The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-08-15
TALKING IT OVER.
Gossip About the Coming City
Campaign.
Pretty Certain to Be a Lively
Contest.
ANITCHING FOR OFFICE
1t Seems to PerVade the Conn
Gil Chamber.
Two or Three Aldermen Aspire
to Mayors Chair.
ANITCHING FOR OFFICE


town. there win be at least three candi-
dates in the field for the Republican
nomination for mayor the next time an
opportunity presents itself Mayor
Bergundthal will probably go after re-
nomination, S. c. Swendson, councilman
from the Sixth ward is already IN hard
training as the candidate of the anti
Hughes wing of the radical prohibition
camp. Col. Hughes himself has again
set his heart on getting the nomination
and he has a certain following which
will stay with him through thick and
thin, though his perennial candidacy is
becoming somewhat tiresome.
Another man whose name has been
mentioned now and then is c. V. Wolf,
councilman from the Third ward, but
Wolf is merely playing his cards to
win in case of a deadlock.
All of the above are the avowed
friends of the prohibition faction of the
Republican party. The other faction
which might be called the Mulvane fac
ton has not yet done much talk
ing. 1t will do none until about a year
from now.
Mayor Bergundthal is the logical can
didate for denomination and reelection,
and there is not the slightest doubt that
he could be elected to the Office if the
prohibition politicians would keep their
hands off. But one characteristic of
politicians is that they don't know when
to leave we'll enough alone. They hope
to force Bergundthal to get off the
track. The opposition to Bergundthal
comes chiefly from the people who were
sore because Col. Hughes lost in the ar
bitration contest last year, when sub
sequent events made it plain that the
action was wise.
Swendson is making such a bold and
unabashed campaign for the support
of the old Hughes faction that his pur-
pose can not be mistaken. He is work.
ing hand-in-glove with them, and be-
lieves that when the radicals come to
think it over. they will conclude that
Hughes numerous defeats make him
undesirable, and will therefore turn to
him as their salvation. And Swendson
is a hard worker and may have al
ready scattered enough poison to kill
off the Hughes support.
1t is not yet certain whether Mayor
Bergundthal will ask for second term.
There is some reason to believe that he
does not enjoy the mayor business mueh.
He always says, IF l am a candidate
when talking about the next mayoralty
campaign. 1t is too early to pass Judg-
ment on the success of his admin1stra-
ton, but so far as he has gone, he has
done hard and conscientious work for
the city. He worked night and day dur
ing the troublous times of the flood, ana
has conducted the citys business in the
council chamber with energy and abn-
ity.
Councilman Swendsons motto should
be, Strenuous and radical" He is al
ways making rumpus about some
thing in the council. and adds much to
the interest of that body by his game
| fights on almost every proposition. he
takes defeat hard, and makes enemies
easily. But at the same time, he is
making friends. and he is steering his
course in the council to enable him to
point back to his record with pride when
the radical prohibitionists are hunting
for candidate for mayor.
What of North Topeka?
This is one of the questions which is
! interesting to the political fiXers- There
is reason to believe that some surpris-
ing political changes will develop in the
First ward as a result of the miPra-
tons caused by the flood. Just what
effect these migrationS will have on
the political complexion of the ward is
very hard to calculate.
At present there are a great many
vacant houses in North Topeka. 1t is
place today the voting strength would
not be much over one-half what 1t
was in the election last spring. The
question is Which portion of town has
lost the most
The south half of North Topeka.
| composed of the first and second pre-
cincts, is the anti-prohibition strong
hold. The north half always goes
large negro and Russian vote in the
first and second precincts.
1t is likely that time will show that
the heaviest loss in population is in the
middle classes--the people who live in
moderate priced, rented houses. The
owners of houses will nearly all move
back into their old homes. The .Doorer
classes. who live in small houses. will
be pretty certain to drift back before
long to their former haunts. They are
gregarious, and will be attracted by
the same thing which induced them to
located along the river front in the
first place. namely, cheap rents.
But the people who may not come
back at all are those who were forced
to move out of comfortable rented
homes. and who have now re-estab-
lished their homes on the south side
of the river. Every day which they
stay in their new homes adds to the
neighborhood ties which will tend to
keep them from going back to the
North side
In course of time. there is no doubt
that all the houses in North Tooeka
VIII be occupied, but the occupants may
be largely new residents of North To-
peka, and the character of this new
population may determine the political
complexion of the ward.
Joseph Griley is probably figuring on
being the Democratic nominee for may
or. He is serving his second term in
the city council, and has demonstrated
on two occasions that he can carry the
Second ward by 500 majority in the face
OF the hottest kind of opposition. Griley
pleases his constituents and represents
the ideas for which local Democracy
stands It is perhaps not too much to
say That OF the active political workers.
Grlley Is about the biggest man in city
politics, Democratically speaking.
1t IS perhaps with the idea of hurting
Gr1ley's chances for mayor that the
charges OF misconduct in connection
with the gas franchise have been sprung.
Dave Mulvane was greatly interested in
the Rohrer franchise, and it was Mr..
ROhraf. "a do