The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-12-20
POLITICAL GOSSIP.
Continued from Page u

voted. The Stanley men did not vote.
They relied upon his pledge for Stanley
during the campaign. A full Repubi-
can vote of the district would give STAN
ley an overwhelming majority. POST
masters of the district fixed up Long
cards and had patrons sign them and
send them in. We have positive evil
dence against J. P. Fourot, postmaster
at South Haven. This will be filed at
Washington with a request for Fourots
removal for pernicious activity in poll
ties
w L. A. johnson, state labor commits
sioner, is no longer Populist. He has
said so himself, and he viii be Officially
recorded. at his own request. as Il
Roosevelt Republican in the forth
coming blue book of the secretary of
state.
In making up the biennial report of
his office the secretary of state gives d
list of all persons holding offices under
the state. with the political affiliations
of each. Mr.. Eohnsons office was for
merlys an aoDointive one, filed by the
governor. He was formerly a Pooulist,
anu was appointed by Governor I1eedy
The special session Of 1898 created the
State Society of Labor, gave it the
power to elect a secretary. who should
be paid by the state, and whose duties
SHOULD take in those of the state labor
commissioner. The society has kept
johnson in the Office
In the meantime his political views
have changed. Some time ago n. B.
Burdge, StenOgrapher in the department.
announced that he was no longer a
PopuliSt, but IS now a Republican. A
day or two ago his chief. Labor Com
missioner johnson. came to A. J. Whit
more, chief clerk in the office of the Sec
rotary of state. and requested that he
be enrolled in this years blue book as
Roosevelt Republican" and he has
been so scheduled.
AS seen through the spectacles of the
Scandal Journal: I'VE shall expect to
see in the Leavenworth Times, and some
other papers of its class, that Congress
man Curtis threw Mort Albaugh down
the state house steps to kill him be-
cause he was opposing him for senator.
At any rate this is about in line with
some of the other charges they are
making against Curtis
The Beloit Gazette gives out the fol-
lowing line on the position of A q.
Mead, Mitchell county's representative,
on the senatorial question::
THE men at Topeka who are elsctiEg
a United States senator daily, care little
how they trifie with the members of the
legislature. For instance. our member,
Mr. Mead, expresses himself as intend
ing to vote for the choice of the Re
publicans of Mitchell county. That
choice, as expressed by a large ma jOrt-
ty of the gentlemen who nominated him
was 20 for Stanley to three for Curtis;
y
mongers and Curtis strikers say that
Mead will vote for Curtis. Not much.
gentlemen. Mr.. Mead is a man of truth
and honor. When he said he would obey
the wishes of his constituents, he meant
it. He will do it. He knows that more
than four-fifths of the Republicans of
the county favor Stanley. and he will
vote for Stanley"
Chanute Sun: The Curtis fellows cali
Pringle, the gubernatorial' candidate for
speaker. 1t may turn out that Pringle
was the house candidate also, in which
event it will be demonstrated that the
senatorial influence cannot upset the
good sense of the house or fracture the
independence of the governor. The Cur
tic papers have good deal to say about
a machine: meaning state machine,
we presume. So be it If Pringle rep
reSentS a state machine. as against a
federal machine interfering with state
affairs, we. are for Pringle and the gov
efnor, regardless of our preference for
senator. The row over Pringle has CIV
newspapers and politicians in Kansas,
are making the election of senator para
mount over state interests.
The Burlington Jefersonian says:
THE Topeka papers always place W.
H. Wycxoff of this county in the Cur
tbs column but Mr.. Wyckoff has several
times told the Jeff man that he is en-
tirely unpledged on the senatorial and
speakership contests and has never in
timated to anyone how he would vote
on either question. The Jeff is of the
opinion that the Republicans OF Coffey
county would generally prefer to see
either Long or Stanley elected senator
than Curtis, and that there is a strong
sentiment in favor of Mr. Pringle of
Usage county for speaker of the house.
But Mr. Wyckof says he will do what
he thinks best and those who were in
fol II
confidence in him and his ability and
intention to do the right thing"
Here are some thoughts that Ed Hoch
has been thinking in the. Marion Record
as result of the senatorial fight:
THE editor of the Record has never
been a convert to the theory that United
States senators should be elected by the
people. instead of by the legislature, as
the constitution now requires. We nave
studied with some care the reasons for
the present formation of the two houses
of congress and have come out of these
studies with a profound conviction that
our fathers were wise in the present
plan of electing senators, and that the
original reasons for this plan still hold
good. But the miserable wrangie which
attends the selection of senators shakes
our faith in the wisdom of the old way
| The trouble seems to be growing worse.
Corruption has marked some of these
contests in Kansas in the past, and
Kansas is by no means an exception in
1 this regard But the party demoral1za-
ton and the personal animosities which
these contests engender make us about
ready to surrender to the proposition
that they should be elected by the peo-
/ pie. The Republican party has suffered
awfully, this year, by this senatorial
struggle, not in immediate results but in
seed sown of future revenges- Gentle
men. any one of whom would honor the
state in the United States senate, are
1 11~r xfnd q each other in hitter fac
/ tional camps and the party has the
sack of suffering to hold"
The Washington, D. c., Post contains
/ the following: Representative Calder
head. of Kansas was visited at the cap
/ itnI 1-estardax Inv bis hrnther Mr 7 =