The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-01-02
Suspicious Candidates Fright
ened at State Journal Poll.
Are They Afraid People Will
Know the Exact Situation
FACTS ONLY WANTED.
No Politician Was Taken into
The Plan.
Many Replies Are Now Being
Received.

Received.
The State Journal is taking poll of the
members of the legislature to determine
their present sentiment on United States
senator and state printer. The mem
bers Of the house are also asked to give
their preference for speaker of the
house.
IN order that those members who do
not want to declare themselves might
be able to express their choice without
betraying their secrets. blanks have
been sent to each member which could
be filled in and returned without show
ing from whom they came, unless the
sender chose to sign them.
The letter and blank sent to each
member was as follows:
Dear Sir-The State Journal wishes to
give an accurate estimate of the senti-
ment of the coming legislature on the
questions of United States senator and
state printer and Of the lower house on
the speakership proposition. Realizing
that some members do not wish to COM
nit themselves we have arranged what
amounts to secret ballot. If you do
not wish your choice known, simply fill
in the blank below, detach it from the
body of the letter along the dotted line
and return to Us. It win be impossible
to tell from whom it comes. as exact
copies OF this letter and blank are sent
to every Republican member of the
house and senate
Kindly do this as soon as possible. If
you neglect it your favorite candidates
VIII lose the prestige which comes from
your vote and every vote will count.
/ II you are willing to have it known
whom You favor. fill in the blank and
sign your name at the bottom. If yoA
are a member of the senate, you viii
not, Of course. ill in the speakership
blank Very truly yours.
.'''''.... .....--..---.....-.-. .....-.----
Ny first choice for United States sen
ator is Observation-Disclosures.
MY second choice for United States sen
nv 1,l+ = c,;c - 80
My second choice for state printer is.
NY choice for speaker Of the house is.
In taking this poll the State Journal
has no desire to help or hurt any candi-
/ date for any office. All il wants is to
PIE as whole, including the candidates
] and members OF the legislature them
! selves are considerab bly, interested
/ Not single politician knew ANYTHING
about the poll prior TO the time the let
I ters were mailed The first ones sent
out were to the members in the western
half OF the state, and the following day
others were sent to the eastern mem
bers, so that all would receive them
about the same time.
The first that was known of the poll
/ IN Copeland county was when some of
/ the members from the central mart of
the state came in with their letters. At
i least one of them was a friend OF
/ Longs and he went directly to Mr. Long
to consult with him about the matter.
I Shortly afterwards the Stanley and Cur
/ began a
/ letters Each candidate seemed to be
afraid that the poll was a, coup set up
/ by one of the others, and each was also
/ inclined to fear that it might show up
better for one of his opponents than for
himself
The State Journal desires to say that
the poll is being conducted IN absolutely
good faith It would not conduct one
+ otherwise A considerab bic number of
members have already replied. About
third have signed their names as they
are willing to declare themselves. The
balance are unsigned and no effort win
be made to ascertain from whom the
replies come. Some of the senat torial
managers say that the State Journal
might tell by the postmarks on the en-
velopes from whom the ballots come.
This might be true in some cases. but
it is not and will not be done.
The envelopes are at once destroyed
| and only the blanks themselves are
| placed on file. The poll is made in
| absolute good faith with the members
and every candidate will be treated
with absolute fairness. The only in
formation sought to be obtained is
that which is shown on the face of the
blanks themselves, and the origin of
the unsigned blanks will remain abso-
i lutely secret
The State Journal desires, of course.
that the poll shall be as complete as
possible. 1t is believed that if all the
members express themselves the three
leading senatorial candidates viii not
he IA 7rA
from voting their candidates will lose
that vote. The State Journal wishes
every candidate to receive every vote
to which he is entitled and therefore
hopes that every member will send in
his vote as soon as convenient
1t seems quite probable that Senator
Fullngton- of Clay county viii not be
able to participate in the legislature this
winter. He has been very sick for
months, and a year ago it was reported
that he could not recover. Later he was
reported much better, and it was
thought that he could resume his seat
in tie state senate this winter Some
time ago he began to grow worse ana
started for Hot Springs. Ark. in the
hope that he might be benefited there.
but he stopped on the way at Garnett.
where he has a brother who is physi-
clan. He is still at Garnett under his
brothers care, but it is said that his
condition is too serious to allow bsrn to
NOA4tI ~ t1e =tss1e1 III II HIS fOtS IL
needed in the senatorial caucus how
ever to decide the United States SEN
storship, he may make an extraordinary
effort 70 come for that purpose. He j.
generally counted for Calderhead for
first choice and Curtis for second.
Father Beck. Of the Holton Recorder.
makes the following suggestions as t.
what the coming legislature ought to do
'Divest yourselves of the idea if you
happen to entertain it. that the stats
needs a whole lot of new laws We have
entirely too many already.
Amend the ballot law, 50 that tn,
evident sntention Of the voter, when n,
i Continued on Sixth Page.1