The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-03-24

C0nu1GateS. VIII perhaps De new Ileii-
Mr.. Leland will be in the front OF the
battle and may direct the campaign.
Mr. AIulVane viii also doubtless be
factor in the contest but probably
neither win be fighting himself as a
candidate.
The anti-LeIand forces are talking Of
f. w HOch of Marion as the anti-l4e-
land candidate, and it is possible that
Morton Albaugh viii be the candidate
of the Leland wing of the party al
though Mr.. Albaugh is not admitting
it. 1t is long time until the question
will be decided, however, and there is
time for great many changes in the
situate
The Leland wing of the party is try
ing to make an issue out of Senator
Burton and is centering the fight on
him. The Burton wing on the other
hand is making Leland the issue and Is
fighting him. Mr. Albaugh in the last
issue of his paper. the Kingman Leader
Courier, contends that inasmuch as Mr..
representative from DOniphan county,
and is not a candidate for any position,
he cannot be made an issue. but that
the issue viii be Burton and anu-Bur-
ton.
The Burton wing has the best of it.
The issue viii be Leland and anti-I4e-
land notwithstanding the protests of
Leland's friends The reason IS this:
There has to be two sides to every issue.
/ II It is all one way 1t is not an issue.
/ The prOba bilities are that Senator Bur
ton will not have enough personal sup
+ porters to make him an issue. IF it
We're simply d Burton and anti Burton
I fight it would all be one way. large
number of former Burton supporters
realize this and they will not stand for
any such q proposition. That is why
a movement has been started to
dump the senior senator as a leader.
A new alignment will be made in what
is now the Burton wing. Senator Bur
ton will probably be factor in his
F., 1,. 10
+ leader.
Mr.. Leland, on the other hand. is very
much alive. Although he is only a
member of the legislature and is can
didate for no office whatever he is
I recognized by both friend and foe as the
/ foremost political influence in the ST. te
4 today. He IS a bigger man politically
\ than either Senator Long or Governor
Bailey. He may not always continue
to be. but he is at present. He is so
( recognized even by his bitterest enemies
4 That IS why he is called the boss
I But Mr.. Leland has his faults as 9TH
( er men. His enemies say he is vindic-
I tive; his friends soften the term by say
/ ing that he remembers those who are
4 for and against him He is a strategist
and not a diplomat. He belongs to the
class which never asks a quarter nor
/ likes to give it. He wants to fight un-
4 til he is beaten or until he beats the
other fellow. If he is whipped he never
murmurs but gets ready for another
! DdIllSs II he WHIPS the OlllSI l6iipW ilt
wants him to do the same. He always
keeps his word. unlike many another
politician, and therein lies much of. his
strength with his friends. His enemies.
4 too know Just where to find him
His desire to punish his enemies is
Mr.. Leland's weakness. 1t gives those
I enemies a chance to rally against him
I Everything that goes wrong with the
plans Of the Burton crowd are charged
up to Leland S ''vindictiVeneSs- The
defeat of F. ". HOch for state printer
is laid at his door and this furnishes d
/ strong point for his enemies to work on.
That is why they are talking OF Mr..
Hoch as the anti-Leland candidate for
national committeeman.
There is no doubt but what Mr.. Le-
land did everything he could to defeat
Hoch but everyone understood just
what he would DO long beforehand At
the Wichita convention he offered NJ.
Hoch certain overtures. Hoch turned
him down. and it was therefore under
stood that Leland would be against
Hoch for state printer.
There is also no doubt but what the
i Republicans of Kansas We're over
whelming1y for Hoch for state printer.
and his defeat does not set we'll with
the mass of the Republican voters of
the state He was SO popular that even
/ Mr.. Leland. with all his power. could
not have effected his defeat without the
aid of another influence The friends
of Charles Curtis were positive tha
and they openly said his election would
be a Curtis victory. and that it would
give Mr.. Curtis great prestige in his
/ senatorial race Curtis stood for Bur
ton in the senatorial contest. and many
mem bers of the legislature would not
stand for anything that savored of Bur
/ ton The Curtis people simply piled
4 into the Hoch band wagon until they
broke it down number OF Hoch's
! friends who were enemies of Burton
and Curtis became frightened and
voted against Hoch to keep Curtis from
securing additional prestige Hoch was
T defeated by just two votes 1T was
4 caused because the Burton-Curtis in
1 huence was for him.
I.eland's enemies were Quick to taks
advantage Of Hoch's defeat and Law il
to Leland's .'vindictiveness, and this l.
( doing more In creating sentiment
/ against Leland than anv other one thing
4 which has happened Hoch is extremely v
popular and there is a desire on the part
of the rank and file of the Republicans
! of the state to do something for him