The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-23
POLITICAL GOSSIP
State Election Board Is Having
Stormy Time.
Flood of Criticism Pours Down
on Them.
THEORY
Following 1t Ont Bailey Could
Have Been Named.
Items of Interest About Wire
pullers.

The state election board, or rather
Attorney General Coleman and Score
tary Of State Burrow, are coming in for
generous slice of criticism because CT
their decision in the congressional con-
tests in the First and Second districts.
particularly for the Second district de-
cision.
Il might not have been so bad had
any reasons been given for the decis-
ion, but the absolute refusal of the
two members of the board named 10
state on what grounds the decision was
based or even to answer any questions
concerning it led many people to be-
lieve that Mr.. Burro.v and Mr. Cole
man either knew that the decision
was absolutely wrong and intended 10
make it regardless of the right of the
matter. or they felt that it was weak
and no plausible reasons could be given
for making it.
It is understood that the reasons
given in private for the decision was
that the two members named consid-
cred that they had no right to go back
of the Garrett convention. They say A
convention is the sole judge Of the
qualifications of its delegates and that
the only thing the board had to do
was TO decide which of the conventions
at Garrett was the convention recog-
sional committee and then declare the
nominee of that convention to be the
legal nominee.
But how did the board determine
which was the legal convention with
out going into the contests in the coun-|
ties. Mr.. Coleman conceded that he
practically agreed with Auditor Wells
IN his findings of fact concerning the
county contests, and Mr.. Wells decided
that the convention which nominated
II. J. Allen was the legal convention
and Mr.. Allen was the legal nominee.
Mr.. Coleman declared however thar
the board had no right TO inquire
which were the legally elected dele
gates TO the convention. and IL is sup
posed that he went on the theory that
a ma Ority of the congressional corr
rnittee should decide which was the le-
gal convention and the board must
follow its decision This would make
the congressional committee the real
contest board and there would be no
use for contest board at all.
Then, too. if five out Of nine MEM
bers OF the committee were dishonest
enough they could make up an abso-
lutely fictitious list OF delesateS and II
would not even be necessary. to have
contests; and on Mr. Coleman's theory
the contest board would have no right
to go back of the action of the COM
nltLee, but would be compelled to de-
eide as q ajOrity of the committee
had decided and accept the false list
If this theory were correct Governor
Bailey could have been renominated at
Wichita just as easily as Mr.. Bower
sock was Tenominated at Garrett. Til
majority of the state committee were
for Bailey and all that would have been
necessary would have been for this
majority to have made uD a list of nc
titiOus delegates favorable to Bailey
and then nominated whatever ticket
they pleased
At Garnett there was not even a
majority of the regular committee
who would stand for the list made up
by the BOwersock managers. c. H.
Tucker, the chairman of the commit
tee, who was. put on at Bowersock's
request, considered BoWersock's re-
quests dishonorable and refused to go
to Garrett but gave his proxy to Car
nett And in order to get a majority
for BOwersock it was necessary to seat
a man whom the Allen menb con-
tended had no right as q member of
the committee. so that there were
only three members of the committee
proper who would agree to the Bower
sock list of delegates.
Yet in the face of this Mr.. Coleman
and Mr. Burrow declared that the
contest board had no right to go be-
1 hind the decision of the committee,
and that the three Bowersock mem
/ bers Of the committee were right and
the four Allen members wrongt
That is why a big roar is going up
ever the state just now The com
ments of c. S. Finch of the Lawrence
Gazette, in Mr. BOwersock's own
town, were entirely unexpected, yet
they represent strong feeling over
/ the state.
In the First district the decision
hinged entirely on the segregation Of
the Soldiers home from Leavenworth
/ county. This is purely a legal Ques-
ton and Auditor Wells agreed with
Attorney General Coleman that the
segregation was legal and therefore
gave the nomination to Curtis The
] friends of Anthony contend that the
--r-1-
| the law plainly says that the Soldiers
home shall be a part of Leavenworth
county for election purposes 1t is
und erstood that Mr.. Wells considered
the seating of the Curtis delegations
from Jackson and Atchison counties
as much of a steal as the seating Of
the Bowersock delegations from
Miami and Wyandotte counties in the
4 Second district, but counting the Sol
diers' home for Curtis he had a ma
jority without Jackson and Atchison.
and on that ground he decided for
Curtis
In commenting on the nomination
of ". D Street. former Pooulist rail-
road fighter and speaker of the house,
for railroad commissioner on the So
cialist ticket, the GAYLORD Sentinel re-
/ marks that *.he would make It mighty
Interesting for the railroads.. But
perhaps the Sentinel has not heard
that Street is now president OF a rail-
4 road company hiTnself-one that is
chartered to build from Hutchinson
all over central and western Kansas.
J L Brady. editor of the Lawrence
/ World. announces himself as a candi-
/ date for the legislature from the Law
renee city district of Douglas county,
! and incidentally he announces that
! ". r. Stubs viii come back from the
| country district. Two years ago Brady
/ was a candidate but was defeated by
Judge Barker for the Republican
/ nomination. after a hard fight In an
nouncing his candidacy now he says.