The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-12
CRY AGAINST INJUSTICE.

The seating of the contesting dele
cations over the regulars in the state
convention was so unjust that 1t is
causing a great deal of criticism even
among the friends of the new machine.
There was absolutely no justice in the
decision of the contests.
c. S. Finch, editor of the Lawrence
Gazette, who has been one of the most
persistent critics of the old machine"
in the state, says that this action of
the state convention was 1.-The most in
famous chapter in Kansas political
history" In the course of an editorial
on the convention Mr.. Finch says in the
Lawrence Gazette:
What shall we say of a reform
movement that at it's inception does an
act that would have disgraced the Lee
land machine at its worst? The Wyan-
dotte delegation that was admitted had
given up all thought of a contest They
had been overwhelmingly defeated, and
the whole gang repudiated. But out
side influences encouraged them. There
was a smell of Doodle in the air, and
the wolves came after it. The RE-
FORM CONVENTION AT WICHITA
WROTE THE MOST INFAMOUS
CHAPTER OF KANSAS POLITICAL
Illo 4OD4 1I1A4 Il 4ED
OUR PAGES when it admitted the Nat
Barnes delegation. There was no ex-
cuse, no palliation for the infamous POI
litical crime. And the admission of
the Miami delegation was but little
better. The excuse for that was that
the county central committee endorsed
Bailey, when it had no right to do SO.
And yet, under the advice and instruc-
lions of George ]. Barker and w. R.
Stubs the Douglas county central
committee endorsed Hoch. The excuse
for the Miami county crime was worse
than the crime itself"
In the Atchison and Jackson county
contests the decision was just as bad.
In Atchison county it was based upon
the fact that the county committee
called for a primary election to elect
delegates to the state convention in
stead Of a county convention, and that
the nine minority members out Of the
AZ on the committee had no representa-
ton on the committee of seven APP
pointed to make the arrangements fer
the election.
In Jackson county the decision of the
committee was based entirely on the
fact that when the county chairman
ruled that the rs Thompson delegates
had been outvoted by the AZ Walker
! delegates because contests had been
filed against some of the Thompson
delegates-he did not say what ones
when this ruling was given the Thomp-
| son people did not appeal from the de-
cision of the chair, but both candidates
for temporary chairman took possess
sion of the convention. On this techni-
cality the ruling was in favor of the
Walker delegates, although a protest 26
feet long from 500 Jackson county Re-
publicans was presented against seat
ing the Walker delegation, and no evil
dence was presented to show that the
! rs Thompson delegates in the county
convention were not legally elected.
| In the Wyandotte county contest, ".
/ S. Roark, chairman of the credentials
committee, admitted that legally the
! McGrew delegation was right, but his
excuse for seating the Barnes delega-
/ ton with half a vote each was that to
seat the McGrew delegation would be
"a triumph of law over justice" and
for political expediency'' it was deem
ed best to give the Barnes delegation
half. The real reason was because it
was thought necessary to follow the
/ lead of the Bowersock congressional
convention at Garnett.
It was expected to seat the Kelly
delegation from Miami county on the
ground that the county committee had
not followed the rules adopted in 1901
to govern primaries, but the rules
themselves showed that they applied
only to primaries for the nomination
of county officers and not to the cleo
ton of delegates to any conventions at
all Then an excuse was made that the
committee had passed resolutions en-
dorsing Bailey's administration and de-
nouncing Kelly. The Bailey resolution
was admitted, but the Kelly resolution
was denied and afterwards pronounced
a forgery by five members of the coun--
ty committee. But this was made the
excuse for recognizing the new county
committee organized for the occasion
by Kelly! In other words, the regular
county committee was read out of ex-
istence because it passed a resolution
endorsing Governor Bailey!
On these grounds the committee on
credentials unseated 6S regularly elect
ed delegates to the state convention and
gave their places to those who had been
Overwhelmingly defeated at home.