The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-01-07
Burton Is Determined to Force
HOch Into the Race.
Regards It as Only Chance to
Gain Control.
STUBS TO THE FORE
Senator's New Jerusalem Rep
resentatIve Taking the Lead.
MariOn Man Shows No DISPOSE
tiOn to Surrender.

The politicians who are fighting Gov
ernor Bailey are insistent that E w.
Hoch will run for governor, notwith-
standing his repeated declaration that
be is not a candidate. Their asser-
tions cast an uncomplimentary insinu-
alton upon Mr.. Hoch's sincerity. Their
actions and words virtually assert that
while Mr.. Hoch says one thing he
means another.
Mr.. Hoch stated positively to the
State Journal Wednesday after w. r.
Stubs had talked with him, that he
had given Mr.. Stubs no encourage
ment whatever; that he had had his
say in his letter published the day be-
fore Christmas and that his position
has in nowise changed.
In that letter Mr.. Hoch declined to
run for governor and he said that his
decision was hnal.s His exact words
were as follows:
''I cannot get my consent to lead this
movement in the way these good peo-
pie wish me to lead it. 1t is a case in
which my impulses are on one side and
my judgment is on the other, and as
many of my nearest friends know. this
is the attitude have sustained to this
movement from it's inception so far as
aged it. In Difference, however, to the
opinions Of others, my judgment has
been suspended for a while and open
for conviction. But time and thought
and investigation only strengthen my
original conviction.
mo words I have ever written have
given me more pain than these, be-
cause they will disappoint some of my
best friends and win no favor from my
opponents. To resist attacks of enc
mics is easy. To refuse the importunt-
ties of friends is hard. The reason for
this final conclusion can not be given
in detail They are too many to be
enumerated and their specific enum-
Grafton would be useless, anyhow.
Mr.. Hoch doubtless realizes that the
Burton element is making a strong eff
fort to use him to rake chestnutS out
of the fire for them. OF course, it is
desired that the hand of Mr.. Burton
shall not appear in it. but W. R. Stubs
who is now at the head of the move
ment and who is responsible for this
second attempt to force Mr.. Hoch to
run, is tied up with Senator Burton
himself both in business and politics.
Another of the chief movers in the
Hoch movement is ". H. Mackey, Mr.
Burton's United States marshal.
The only hope of the Burton machine
to regain control in Kansas politics is
to get some man like Mr.. Hoch who is
personally popular to stand the brunt
of a fight, and then let the Burton ma
chine step in and reap the benefits Of
whatever success Mr.. Hoch might have
In it's desperation the Burton element
is trying to force Mr.. Hoch to run for
governor despite his declination.
There is no doubt that Mr.. Hoch is
personally popular throughout Kansas,
but the fact that such man as Sen
ator Burton would reap the benefits of
his success would take from him the
support of thousands who might 9TH
erwise be for him. The people of the
state generally believe that the re-
election of Senator Burton would be
discreditable to the state. Whatever
may be charged against Cyrus Leland,
Morton Albaugh and their friends, the
fact that they are unalterably opposed
to Senator Burton is greatly to their
credit. As a choice between the Burton
machine and the Leland machine, the
latter is unQuestionably preferable. 1t
IS a realization that his candidacy
would be used for the benefit of the
Burton machine that has doubtless had
much to do with determining Mr.. Hoch
not to run for governor.
Now the Burton machine proposes to
force Mr.. Hoch into the race anyway.
In order to do this it is insinuated that
Mr.. Hoch is not sincere in his refusal,
but that If the people give him suffi-
cient encOurag cement he will run any
way. Mr.. Hochs future action will
indicate whether the insinuation that
he is not sincere is correct, or whether
he has said after mature elaboration.
If the Leavenworth Soldiers home
can poll as many Republican votes as it
is asserted it will eventually poll the
veterans in the home can run the poll
tics of Leavenworth county just as they
want to if they will unite. There are
over 5000 old soldiers in the home and
it is asserted that nearly all of them are
Republicans. In Leavenworth county
outside the home last year there We're
cast Eli Republican votes. If the old
soldiers in the home should all stand
together they could make the Republi-
can leaders of the county do just about
as they want them to, not only in state
and congressional politics, but with re-
gard to county offices as well. If the
Soldiers home had been segregated
from Leavenworth county for political
purposes, as the anti-machine attempt
ed to have done, this would have been
impossible, as the home would have
been set off by itself.
Here is a brief comment. from the
Hutchinson News, in which a careful
reading between the lines discloses
something of a satirical nature
1T is the opinion of the News that
Mr.. David Mulvane should be unani-
mously reelected member of the Repub-
lican national committee. But we do
object to him being called a representa-
tive of the 'anti-machine.' Mr.. Mulvan
is justly considered one of the best ma
chinists in the state. He is the head
of that excellent organization known as
the Burton machine. He has a machine
in Shawnee county which runs over all
opposition. He should be reelected be-
cause he is a friend of Mr.. Burton and
there should be no disposition in the
Republican organization to leave out
the large faction which calls itself by
the senior senator's name
The Concordia- Press is booming Sen
ator Harry Mcmillan for the Demo-
cratic nomination for governor. Among
other things it says: I'VE say without
fear of successful contradiction that he
was the only member in the last Iegis-
iature who did not ride on pass This
can be successfully contradicted. Judge