The Topeka state journal., 1903-12-01
LELAND IN SADDLE.
What Charles Finch Thinks of
POIIock's Appointment.

Journal, who has been one of the most
radical opponents of the machine" in
Kansas, now says the anti-machine
element is up against it, In the
course of an editorial upon the appoint
meut Of Judge Pollock to the federal
bench Mr.. Finch says that the ap
pointment of Judge Pollock greatly
strengthens Cyrus Leland and the
machine" in Kansas politics He says:
''The appointment of Judge Pollock
to be judge of the United States dis
trict court for Kansas is the most sig
nificant thing that has occurred in
Kansas politics for a long time. The
machine and anti-machine forces of
the Republican party were lined up
squarely in opposition to each other.
While the anti-machine forces were
scattered. the machine men were
solidly for Pollock
1.-THE selection of Pollock by the pres
ident is such an emphatic endorsement
of the Kansas machine by the national
administration that there can be no
doubt OF question as to the position
that will be taken by the administra-
tion in the Kansas political struggle
next year. Roosevelt has personally,
and the president has off1cially recog-
nized the Leland machine as The
What will be the result? A part of
it can be predicted without casting a
horoscope. Every trimmer, every weak
watching for the cat to jump, every
rabbit in the Republican party, will
desert to the machine Only those who
have opposed the machine for con-
science sake. or those who are forced
to oppose it because it would refuse
them admission. will be left to fight
the battle.
Cyrus Leland stands today as the
greatest man in Kansas. He is dicta-
tor and will continue to be until again
deposed. Chester Long may think he is
The Greatest Kansas 1t, but he is boy
in political strength, and tyro in poll
tics compared to Cy Leland. Albaugh.
Allen, Bailey, Clark, all these are but
as small errand boys for Leland. And
| that is saying nothing against them
for they are among the smartest poll
ticians in Kansas. But Leland is the
man who furnished the brain and the
energy and the perseverance that won
at last. Had it not been for his master
hand, his strong grip upon the helm,
the machine would have gone to the
! bottom long ago, for no man save one
who knows not fear and who allows no
white flag to be carried by his followers
could have Stemmed the tide of popular
indignation as he has done, and snatch
victory from inglorious defeat
| What will Kansas Republicans do
now, poor things? The state admnis-
tration is machine; the president has
| placed the private and public seal of
his approval upon that machine. If an
attempt is made to overthrow the pow
er of Leland now. the movement will
have no leader. Bowersock ought to
have been a leader, but he is not, nor
can he ever be. He will have cause
to give grateful thanks if his political
remains are not found beneath the
wreck that the machine will make of
the antis in this district. For those who
have wavered and the time-servers and
the expectant politicians who were
ready to go anywhere will break their
necks dropping off the fence on the
machine side. The only question that
remains is as to the number that will
drop.
1.-The anti-machine has had no leader;
in the very nature of things it could
have none. The anti-machine is up
against it; Cy Leland is in the saddle,
and it may be remarked incidentally
! that he knows how to ride"
Mr.. Finch is mistaken in his assertion
that the federal judgeship contest was
! straight machine and anti-machine
| fight" On the contrary factional lines
! in Kansas politics have never been so
/ broken for number of years as they
were in this judgeship fight. Men who
have been working together in all pre-
Vious fights were widely separated in
this one, while those who have been en-
enies heretofore were pulling together
for a common candidate.
For instance, Fourth Assistant POST
master General Bristow, who has always
been a. warm friend of both Senator
Long and Cyrus Leland, and undoubted
4 ly still is, in the judgeship contest was
for Chief Justice Johnston. In fact,
Judge Johnston himself has been a close
friend of what has been termed the
machine" in recent political contests and
has been uniformly against Senator Bur-
| ton.
Then, too, a number of members of
the legislature who were among the
chief workers in the organization of the
house last winter along what is termed
machine lineS,' were for other candi-
dates than Judge Pollock in the judge
ship fight. Jones of Trego and O'Don-
nell of Ellsworth came to Topeka and
personally asked Senator Long to line
up for LOomiS
On the other hand. ]. S. Dean. one of
Senator Burton's appointees and closest
| friends worked with Cyrus Leland and
Senator Long for Pollock. Congressman
Campbell, whom the anti-machire
| forces usually claim. was Pollock'S first
supporter on the congressional delega-
ton, while Congressman Calderhead,
who is counted with 1.-The machine"
worked hard for Johnston.
In fact, it would have been hard to
conceive more general political mix
up than there was in the judgeship con-
| troversy. 1t is true that Senator Long,
Cyrus Leland and Morton Albaugh were
together when the fight became per-
sonal but it was not until after Senator
Long went to Washington that this oc-
CURED. 1t is true that they achieved a
signal victory in the appointment of
Judge Pollock, but it was in the face of
the opposition OF some OF those VINO are
generally with them in political fights.
The Emporia Gazette is booming two
good men for the United States senate.
On one page it says:
In today's paper you viii read Pres
ident Roosevelts comment on the report
ot Fourth Assistant Postmaster General
Bristow of Kansas. on the postal scan
dals. The presidents comment that this
is one of the most excellent reports ever
made in the history of the American
government, will make every Kansas
man proud 1t is the best single piece
of work for his country ever done by a
Kansas man in war or peace. 1t shows
high courage coupled with common
sense This combination is rare. Lots
of people are brave who have no sense;
lots of people have good sense but are
.f f..aid To it Rrisfnxr is the hest