The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-22
Doesn't Blame Him for Bower
sock Decision.
BUT BOASTS COLEMAN.
AIbaugh Excuses and Apollo
gIzes for Burrows Attitude.
But Says Coleman Was SuppOs-
ed TO Know Better.

Probably the most notable com
ment which has appeared IN any OF
the Kansas papers this week concern
ing the decision of the state election
board in the len-Bowersock contest
is in the current issue of the King
man Courier-Leader. This IS the pa
Der owned and edited by Morton Al
baugh formerly chairman of the Re
nublican state committee. The most
nectIjar part of Mr.. Albaugh's edi-
torial is his excuses for the attitude
of Secretary of State Burrow: While
he severely criticises the decision q
the board. he throws the blame Tor II
on Attorney General Coleman. Inc
editorial is as follows:
at is always better to be fair than
unfair This is true. both as q mat
ter of right and from the standPoli1lI
of policy. This truism is called forth
from the outrageous action OF the
contest board in refusing to place the
name Of H J. Allen on the Republl-
can ticket from the Secono cong IS
ional district. after he had won in the
congressional primaries there by 50
decided a majority.
I'm the Second district convention,
Mr.. Allen had Bourbon county with
twelve delegates. Franklin with thlr-
teen, Miami with ten and Wyandotte
with thirty-twO, making total or
sixty-seven out of the convention Of
lone hundred and eighteen. He had
verified statements from a majority
of the delegates in the Johnson coun-
~ convention, that they were present,
as delegates, at such convention and
desired and attempted to secure the
ODDOrtunitV to vote for Allen dele
gates and Allen Instructions to the
congressional convention, but were
prevented by the arbitrary adjourn
ment of the convention by the chair
man. This would have given Mr..
Allen seventy-seven out of the one
hundred and eighteen. There was a
contest in Anderson county, which in
vOlVed seven more votes. But in or
der to defeat Mr.. Aliens candidacy,
which did not meet with the approval
of the pretended political reformers,
now doing business in Kansas, a con-
test was set up in WyandOtte county,
where three hundred and twenty
seven of the three hundred and thir-
ty-seVen delegates to the county con-
ventiOn, were absolutely anti Bower
sock. and in Miami county, the call
for a cOuntX convention by the regu-
lar county committee was absolutely
ignored by BOWersOck'S friends and a
set of absolutely bogus delegates set
up and sent to the convention, these
bogus delegates in both Wyandotte
and Miami counties being seated in
what BOwersOck contends to have
been the congressional convention. AS
matter of fact. in this pretendd1
convention, Mr.. Bowersock only had
I'LL - jul - AAlAuAlg GlGCleQ QEI6-
gates In the convention that nom
mated Mr. Allen, there were sixty
seven. or eight more than a majority.
whose right to sit. was absolutely un-
questioned and seventeen more to
whom he had a better right than
Bowersock had.
1t is an outrage without a precedent
in Kansas political history State Aud
itor Wells, a member of the contest
board, protested vigorously against it's
preparation and filed a written dis
sent Attorney General Coleman ana
Secretary of State BurrOw decided in
favor of BOwersock, but refused to
make any written statement of the
reasons for such decision, but acknow-
lodged that they did not go into the
merits OF the controversies in the diff
ferent counties at all. but simply based
their decision upon the fact that Bow
ersock, having the committee. the con-
Vention held under the supervision of
what they called the congressional
committee, was the proper one and
made the proper nomination. In short
II their findings should stand. it would
be notice to the Republicans Of Kansas
that committee could overthrow the
Will OF the voters expressed at the pri-
martes on any occasion.
1T is significant commentary on
the present political situation in Kan
sas to say that the decision of Mr.
Coleman and Mr.. Burrow has besn
forecasted ever since the Garnett con
vention. It is in pursuance of a pro
gramme arranged for the purpose III
giving Mr.. BOwersock the nomination
certificate, after it was disclosed that