The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-04

the time. He had no axes to grind, but
was there to see the fun and help give
these readers the quickest and best re-
port of the doings. The intensity of
the desire of each crowd to secure the
Marion county delegation was simply
overshadowing- 1t stood like cloud
over the rest of the proceedings the
night before the convention was called
to order. 1t was Bailey and his friends
against the field. and it looked as
though Bailey might lose without the
Marion delegation. or at least part OF
it, Mr.. Hoch was APPEALED to for the
delegation, was begged for half of 1t
and later implored for a fourth of it.
Senator Burton, Congressman Curtis
and the field generally brought counter
pressure to bear upon Hoch, whose del
egates were waiting to follow his wish
es and word. Hoch hesitated long into
the night and early morning. He re-
fused to the Bailey faction the delega-
ton; he refused half of it; he refused a
quarter Of it. Burton and his friends
were joyous and jubilant.
The calling of the roll on the temper
airy craftsmanship, which was to show
whether Bailey or Burton would win,
was received with breathless silence,
except the announcement of the vote of
each county as it was called. Bailey
and Leland won. Hoch lost the state
partnership.
Do politicians like Leland forget that
Hoch refused to lend encoura cement to
any but the enemy? Hoch was SO
strong that he almost landed. He spoke
eloouently up and down the valleys for
the party and for the office of state
printer. He helped the ticket and APP
parently secured enough pledges to IN
sure him the coveted office whose
ernoluments are so great. But political
pledges must be discounted. They did
not tally with the votes
We have always liked E. w. Hoch,
and class ourselves as among ms ad-
mirers, but We do not admire Ed Hoch
to the exclusion of a high regard Tor
very many other good people.
The essence Of the Hoch boom is that
Hoch is being made game of. 1t is not
what Hoch thinks it is. There are two
machines in Kansas. One of them just
now is in good running order. The
other machine claims to be just as good,
or even better But it simply hasn't
got the business. more or less de-
fective machine in the harvest field,
which is cutting grain and turning out
the product, is a far more satisfactory
thing to have on the market for those
who control it than a f1awless harvester
which the public won't Duy. It's the
same in politics.
Mr. Hoch should remember, what he
thoroughly knows, that a good news
paper, and Hoch has one, is better than
any office the state can give hinl-ex-
cepting for the sake of the argument
the ONCE of state printer, which is
merely a graft which the people
have as YET been unable to SUPPRESS
Mr. Hoch is simply being worked. and
newspaper men. as shrewd as they
claim to be. are worked every day by
people with large and small gratis.
We are all prone to hug ourselves that
we know real news. but the reputation
many OF us have with the real shreWd
men and women of this world is that
newspaper people are easy"
Many people really love Hoch. but
many others right now who pretend to
are simply f1atterers and do not love
Hoch so much as they hate the other
fellows.