The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-03-25
Executive Council Divided on
Railroad Commissioner.
Every Member Has One or More
Candidates.
DEMOCRATS IN RACE.
Some Fixers Think They Should
Have the Place.
Effort to Take a Vote This
Morning Failed.

Some time this afternoon the exeCu-
tive council win probably try to elect
a railroad commissioner to succeed j.
N Fize. the present Democratic man
Der of the board. It is not thought
that the effort win be successful this
afternoon. 1t requires four votes to
elect and the vote this afternoon viii
probably be too scattering to effect q
choice unless an unloozed-for deal is
fixed IN
During the forenoon every member OF
the council was imDortuned by candi-
dates for the job or their friends The
Republican candidates for the place are
as follows:
H. f. Richter. Of Council Grove.
Senator Fremont Leidy. OF Butler
COUNTY
D. W. Finney. Of woodson county.
who has served one year on the board
w II. Nelson, of Cowley county
Z. A Enright, Of Wyandotte county.
John Q. Royce, of Phillips county.
Senator Hays 3. White. of Jewell
county.
Some OF these have not avowed their
candidacy. but it is understood that
they are all in the race. Senator w. s.
Fitzpatrick, Of Chautauqua county. II
also talked of. More candidates may
!
There is also multitude Of Demo
cratic candidates who started in ths
race for the place before the law vas
changed doing away with minority rep
resentation on the board. but il Is uu-
derstood that none OF them are still max
ing an active effort to get the place
except Russell Harrison. OF Smith eoun-
ty. and Pat German. of Fort scott
German has filed d big bunch of en-
dOrsements for the place. Representa-
a 4- her
working for Harrison.
Harrison was nominated for repre-
sentative in Smith county last fall by
( the straightOut Democrats. Webb Nc
Nall was the fusion candidate and l..
! M. Linton the Republican noIninee- a
/ fusion election board ruled Harrison or
the official ballot, 70 he turned in and
/ worked for Linton Now Linton is try
/ ing to land Harrison as railroad COM
I missioner.
None Of the executive council has aaid
outright how he viii vote except Sec
retary Burrow, who says he win sup
I port Harrison. 1t is supposed the line
up on the first ballot viii proba bly, be
about as follows. at least this is the
way the guessers figure it:
Governor Bailey-Royce.
Secretary characterization.
I superintendent Observation-Disclosures
+ perhaps for Harrison or Royce
Auditor Wells-Nelson.
Treasurer Kelly-Probably for Leidy.
( Attorney General COleman-Unknovfn
perhaps for Enright.
/ superintendent Dayhoff says that he
has made no promises and viii make
none. Auditor Wells says he will vote
for Third district man and Nelson is
the only one in the race-sO far
The reporters formed a combination
I to get vote taken by the executive
council at meeting held this morning.
but Bailey, Coleman and Kelly opposed
/ it. This is one time when Bailey and
Kelly were united. Burrow. Wells and
4 Dayhon were willing to take vote Il
is supposed that the others were spar
ring for time.
MAY POSTPONE ELECTION
1t is possible that the election of a
I railroad commissioner may be post
poned until after April l. as the point
has been raised that under the new
/ law an election cannot be held until
after that date.
The old law provided that the execu-
tive council must elect a railroad com
/ missioner before April 1, and the coun-
ell has been going on the supposition
that the same provision applies now
But the new law repeals the old one
and provides that the executive coun-
ell shall elect when q vacancy occurs -
/ There viii be no vacancy until the
term of J. n. Fike expires on April /.
and for this reason Il is argued that
no election can be legally held until
that date.
There is nothing. however. to prevent
an informal election now to be ratified
after April if it is decided that a legal
| election cannot be held until then