The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-03-08
Senator Burton Using His Ma
chine Most Vigorously.
Making Frantic Efforts to Unite
sField, Against Bailey.
QUEER COMBINATIONS.
Even Cole is Being Drawn Into
the Deal.
"Anything to Defeat Bailey" is
the Battle Cry.

There is a DeGuilaI SpeCldCic III nan
sas just now. 1t is the spectacle of a
United States senator, the supposed
head of his party, the man whose posi-
tion would naturally give him greater
power than any other individual-this
man is lining up every influence he can
command in an effort to defeat single
candidate for governor.
1t is the Burton machine which has
been organizing-or trying to organize
''the field against Bailey In every
county where there is a possibility of
Bailey winning. the Burton machine is
devoting it's influence, not to carrying
the county for it's own candidate-but to
defeating Bailey After Bailey is de-
feated-if he is defeated-the machine
will then turn its attention to landing
its own candidate.
An example of what the Burton ma
chine is doing to sdefeat Bailey was
noticeable in Jackson county Wherever
a Cole man of influence was found IN
the county he was put on the anti
Bailey ticket. Ditto. Troutman and
Richter men. The result was that the
Bailey forces were defeated and "the
field" is now contesting over the di-
vision of the delegates.
There is nothing wrong with the COM
bination, if the field'' wishes to COM
bine. But it is peculiar that the sup
posed head of the party should be
driven to such desperate straits that
his machine is compelled to make any
sort of a combination with men whom
he does not like in order to defeat an
enemy. 1t is a well-known fact that
after the election of the board of rail-
road commissioners last spring Senator
Burton was very much at outs with
George F. Cole because Cole did not
support BurtOn's candidates for places
on the commission But now the Bur
ton machine is very friendly to Cole and
is willing to help him in any way to
beat Bailey
To be sure Cole is not pulling very
hard with the Burton machine. He is
looking out more for Cole delegates
than anything else, but he is passiveiy
consentng to the combination and is
taking all that comes his way. The
same might be said of Miller and En-
right. They are not pulling so hard to
beat Bailey as they are to help them
selves. Circumstances forced Troutman
into the Burton camp, although the real
Burton machine candidate is Richter,
Notwithstanding the fact that ID. w.
Mulvane is pushing Troutman'S can
d1daey in Shawnee county
This is easily seen by the conditions
elsewhere. In Rice county. for instance.
the contest is Richter against Trout
man. John E. Junkin, of the Sterling
Bulletin, is putting up a big fight for
Troutnan. but Senator Finley is for
Richter and expects to carry the dele
cation for him. Finley owes his seat
In the senate to Mr.. MulVane. Tt is
claimed that if it had not been for Null
ment of the contest in the last senate
over seating Finley. he would not have
been seated Finley would doubtless 10
whatever MulVane says, and if Mr. Null
vane is really for Troutrnan he could
doubtless stop Finley's fight against
Troutman by a word. But the Burton
machine is for Richter and is only using
Troutman, Cole and Miller to pull the
chestnuts out of the FIRE.
1t is unfortunate for Mr.. Troutman
that he was pushed into the combina-
ton and compelled to make the fight he
has had to in Shawnee cOunty-particu-
larly so if he loses today's primaries. At
the rate TrOutman started in the race
INN ediately after he made the an
nouncement of his candidacy he ought
to have had a good many delegates TO
his credit by this time, but the fact
that there was some doubt about his
carrying his home county. and the fact
that he might not be in the race at all,
has dampened the aTdor of his friends
and counties which would in all proba-
bility nave been for Troutman had it
not been for the uncertainty at bone
are now for somebody else Then aeain
the fight in Shawnee county has kent
Mr.. TrOutman at home so much that he
has been unable to get around to other
parts of the state as much as have tine
other candidates.
1t would doubtless have been the I,et
ter plan for Mr.. Troutrnan had he made
an arrangement with Mr. Welch where
by both should have had the support of
Ant 0HdAlltC county Uele&aTlOn. WPlch
could not have objected to such an ar
rangement, because he would have cone
before the convention first, and he
would have had the first use of the
Shawnee county. delegation. If he had
landed it would have put Troutn1an ,1nt
of the race # he had not landed.
Troutman would have Shawnee county
t. use in his interests, and the kno1yI-
edge that he had no fight at nome
would have made him stronger all over.
the state.
The combination between ssthe fial1,,
candidates which the Burton machine
Is trying to effect, recalls the fact that
Senator Burton has made some very
bitter speeches against fusion, which he
mas frequently denounced as crime.
The combination against Bailey is prac-
teal fusion. The Populists and Demo-
Gratis fused to beat the Republicans out
OF the offices. The Burton machine is
trying to fuse all of Baileys' opponents
In an effort to take the governors chair
away from Bailey. And a good roanI-
Republicans over the state who are nrt
Tor Bailey look upon it in this way. and
they are not taking to the idea kindly
The main reason why the Burton ma
chlne has such an aninosity for Bailey
IS because he has the warm support oe
cyrus Leland. The combination of com
didates Is really directed against Ta-
land. It has been less than two wears
ago since the boss busters an.1ouncel
that they had killed Leland off and that
he was dead politically beyond resurrec-
ton But for some reason Leland re-
fused to stay dead. and the combine
tion of the Burton forces with every
other element which it can command r.,
cefeat him IS an acknowledgment that
he Is the greatest political force in Kan
sas today.
1t has been supposed that the entries