The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-01-31
MAY GET 1T YET.
Democrats May Bring COnven-
ton to Topeka After All.

Since Wichita is asking the Demo
Gratis to change the date of their state
convention so that the town will be able
starting out to get the Democratic COM
mittee to take the convention to that
town. Topeka is also prepared to take
cafe of the convention in better shape
than any other town in case the COM
mittee decides to change the location
Frank Thomas, treasurer Of the Dem
ocratic state committee, says that VIII
liam Hallowell, the Wichita man who
came to Topeka to ask him to get the
date of the Democratic convention
changed, failed to find him, but as soon
as Mr. Thomas heard that the grand
lodge Of the knights of Pythias will
meet in Wichita the same date as
the Democratic convention and that
the Knights of Pythias have the inside
track on the auditorium and the hotel
accommodations, he started an investi
CATION to corroborate the report. and
found that it is practically correct To-
day he is addressing letters to every
member of the Democratic state COM
mittee, setting forth the situation and
suggesting that the convention be
changed to Topeka
No city in the state has such an
auditorium as Topeka and the hotel
facilities are unsurpassed. 1t is also
more easily reached by rail than any
other city in the state that is large
enough to take care of the convention.
IT do not think the state committee
will change the date of the convention"
said Mr.. Thomas today, "and If not it
will certainly be necessary to change
the place. There was considerable dis
cussion over the date in the committee
meeting, and 1t is not at all likely that
the members Of the committee would
consent to change. am today send
ing out letters to every member of the
committee explaining the situation, and
the committee can do what it pleases.
Wichita admits that it cannot take
care of the Democratic convention in
the way is deserves, inaSmuch the
Knights of PythiaS have the auditorium
and hotel quarters already engaged.
There will be fifteen hundred knights of
Pythias in Wichita to attend the grand
lodge, and the Democrats will have to
take what they can get in the way OF
quarters. The grand lodge opens on the
same day that the Democratic state
convention meets. May 20. Then, too,
the Populists may want to hold their
state convention in the same city and
on the same date as the Democrats.
This would be absolutely impossible in
Wichita
Wichita's plan to get out of the diff
Guilty is to get the Dem ocratic commit
tee to make the date a week earlier, but
this Will hardly be done. A change of
place would make less difficulty than
a change of date
Since the Republican convention has
been taken away from Topeka the bust
ness men of the city are rather sore at
the action of the Republicans, and they
are more willing to bear the expense of
the Democratic convention There is
great deal of criticism of the action of
the Republicans in taking their state
convention to Wichita, inasmuch as the
business men of Topeka have largely
contributed to the Republican cam
paign heretofore Some of them are
intimating that such g thing will not
happen in the coming campaign, and
that they may go further and help out
the opposition.
The Leavenworth Commercial club is
already at work to secure the Demo-
cratic convention. A Leavenworth hotel
m an says that the town will put up
$500 to paw the conventions expenseS.