The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-11
Railroads in Complete Control
of Recent Convention.
Determined to Force Their
Representatives on People.
HOW MIR. WALKER WON
New Machine Concentrated Its
Forces for Him.
At Same Time Opposition Was
Kept Scattered.

The charge that the Republican state
convention was a railroad convention
from start to finish is not denied by
those who Ian it. Instead they treat
the charge with what-are-you-going
to-do-about-it expression. That is
about the only way the charge can be
treated.
The charge was made several weeks
ago that the railroads-some of them
lwere putting up the money for the cam
paign of the new machine. The rail-
roads had several interests at stake.
First there was the nomination of A.
d. Walker on the railroad board and
the manipulation of the board so
that the railroads could con-
troll it. Next there as the renomina-
ton of Treasurer Kelly, whose manip-
ulation of the assessment matter,
transferred $1S2, 600 of taxes that should
have been paid by the railroads this
year, on to the farms and other prop
erty. Then the same influences want
to be in shape to control legislation in
the next legislature, and there were
minor matters which they wanted.
The seating of the Walker and anti
machine delegations from Jackson and
Atchison counties and the Kelly dele
cation from Miami county the
first action of the convention which the
railroad interest wished to effect, and
dentialS was therefore matter to be
looked after. OF course it may have
been only a coincidence that two of
1.-THE seven members of this committee
were railroad OF corporation attorneys,
and that all were in close touch with
: the new machine. The opposition to
Walker and Kelly asked for a single
member on this committee, and were
refused even that.
Notwithstanding this, the contests
: against the regular delegates from
Jackson and Miami counties were SO
, manifeStly unfair that at the outset
some of the members of the committee
: We're inclined to favor seating the
=, Thompson delegation from Jackson and
the anti-Kelly delegates from Miami
S. S. Benedict the Third district mem
Der of the committee. said that four
members of the committee thought
that from a standpoint Of right and
justice the Thompson delegates from
Jackson ought to be seated. but the
majority were for the Walker delega-
ton on the ground of political expe-
diency." which meant that they were
Expected to bring in a reDort for
Walker because Walker was necessary
to the Rock Island railroad, and the
seating of the Thompson delegation
from Jackson would possibly defeat
Walker. Benedict said he refused to
sign the report, but for harmony's sake
he would not make a minority report.
The Miami county contest was so
rank that three of the committee
|
gates, but were talked over by Kelly's
friends.
Two of the six elegates-at-large to
the national convention are general at
torneys for railroads. They are NJ A.
Low of the Rock Island and J. h
Richards of the Missouri Pacific. Rich
ards is the man who wrote letters to
delegates asking for votes and stating
that his road would furnish transpor-
tation to it's friends where they could
use it. He also lost his home county.
When it came to the nomination OF
railroad commissioners the new ma
chine voted its delegates for A. D.
Walker and George w Wheatley
whenever possible. 1t is asserted, too.
that the railroads were responsible for
the scattered opposition to Walker. a
considerable number of these VINO were
opposed to Walker were for Wheatley,
so that Wheatley easily led, but If the
commercial interests had been able to
eliminate some of the candidates SO as
to have only two or three against
Walker instead of seven, they might
have defeated Walker and nominated
George. The railroad interests, how
ever, wanted to keep as many candi-
dates in the race as possible. knowing
that their forces would vote almost
SOlidly for Walker and Wheatley. and
they were willing to give the shippers
one member of the commission. pro-
vided they could control two. ]. w.
Robson. of Butler. the other nominee,
, is stockman and satisfactory to the
commercial interests.
The railroad interests were given an
other attorney in nominating presiden-
! tial electors -at-large. Here is where
, the Frisco scored. Each congressional
convention nominated one presidential
elector. but as Kansas is entitled to a
, presidential elector for each senator
and for the congressman large, in
addition to one for each congressman,
the state convention had to nominate
, three at large. OF these three the rail-
roads were given the first one, John
nor J. H. Richards. also of Fort Scott,
could get on their home delegations,
but the state convention took them up
because of their railroad connections.
: The other two presidential electors
named by the state convention are E..
, T. Wasson of Wyandotte and T. E.
; Upton of Lyon.
: The OPPOSITION to T. T. Kelly scored
/. /. better than was anticipated in view of
the fact that it had no candidate
against him until the ballotiny COM
: menced, and that Jehn A. Cragun of
!, Kingman, whose name was presented
in opposition to Kelly, had never been
heard of before by a dozen delegates.
Cragun's name was presented simply
: to give those who were opposed to Kelly
a candidate for whom to vote. He re-
!, lceived 1S1 votes, and in addition to
:. these there were IL delegates who re-
fused to vote at all.
A large number also of those who
voted for Kelly were opposed to Kelly,
= and some of them will fight him at the
v convention in order to aid a favorite
candidate for judge or railroad COM
missioner.
For instance Ottawa county gave