The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-05-12
Fight Is Strangely Diverted
From Victor Murdoch.
WHO HAS THE MOST.
POpulists and Democrats to De-
eide Which Is Stronger.
Chairmen Ayers, of POpulists,
Issues an Address.

While the campaign for congressman
in the Seventh is proceeding very quiet
ly and while there is no doubt concern
ing the election of Victor Murdoch
there is really a contest down there in
which the Republicans are not concern
ed. It is a contest between the Popu-
lists and Democrats to see which can
poll the most votes.
There is. of course. considerable
apathy among the rank and file of both
parties. They know that it is i'm
possible for either to win. But the
leaders are anxious to make a showing.
The old-tine Populists are anxious 10
show that the Populists are still alive
and that they are more numerous than
the Democrats. If they can do this il
Will be easier for them to bring the
Democrats to terms in the future fusion
deals. The Democratic leaders. on the.
other hand, are anxious to prove that
they are ahead of the Iopulists in point
of numbers. If they can do so IN addi-
ton to pointing to their national organ
lzatloh. 1t will be strong argument to
bring the remainder of the Populists en-
tlrely within the Democratic fold.
This contest to see which can poll the
most votes is especially sharp in Pratt
Rice. kingnan, Reno and Barton coun-
tles N the first three it is said that
the Ropu1sts have the advantages; in the
Other TWO Democrats may win.
All parties are trying to arouse suff1-
Gent interest to get out an approx
mately full vote, but the attempt will
probably be a failure in most counties.
The election will come on May 26 and
the farmers viii be entirely too busy to
go TO the polls TO vote when there is no
doubt as to the outcome OF the election.
Ihefe are local issues in Kingman.,
PaWnee and Barber counties, however,
which viii aid in securing a consider
able vote in those counties. At the same
time as the special congressional elee-
ton, special bond elections for various
purposes will be held.
In order to arouse interest among
the Populists W. A. Ayers, chairman of
the Populist congressional committee,
has issued an address to the Populists,
urging them to go to the polls and vote
for Judge w. j. Babb, the Populfst can
didate. In the address Ayers reviews
the incidents which led to the split in
the fusion ranks and resulted in the
calling of the Popuist convention which
nominated Judge Babb. Mr.. Ayers
charges that the Democrats paid no at
tentIon to the request of the PopulisEs
for a conference previous to the calling
of Democratic convention and the
Democrats ignored the POpuiStS entire
~. He says the first he heard of the
Democratic convention was when he
read the call in the newspapers. Then
he continues:
Owing to the fact that we had lost
ence with the Democratic committee,
and responses from our own commit
teemen having come In calling for an
early convention, we had to call the
county conventions and our congress
sional convention on very short time.
This we did not do, however, until after
the Democratic committee met, and
failed to confer with us after it met
by message or committee, which it
could have done, Notwithstanding the
oversight or neglect of its secretary
Although a liberal Peoples Party
fusionist heretofore, SO much SO that I
have often been spoken OF as a Demo
crat in the Peoples Party, did not
see what else we could do after being
thus ignored. other than to hold our
own convention.
"A larger convention met than we
expected to have under the short call
made and it was very largely made
UP of Peoples Party fusionists. We
tried to select a representative and
WeIl-knovn citizen and Populist for a
candidate and as we believed the least
thought we had done so in the person
of w J. Babb.''
Mr.. Ayers then reviews the history of
fusion in this district and the state,
claiming that it would have been moth
ing more than fair for the Democrats to
have indorsed Mr.. Babb as a PopuhSt,
and calls attention to the fact that the
Populists Endorsed and supported the
entire Democratic state and congress
sIonal ticket last year under the head of
Democratic ticket"
Mr.. Ayers closes his open letter with
an appeal to the Pepulists to stand by
Mr.. Babb and by SO doing show the
Democrats that the Populist party is
not dead as has been claimed by the
Democrats and as they seemed to think
when they refused to even give the
Populist committee the courtesy of
reply to the letter of the Populist COM
nittee asking for a conference
The new paper which L. NJ Linton,
representative in the late legislature
from Smith county, has produced from
the conbfnation< of the Lebanon Journal
and Criterion is called the Lebanon