The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-01-15

ton of William r. Hearst as the chosen
advocate of labor interests in the United
States. These petitions have come
from all parts of the country, and they
are prepared almost entirely upon the
same kind of paper and use the same
language, so that they manifestly are
the work of skilled organizers. whose
operations seem to have extended
north. south. east. and west.
Mr. Germans friends today realize
the blunder they committed in assum-
ing the responsibility of sending the
convention to ST. Louis in the month
of July. They admit that when the
weather turns bristling hot the dele
gates will remember German and
promptly "cuss him out" In explana-
ton of the action Senator German in
going back on his own pledge to vote
for Chicago his followers say he and
other leaders at no time feared the
nomination of Hearst at Chicago.
either by stampede or otherwise. They
did fear. they say, the result of the ex-
traordinary personal campaign which
the audacious New York editor has
been making right under their noses.
That is to say, the old line Democratic
managers. led by German himself, had
counted up a vision of a convention at
Chicago, besieged by a more or less
irresponsible mob demanding HearstS
nomination as a distinctive labor can
didate- The fear was, according to the
German men, not that Hearst would be
able to stampede the convention, but
that after some one else was nominated
the Hearst men in the audience and
around the door would be able to set
I'D the cry that the rights Of labOr had
been ignored and that the plutOcrats
had captured the convention. This, of
course, would be disastrous to the nom
inee, and for this reason, it is said, Mr..
German secured the support of the
friends of other candidates and
switched the convention from Chicago
to st. Louis.
In selecting St Louis German schem-
ers We're chiefly Influenced by the fact
that Mr.. Hearst had a paper in Chi
cago and had none in the show me-
metropolis They were corresponding
Tly astounded over the report that Mr..
Hearst proposed to start a daily paper
at st. Louis, and they admitted that if
he should do this he would put the fin
ishing touches at least to the German
boom and in that way help on ma
terialIy his own prospects for the pres
idential nomination
Mr.. Hearst's friends say he will start
ST. Louis daily for the express pur-
pose of tea ching the German crowd a
seen late this afternoon at the New
Willard where he is stopping, and
positively refused to talk in any way
either in regard to his presidential
chances or his newspaper plan with re-
gard to st. Louis. In discussing the
newspaper proposition, however, he
said significantly: Il cannot talk about
that at least for the present" His
manner, however, gave the impression
that while he might not have made up
his mind definitely, he is at least ser
iously considering the advisa bility OF
making a new newspaper move
There is no doubt about the fact that
his warmest friends and admirers be
Iieve that the esta blishment of a Hearst
paper at st. Louis would be a clever
thing for him to do not only from
noliticaI but from a business stand
points as well. 1t is said the city by
the big bridge is ripe at the present
time for the tyN of paper which Mr.
Hearst has succeeded in making his
own.