The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-04-11
BURTON AT WORK
Fight Is on in Fifth District
Against Calderhead.
Is Being Waged by Lieuten-
ants Of the Senator.
WEAK IN HIS DISTRICT.
Future Depends on Retirement
Of the Congressman
Plenty of AsPirants for Con-
gressiOnaI HonOrs.
WEAK IN HIS DISTRICT.

Reports from Abilene state that Sen
ator Burton is hard at work in his
garden sowing congressional garden
seeds Reports from over the Fifth dis
trict are that his leutenants are at
work sowing the seeds OF hope in the
minds of congressional aspirants in
order to make trouble for Congressman
Ca1derhead next year.
Since Senator Burton's plan to defeat
Mr.. Calderhead for the congressional
nomination next year was published in
the State Journal last week. additional
evidences have been coming in of work
along this line, and if Mr.. Burton can
secure sufficient backing in the district
there VIII be more politics in the Fifth
district in the next twelve or fourteen
months than in any other part Of the
state.
But Senator Burton will labor at a.
disadvantage He is probably weaker
I'm his home district than in any other
part of the state. and it VIII require
skillful manipulation on his part to get
up an insurrection sufficient to give
him the necessary backing
Mr.. Burton's political future depends
largely on removing Mr.. Calderhead
from the list of senatorial possibilities.
put forth a hard effort It is generally
recognized that Nlr. Calderhead-s sena-
torial race the past winter was largely
for the purpose of putting him in train
ing for the contest four years hence,
when Senator Burton's present term
viii expire. They live in the same con-
gressional district and the one that can
control the district will have big ad-
vantage over the other. If Burton can
defeat Calderhead's denomination for
congress next year it Will, of course
forever settle Mr. Calderhead's sena-
torial aspirations. If he cannot do that
Mr.. Burton can at least effect an or
ganization to control as many nomina-
tions for members of the Legislature as
possible. but his first play viii be to
defeat Calderhead for renonination next
year.
That cannot be done directly. A test
Of strength between Burton and Calder
head in the Fifth district would result
disastrously to the former, but.half the
counties in the district have aspirants
for congressional honors. and therein
lies Mr. Burton's hope. He does not care
especially who becomes congressman,
just so it is not Calderhead. lie would
prefer. of course. to be able to name the
man. but his chief effort viii be to re-
tire Mr.. Calderhead and if he cannot
name the man he win be satisfied to
have anyone win except the Marshall
county statesman.
1t is true that there is dissatisfaction
with Mr.. Calderhead in his district
Calderhead is not a politician. He is
set in his ideas. and he is not good
at smoothing out the rough places He
has been successful heretofore largely
because each of the numerous ccngres-
fional aspirants in the district have not
felt strong enough to start something
a good strong candidate. free from en-
tangling alliances, might be able to
make Mr. Calderhead trouble, and this
Gact VIII give Mr.. Burton's lieutenants
something to work on.
The sGaa viii be to start as many
local candidates In the different counties
Of the district as possible and then to
combine their strength on the strongest
one possible. Whether the plan viii sue
ceed depends upon whether the local
candidates can be persuaded to make
the race and take the local delega lions
away from Calderhead. The naiorft y
Of the aspirants viii not want to go into
the contest the coming year unless they
DeHeNe there is a good chance for sue
cess, as such a move would weaken
them when MT Calderhead does finally,
retire or go to the senate
There are just two counties in the
district which Mr. Burton can probabl
control at present Dickinson and Clav.
Ieary county would probably be a
would win w. H. Mackey Mr. Bur
tons United States marshal would be
placed in an embarrassing position in
Geary county, as he is under obligations
to both Burton and Calderhead
S. S Smith is talked of as congress
sional candidate from Dickinson county.
and F. L. Williams. Attorney General
COleman's law partner. as a candidate
from Clay county Mr.. Burton could
influence both of these. but when Mr.
Williams becomes congressional can
didate he wants to win.and there would
be the suspicion in his mind that the
Burton influence would in the end be
thrown to somebody like J. b Tomlin-
son of Ottawa county or r. D. Fitz-
patrick of Salina. Fitzpatrick has all
ways been a close friend of Mr. Cald-
erhead and an enemy of Burton ana it
would take a strong argument to get
him to enter the field against Calder
head Tomlinson Joined che Burton
forces in 1900 and it might be easier to
get him into the race
In Washington county Senator T Z.
Morrow has a congressional bee. ne
was for Burton in 1900 but now he is "A
strong cog in the anti-BurtOn organfz-
alton. so that the chances are against
his getting into the race.
III Senator Burton sees he cannot de-
feat Mr.. Calderhead. he may use his
fight against him to cover up another
move. as well as to build up an or
EaNAAaNltA 20 use ldArE- Inc state SEN
ators who Will be elected next year
will be the ones who will have a vote
in the next senatorial election. and if
Calderhead is a candidate they will
have to choose between Burton and
Calderhead. There are six senatorial
districts in the Fifth congressional dis
trict. enough to cut a big figure in q
congressional election. Mr.. Burton will
want men nominated whom he can CON
troll for himself as against Calderhead
and this viii make another close fight
next year. The members of the lower
house to be elected next year viii not