The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-05-19

would probably go to Allen in case he
could not corral the nomination.
Wyandotte county, with it's 30 votes,
more than half enough TO nominate, is
the most difficult problem in the dis
trict. Silas Porter, the well known at
torney of Kansas City, Kas., is an
ayowed candidate and is asking for the
WyandOtte county delegation. If he
gets it he viii make a formidable can
didate in the convention. Then If ne
cannot get the nomination for himself
he would give it to Allen. but he would
doubtless hold out for himself as long
as possible. On the other hand Mr..
BOwersock will have a local candidate
in WyandOtte county opposing Porter.
Senator ]. K CubbiSon is mentioned as
the Bowersock man, but Mr.. Bowersock
viii be careful to pick the strongest
man he can find who will make the
race. Two years ago Wyandotte county
was very bitter against Bowersock, but
Wyandotte county is full of surprises
and its actions in the past do not indi-
cate anything in tie futuss.
The Second district fight will there
fore be a case of BOwersock against the
field with Allen as the head of the field.
If Bowersock, in addition to Douglas
and Linn counties can defeat Porter in
Wyandotte and get any one of the other
counties in the district, he can be elect
ed. Otherwise the chances are against
him.
ADEODOS the long drawn out ulSCuS-
sion of the action of Cyrus Leland as
master mechanic of the alleged ma
chine" in throwing his influence against
e W. Hoch for state printer, Congress
man-at-large Charles +. Scott publish
es an editorial in the lola Register I'M
der the caption. How About the Bos-
seq" He says:
In the midst of all this talk about
the wickedness of political bosses. is it
not a little strange that nothing has
been said about the weakness. If not
fha v-iclxedness, of the man who allows
himself to be bossed2
1T is very certain that there would
he no boss if there were no men so
inf1rm of purpose, so feeble of intellect,
or so deficient in self-respect that they
had to take their orders from some
other man. Why is not the bosses as
much of a wart on the body polite as
the bosser?
Consider the defeat of Ed Hoch last
winter for example. Cy Leland has
been attacked numerically on account
of the fight he made on Hoch, and he
doubtless did fight him as hard as he
could. But he never promised to sup
port him. did he? Why not spend
little time jumping on the men who did
promise to support him and then broke
their word? 1t was reported that both
Mr. Leland and Governor Bailey agreed
at the state convention to support Mr.
Clark on account of certain political
L
agreement could only bind themselves;
it imposed no obligation upon the sen
ators and representative who had the
voting to do 1t may be argued and
admitted, that the governor had nc
right to use the patronage of his Office
to persuade men to vote against Mr.
4 HOch. But hadn't he as much right tc
do that as the men who had given their
word to Hoch had to break it? What
1 kind Of a miserable. contemplate worn,
/ Of a man is it who will violate a promise
and go back on a friend because some
/ boss tells him to- or because a governor
appeals to his selfshness2 The mer
4 who ought to be pilloried for the defeat
4 of Ed Hoch are the men who had the
votes to give and promised to give them
and then under cover of a secret ballo
sneaked out os It.
The Register is not defending bosses
or bossism. It has always commended
that the power which party position
gives man ought to be used to builo
up the whole party and not mere fac
ton in 1t. But il also insists that a mar
I has not more right to be bossed thar
another man he's to boss. When a mar
/ is elected to the legislature he goes
there under an obligation to carry Out
! the wishes of his constituents so far as
4 he knows them and to exercise his hon
est judgment on all questions If he
surrenders his judgment to some one
else he violates his obligation and de.
serves contempt and defeat
The way to get rid of bossism in this
state is to get rid of the men who are
willing to be bOSsed.s'