Kelly in his
home county may result in bringing
out a new candidate for state treas
urer While none of Kelly'S friends con-
fess to a belief that there is the slight
est truth in the charges made against
him, they admit that there is a posi-
bility that they may injure him in his
race for state treasurer, and this fact
may encourage some one not yet men
toned to get into the race. The poll
ticians do not believe that it will be
Major Remington, Kelly's ancient en-
envy in Miami county although it is
known that Major Remington would
like the place, but it is pointed out that
if Remington were to become a candi-
date for the place he would at once lay
himself open to the charge that he is
pushing the charges against Kelly sim
ply to get the office himself Kelly's
friends are hoping that the charges
prove a boomerang and react in his
favor, although they admit that they
may prove disastrous to his ambition
to become state treasurer for they look
very bad on their face. A month ago
Kelly had everything his own way. He
was the only candidate for the place
and evidently everybody was united on
him.
'If it's irrigat ton you want" yelIs an
excited Wellington supporter out in the
Sixth district, E'our man can make wa
ter ruin up hill just well as Bill
Reeder can
The Republican primaries over in JEFF
ferson county will be held on Saturday,
February %, and the county convention
will be the Monday following. There
viii be a hot fight between Ross and
Mccarthy to see which one shall get
the delegation in the state convention
Ross for state superintendent or Nc
Carthy for state treasurer.
Here is a pointer for W. J. Bailey
from the Douglass Tribune: "Ex-Con-
gresham w. j. Bailey, who is a prom
nent candidate for governor, is rich
and a bachelor. When Kansas bought
4 handsome executive mansion for its
governor to occupy, it virtually served |
notice upon those who aspired to the
position that they were expected to have
families of their own Bailey's first step |
IN the gubernatOrial race should be to |
file a declaratory statement of his in
tentions to become a citizen of the state
Of matrimony. Rich old bachelors
should be treated as aliens and nom
residents"
Arthur Stanley, who represented Lin
coin county in the legislature in 1899. |
is a candidate for state senator from
that district to succeed Harry Pestana. |
Pestana wants to be district judge.