The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-04-11

house will be elected before a. senator
iaI election. so the main fight in the
selection Of the next legislature, so far
1 as the next senatorial contest is con-
( cerned VIII center on the state sen
ators instead of on the representatives
Senator Fred Dumont Smith tells Ills
version Of the Great Bend convention
in his paper. the Kinsley Mercury. III
I the following paragraphs taken from
I two different editorials.
There have been many explanations
of Murdoclz's nomination. The true
reason that be was nominated was THAI
a majority Of the delegates were for
! him second choice. That choice was de-
I liberately made. after due cOnsidera-
tion uninfiuenced by Fictitious circum-
stances OF the manipulations of political
( leaders. There was no stampede. Tie
members of that convention were vet
Grams, battle Scared familiar with all
/ the strategy of politics, cool headed and
wary not to be thrown off their feet
/ by temporary enthusiasm. and on
Thursday the whole situation had re-
solved itself to the question when ana
by whom the break should be made.
The candidates met in the friendliest
spirit and they 9arted in the same
mood. when it came to a question of
the organization of the convention thu
candidates met and unanimously
agreed to II. IN all the milling. work
ing, arguing and ajoling that was done
TO secure delegates the fitness and aVali .
ability Of all the candidates was con
ceded by each As a result the party
emerges from the struggle strong, unit
ca and harmonious. 1t is unit fol
Victor Murdock and his election is as
su-ad.
The Richards delegates are reported
to have said when they returned home
that the result of the convention was a
This would suppose that Senator
Long was opposed to the nomination of
Murdock, which is as far as possible
from the truth. The fact is that Mr.
/ Murdock was nominated because he
was the second choice of a majority of
the delegates. He would have been
nominated just the same if neither Mr.
Albaugh nor Mr.. Mulvane had attended
the convention. He would have hepn
nominated just the same If Smith had
never been a candidate. He was as able
as any and the most available of any
and he had behind him a great delega-
tiOn of forceful men who helped to bring
about the result
The convention was neither a Burton
victory nor a Long defeat. It was
victory for Victor Murdock and above
all victory for self government be-
cause it was made without the aid of
trickery or manipulation, without the
direction or choice of any boss or Wire
puiler, made by the fair and untram-
meled choice Of a majority of the dele
/ gates"
Morton Albaugh tells his version of
the Great Bend convention and the
nomination of Victor Murdock for con
gress in his paper. the Kingman Lead
( er-COurier. 1t is as follows:
Victor Murdock of Wichita was
/ nominated for congress in this district
1t the Great Bend convention on the
first formal ballot. The Topeka and
Kansas City papers have been very
busy telling how it was done and if
they are to be believed, Dave MulVane
came down from Topeka. and with the
.s44 ST f.f
nominee. The fact is that Mulvane had
just about rs much to do with Muir
docks nomination as a toad that might
have been on the rail- would have had
to do with the recent Santa F'e wreck
at Strong City. The great Bend con-
vention was composed of one hundred
and ninety-one delegates. Fully one
hundred and seventy of these were
/ friends of Mr.. Long and of the old or
/ ganiza ton in the district These
4 friends of Mr.. Long and the old organ
/ ization made no effort to center upon
any one candidate. They wanted to
promote good feeling and harmony in
the convention, 50 there would not be
any necessity for a campaign, in order
/ to secure an overwhelming majority for
the nominee. 1t made no difference to
them which of q dozen candidates be-
I fore that convention was nominated
Each as d rule championed his local
favOrite. 1t became evident after the
delegates assembled that Victor Muir
dock was the second choice OF very
large majority of them. 1t did not
take one versed in politics to ascertain
this situation The most casual oD-
server mixing in the crowd could easily
tell before the convention assembled
that Mr. MurdOck's nomination was a
certainty. The component parts OF the
old organization. when their local can
didates We're out of the way, We're al
most without exception for MI Muf-
dock. He had been part OF tnat or
ganization, in fact an important part
of it.
His .acuuaintanceship with the mem
bers of it was general and his enOft5
year in and year out for ten years past
to assist Mr. Long and the trlends o.
( Mr. Long in the district mace MIN q
particular favoTite with the Long or
/ ganiza ton. which was only handicapped
bv the candidates. of other members ol
/ the Ole orga nization. Mulvane lnduced
Banta of Barton county to make the
break on the first formal ballot with
the Barton county delegation to Muir
dock. The delegation from Barton coun-
ty was in fact for Murdoch. NeltAer
Banta nor MulVane had anything 10 do
( with making them so. but Banta Delng
/ the countys local candidate and Mui-
Vane having influence with him. II Is
/ fair to say that these two gentlemen
did have something to do as to the time
/ when Barton county should make the
break. The act did not make any surer
/ Murdock's nomination. It changed the
I time OF IL OUT n Kew II4nuleS- II III iAO
way made different the final outcome
( of tie convention. but Mr.. MulVane j.
( particularly fortunate in practically
owning, through the MulVane bank at
Topeka. newspaper. and in having
much to do with the news columns OF
others. and the people of the state have
7 been led to believe that he a resident
/ of Topeka. man with no interests in
/ the district directly or Indirectly. made
! the nominee The delegates to the con
vention know differently and fortunate
I lv they Will be on hand in their respec-
tive counties to get out the Republic
vote as usual and make Mr. Murdock'S
majority a credit to himself and the dis
trictr
The Wellington Voice William Stry-
/ ker's paper. and the Populist organ of
Sumner county, fails this week to men
tion the nomination Of W. J. Babb for
/ congress by the Populists last Saturday.