The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-01-24
Law and Order League Charged
With Unfairness.
BOTH THE MEN REBEL
Neither Would Promise to
Abide by Its Decision.
Mr. BergundthaI Makes Manly,
Straightout Talk.

CT was Colonel Hughes. The league then
declared that # had not endorsed any
body and went home. It win meet again
next Friday night but in all prOba-
bility will make no endorsement out of
consideration for the feelings of small
minority which is opposed to the en-
dorsement of either candidate until
third man. representing the wet" ele-
ment of the Republicans is placed be
fore the primaries
At the invitation Of the committee APP
pointed at the previous meeting OF the
league, on which were Dell Keizer, Pc
ter Hell. J. A Troutman, Mrs. Margaret
Hill McCarter and Mrs. j. c. Evans,
both candidates were present. Both
made short talks stating their position
and afterward Councilman Bergundthal
went home. Col Hughes stayed to hear
himself fndorsed. Hughes people We're
strong i'm their majority. Mr.. Bergund
thai thought the house had been packed
and said so. He further said that he
wanted it understood that he was not
70 be expected to abide by the decision
Of the league
Last nights meeting was long on
speeches but very short on parliamen-
tary practice. The chairman was over
ruled and walked upon at every turn.
He was instructed from the floor and
called down with impunity. His decis-
ions were overlooked with considerable
uniformity with the result that the
meeting wasted lot of what one of the
members referred to as useless time"
AS the first order of business the
league heard its conference committees
report. This was made by J. A. Trout
man. He said both candidates had been
seen and talked to: that they both
would Ike to have the leagues endorse
ment but that neither had agreed to
abide by its decision If one of them was
chosen as the candidate Of the organizs-
ton. Speeches from the candidates were
then called for and MT Bergundthal
took the floor He made a brief ana
very manly talk. He said he was a can
didate before the Republican primaries
and that he was present q the meeting
by invitation. He was glad to be pres
ent because he wanted votes but lie
wished IL to he distinctly underst TODD
that he was in no way bound by the
action of the league in regard to his
candidacy He said further that he did
not believe that, he had been fairly rep
resented in the appointment Of members
on the committee of one hundred In
closing he said
'Ot course ] want the endorsement of
this organization. Tt stands for what
stand for i'm politics and the support of
the law and order people is what
would like to have fl' this campaign.
hate a jointist- I place him in the same
class as q. horse thief. of a burglar and
If I am elected mayor L shall use the
same effort to punish jointists as
would any other sort of criminals. A
jOintist Is worse than q horse thief be-
cause he seems to be harder to CATCH
Colonel Hughes was then put on the
rack His speech was equally satisfac-
tory. He said.
There isn't much for me to say about
of my residence in the mayors office I
discharged every obligation that I made
during the campaign by which I was
placed there L shall never repudiate
any decent or honorable record THAI
made during that time and I believe
that I shall have an opportunity to show
that L am worthy the renewed support
CT the law and order people G the town.
I would not want to be elected mayor
by any other class of people, notwith-
standing the many slander0us and alb
solutely false reports that may be cir
culated to the CONTRARY"
Colonel Hughes did not say anything
a bout Withdrawing from the race if the
league failed to endorse him and when
cened upon to do so later taeitly de-
clined.
For a while after this the league vast
ed time in quarreling over the order of
business. 1t at last decided to recon-
slider the order of business and came to
the question Of an endorsement Of one
of the candidates. After several speech
es to the effect that it would be unwise
to give either candidate ar. endorsement
because there was not third candidate
in the field some one called for Tom
McNeal to speak Frank Foster and
Dell Keller had urged to postpone an
endorsement in order to give the mem
bers Of the league time to make up theil
MINDS and because, as Foster said, ne
had an inside tip that there wouldn't
be any third candidate Mr.. McNeal
said
It's my judgment that the longer we
let the two candidates go on the harder
81 win be to get either one oat Of ths
race That's only my judgment. and ]
may be wrong Tt mas been urged thai
some Of the members be given time te
make up their minds. Ny mind is not
SO large that it takes me long to make
it up There may be some minds Sc
voluminous that it requires a gooC
while to properly arrange them. Buf
it seems to me that we should not make
very much delay about picking on ths
candidate whom Wa want TO support
As means of getting at the real sen
timent Of the league I move as a sub
stitute for the pending motion that w
take an informal ballot upon candi
dates for mayor"
This motion was carried without dis
sent and the vote stood as follows;
Hughes, As, II. A bIcNeaI 4 Ber
gundthal. s; Thomas Page, g; T. T
Carver, /.
Eight of the ten women present hae
voted for Mr.. Page because they didn
want to be forced TO show down be
tween Hughes and Bergundthal Mos
of the men voted the way they though
and Tom McNea1 was accused of vot
ing for himself. AIcNeaI then moved t.
make the formal endorsement o
Hughes unanimous but somebody OBJ
Jected and said 1t wasn't fair so tn
motion was lost. Frank Foster thei
moved to adjourn until the day afte
the closing of the fling of nomina
tons before the Republican primaries
1t was his idea that it would then b
the proper time to pull out one o
the candidates.; provided he had no
become so firmly rooted in the cam
paign that he would refuse to b
pulled.
This motion was lost and anotaa
motion to adjourn until next Fri
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