The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-28
CONVENTION IS
UNPRECEDENTED
Its Early Start a Record
Breaker in Kansas.
ADMIRE OF OKLAHOMA
Tells of Some of the First
Gatherings in This State.

One Of the interesting things OF the
convention Is TO see the meetings OF the
old timers; the men who have attended
every convention held in the state since
the early days. These men who are pres
ent today 90 not hesitate to say that this
is the greatest Republican gathering that
they have ever seen in Kansas. There
are many OF the older generation present
TO witness the declarations Of the party
today. They came here to mingle with
the men who DO things. and in this they
are having a pleasant tine.
one Of the men who went 10 Kansas
City thirty years ago and is familiar with
the political history Of the early days OF
the state is Captain J. Y. Admire. re-
ceier Of the Kiugdsher. Okla. land Office.
Captain Admire lived il this state when
he received his appointment. and IS wei
known in Kansas. he is here attending
the convention and mingi.Eg with the men
with whom he worked shoulder 10 Shout
der IN the early days
IN talking about Kansas cOnentions
Captain Admire said:
About the first convention that l re-
member much about IN Kansas was the
one in which Tom Osborne was nominated
for governor. That Was after J NJ. Harvey
served his term as governor and the con-
vention in which Osborne was nomi-
mated had a big fight on its hands. The
convention was held at Topeka. as all
OF the earlier convention were. and among
]
| Carpenter Of Neosha and Ben Simpson
Of Paola. These two men. Wen known
in eastern Kansas now. made a fight on
! Osborne and they made things mighty
lively, too. Well after the fight was
over Osborne was nominated. but this
/ did not help the feelings OF Carpenter
and Simpson. They Immediately got up
in the convention and ''bolted-' II Gre
ated quite a sensation at the time, but
before long the two men were back in
/ line. hammering away for party success
4 see some Of the, men here who were
commanding figures in party affairs when
I first came TO Kansas. They are hale
and hearty yet, but they are not taking
the part In politics that they did then.
/ They have turned matters over 10 the
! younger generation. but are ever watch
/ ing with keen eye The movements Of the
/ leaders. Some Of the old leaders are dead
and gone. but many Of them are still with
| US. IN those days there was d. r. An
thony. Jim Legate. John c. Carpenter.
en- Simpson. Judge Price. N. NJ. Muir
dock. Sol Miller, Jake stotler and many
others
while have not attended a convention
/ Z d
a time when the delegates and candidates
arrived so soon on the scene OF action.
I came here last Monday. thinking that
would be ahead OF the crowd. When I
arrived at the hotel found 1t crowded.
and it has been getting more crowded
every day"
Ia speaking about the size OF his first
( convention in Kansas. Captain Admire
said: Il do not believe that the convention
was very large. owing 10 the fact that il
was held il the old legislative hall. and
that did not hold very many people.
/ There were seats enough for rs repre-
sentatives. and It was hard TO get any
more in the room I must say that this
convention is a splendid one: that IS.
/ Judging from the men who are here today
/ in advance II the first session. II makes
me think Of old times when I see the fell
lows I knew when I lived here Those
were the DAYS Of Plumb and ingalls,. Cobb
OF Wyandotte. Colonel EskTidge of EN-
I poria and Sam Wood q western Kansas
fame. u seemed that some of the best
people on earth were gathered together in
/ Kansas in those days. and, regardless u
the fact that I think lots Of Oklahoma
/ and eni4y living there. I can never get
/ away from the Kansas times
why. when Kansas was holding those
earIy-day conventions. she was not ~
/ much entitled 20 statehood then as We
! are in oklahoma now. We have more
people.and more wealth than Kansas had
IN those days. and one thing IS certain,
While We may not have the numbers We
can have a mighty enthusiastic conven-
ton in our own territory.