The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-02-27
He Steals a March on Other
MayOraIty Candidates.
Secures Nearly All the Avail
able Carriages.
A GRAND STAND PLAY.
Latest Effort to Sidetrack Mr.
Bergundthal.
He Explains How Early Propo-
sition Was Declined.


has been one Of the most important fea-
lures of the mayoralty campaign.
Among other things which the friends
OF Lewis have accomplished is the ma
nipulation Of a practical corner on all
the hacks in the city for use on the day
Of the primaries Lewis has hired rs
hacks and surveys. The Hughes com
mittee has only succeeded in engaging
40
The people who are backing Lewis evil
IDENTIFY have money. and that this fact
IS appreciated is shown by the constant.
~ increasing hode of political ward
iy increasing horde of political ward
men. which haunts the Lewis head
quarters There is hardly a time dur
ing the day when eight or ten of this
clan are not sitting around Lewis head.
quarters waiting for orders. Dozens of
otners are out at work getting their
friends mo line
me speed and ability which has been
manifested IN getting the Lewis naaN
chine into operation shows plainly that
pfactlcal. business-like politicians are
at the helm. There is no uncertainty OF
lalse moves which characterizes the
Work OF amateurs. One of the men At
tne helm IS Al Bauer, who managed
Hughes campaign two years ago
Bauer SENS to be about the king bee III
me lot. John Van Vechten and Fred
JeNeu are also actively at work all 6av
at headquarters. Al Bauer is a non
union printer: he runs what is sar.
casucaly dubbed '-scab'' office T2l1r
IN spite Of that fact he is running the
campaign of the union labor, caudf
date for mayor. 1t is a queer conbina-
ton.
Law and order people who don't
know much about politics probably
think that in the Lewis headouarters
they would see beer kegs stacked
around the walls. and be Welcomed bv
an invitation to step up to the score
lafy desk and have a drink of whisky
Inc only thing to drink al Lewis head
quarters IS tank of ice water. with a
long handled dipper hanging on a nail
beside OF It. The Hughes HEADQUARTERS
does not even have ice water II is for
this reason, no doubt that Hughes is
Sald 70 nave dry" headquarters, and
Lewis to have wet ones
Lewis headquarters are far buster
imam are Hughes headquarters There
seems to be something doing all Of the
time Bauer Van Vechten and Jewell
are usually there nearly all the time
and whispered conferences are in pro-
gfeSs with ward workers from various
parts Of town. Now and then a scout
IS sent out by one of the bosses with
directions to see" such and such peo-
pie, and get them out to work for
Lewis, if possible
Mr. Lewis himself does not STAY
around his headquarters much. Now
and then he drops in, and finds out how
things are getting along but most of
the time he is doing individual work
out among his friends on Kansas ave
nue.. he leaves the Wheel-greasing to
his lieutenants.
If we could have the election tomor-
row." said one Of Mr.. Lewis managers
today, we would win by a good safe
majority. And it makes no difference
to US what Hughes and Bergundthal
do We have got them beat right now.
We will beat them still worse when the
election comes off. Lewis is getting
stronger every day. He viii have more
votes than the other two candidates
put together"
w. s. Bergundthars refusal to submit
his claims to an arbitration committee,
and abide by the decision of that cont
mittee, is being used by the Hughes
people as an argument to pre- ludIce Mr..
Bergundthal with the law and order
people of Topeka. In speaking of the
matter today. Mr. Bergundthai says;
THE Hughes people tried to get Mr.
Hughes to consent to arDItt alton some
time ago, and he refused to have any
thing to DO with it. Therefore I felt jus
titled in going ahead with my campaign
as strong as possible, and [ gave out
some emphatic statements that under no
circumstances would 1 quit the race
When Hughes thought that I had tied
myself UP so tight that / could not get
away, he came out with the statement
that he is willing TO arbtrate. But he
is too late. I viii not back down now.
and Hughes knew that 1 would not
when he consented to the arbitration
plan. I am in the race to stay
It is not generally known that Mr.
Bergundthaps friends made another
proposition to the Hughes managers for
withdrawal of one of the two men from
the race, and the proposition was de-
clined Mr.. Bergundthal said he would
make a poll of all the business men be-
tween the Kansas river and Tenth ave
nue., the one of the law and order can
didates receiving the lowest vote. 70
withdraw from the race. Hughes would
not consent to this arrangement.
This evening there is to be a labor
mass meeting at III Kansas avenue,
third floor, in the interests of F. A.
Lewis. This mass meeting viii be ad-
dressed by Senator Porter J. Ross Per
l1ins OF LeavenwOrth and Frank A
Lewis. The meeting is arranged by the
Trades Council, which has lndorsed MI
Lewis. JacksOn's band Will furnish mu-
sic. The handbills announce that the
meeting is for both organized and I'M
organized laboring men,
1t is stated that in case z. r. Simon
resigns as chairman of the Republican
city central committee, as he is likely
to do, the committee viii elect IL Ward
Page, now secretary OF Ine committee,
as chairman. Page is doing most of the
work for the committee now a new
man will be chosen for secretary.
n. B. Burdge, who furnished to the
State Journal a copy of the resolutions
1 said to have been passed by the Com
mon Laborers' union signed by B G.
/ williams. president, and which resolu-
lions it is claimed were never adopted
/ by the union, said today:
The resolutions We're given to me by
Mr.. Williams, who stated that they had
been adopted by his union with only two
or three votes against them. That's all
I know about them"
The resolutions purported to be an en-
dorsement os Lewis. but the union is
said to be opposed to such an endorse
ment-