The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-04-03
SMITH TALKS ABOUT 1T.
Discusses the Murdoch stampede
Plan.

Barber county, e. u. Chandler; Lar
ton. Ira H Clark; Clark. NJ. G. Steven
son; Conanche, Clark H. Thornton;
Edwards. George w. Watson Finney,
G. L. Miller; Ford, W. J. Fitzgerald
Grant. Frank Byers; Gray, S. L. Kelly;
Greeley, G. S. Hurt; Harvey, S r.
Peters; Hamilton, w. F. Reed; Harper,
John A. Burke: Haskell L L. Bethel:
Hodgeman, T. A. Dockum; Kearney,
L. P. Kimball; Kingman, Frank Har-
low; Kiowa. James I. Parsons; Lane,
f. H. LObdell; Mcpherson. l. c. Nc
Murray; Meade, George B. COMBS;
Morton, G. Porter Craddoek; Ness, J.
S. Lightner; Pawnee. Herbert Porter;
Pratt, George w. Stewart; Reno, J. Q.
Patten; Rice. n. L. Grimes, Rush, A.
c. Whiteman; Scott G. d. Beck; Sedg-
wick O. Il. Smith; Seward. L. A.
Etzold; Stafford. no choice; Stanton,
Sherman Williams; Sumner, John w.
Nyce; Stevens, J. w kelso; Wichita,
Henry Krenzel.
L have realized for some time that
the chances were against my nomina-
tion,'' said Senator Fred Dumont Smith
after the congressional convention was
over, but | determined to name the
congressman. l would never nave gone
into the race had I known that Judge
Price would do so. There was a de-
mand for a man from the western part
of the district to make the race in or
der to hold that part of the district to-
gether, and I could do il better than
anyone else. / did not want to make
the race, but I was urged into it. After
I got in Judge Price became a candi-
date. He was enCOura $ed by the ma
chine simply to beat me. He was per
fectly innocent in the matter He made
the race in good faith and his support
ers were for him in the same way, but
the machine encouraged him to run
/ simply to divide my strength in the
western part of the convention soon
after he came out l became convinced
that I could not be nominated and
began to plan to make some body else.
q was up all night and at o'clock
this morning I found out about the
plan to nominate Murdoch If had
gone to bed an hour sooner might
have been left today and the other fell
I lows would have beaten me to Muir
dock. They worked Noftzger and got
/ his delegation away from him. The
plan was for Barber. Harper and Stat
4 ford counties TO go to Wallace in order
t to make him feel good. Then to get an
adjournment and tomorrow for these
counties to join with kingman and
Pratt in starting the stampede to Muir
dock l just decided to start that
stampede myself"
When w Y Morgan was asked his
opinion as 80 how it happened he said:
We did not have votes enough to
nominate Forsha apparently That is all
l know about it."
Morton AIbaugh would not express
any opinion as to how it happened, but
concerning the result he said:
THE nomination of Mr.. Murdoch is
an exceedingly fortunate choice. He
will be a very strong candidate and
first class congressman. He has always
been warm friend of Senator Long.
and his nomination shows very cOnclu-
siVely that there is no fight on in the
! Seventh district. 1t viii harmonize all
elements completely
The majority of the eighteen congress
sional candidates were a very bright
and clever lot of men William Allen
White recently said of Victor Murdoch:
He is as smart as ingalls,. as forceful
as Plumb was at MurdOCk'S age, as
brave as Cy Leland. and as foxy NJ.
A Low" Sam w. Forsha the Reno
county candidate, is a clean. substantial
1 business farmer. one of the kind who
is a great credit to the state which
produces him and one of the kind which
builds up a state. There are few
brighter, keener minds in the state of
I Kansas than that of Fred Dumont
( Smith: and Judge Price is an all around
clean capable we'll balanced lawyer.
Brattan, Branine and others size up
well but are not as widely known as
those first mentioned A few Of the
i eighteen may not be up to the standard
in either integrity or bfilliancy. but
taken as whole they were as good a
lot of candidates as district could
scrape together
One Of the most enthusiastic support
ers of Victor Murdoch in the Wichita
crowd was Sam Amidon, who is him
self talked of one of the leading
candidates for the Democratic nomina-
ton for congress It is now safe to say
that Amidon would not take the NOM
ination if It were rendered him.
Two of the Sedgwick county delega-
ton, by the way, have always been
I Democrats heretofore. but are now
avowed Republicans. They were E. E.