The Wichita daily eagle., 1904-04-10
HARD BLOW TO
DEMOCRACY
Harmony and Unanimity of
Republicans Worry.
WEST SIDERS SCHEMING
They Hope to Stampede Con-
ventiOn to Matthews.

Guthrie, o. T., April 9.-Chief interest
in the congressional situation for some
time has centered in the action of the
Democratic party in selecting candidate
to make the race against Bird 5. Nc
Guire.
1t was a foregone conclusion for a long
time before the assembling of the Re
publican convention that Mcclure would
be the choice of his party for reelection,
but there is no getting around the fact
that the harmony in that convention was
sore disappointment TO the Democratic
leaders in the territory. They had figured
out in their own minus and TO their su-
preme satisfaction that there would be
a,factional fight in the Republican con-
vention as the result a large number of
Republicans would sulk in their tents
during the coming campaign.
The action of the Republican conven-
tion has forever banished this thought
from their minds. The belief that was
pretty general among Democratic leaders
that the nominee OF their party would
be certainly elected has given place to
doubt and forebodings for The future.
Even before the meeting of the Republi-
can convention The delusion of an easy
victory had begun TO Danish from their
minds ana numerous candidates that had
forged to the front for the Democratic
nomination began to drop out of the
ranks.
There is no doubt that a large number
of influential Democrats over the territory
were party TO the scheme to stampede
the Democratic convention to Roy HCff-
IRn and make him the nominee of the
1fty to make the race against Mcclure.
1t was talked around by those influential
Democrats that Hoffman would not ac-
cept the nomination This was of course
10 convey the idea to the rank and file Of
the party that Hofman's nomination was
merely a matter of his acceptance and
that he would be doing a great favor for
his party by condescending TO accept the
nomination and spending a few thousands
of the Hoffman dollars in the campaign.
Leslie Niblack of this city has some
practical ideas about politics and he
caught onto this scheme and slipped
out Of the fight or rather refused to get
IN at the solicitation of friends The wise
men back of the Hoffman boom at once
saw that by this movement Niblack would
pocket the Logan county delegation for
Edgar Jones and give Mr.. Jones a chance
to do good deal Of work outside of his
own county. Some of the candidates in
the western part of the territory saw
through the scheme and they began tell
ing the Democrats in that section that the
next congressman must come from the
country lying west Of the Santa Fe main
line of track through Oklahoma.
The statesmen who proceeded to divide
The territory into two sections, one on
either side of the Santa Fe are working
IN the interests of J. Frank Matthews of
Greer county. Their plan is to get all
of the other candidates in the western
part of the territory to concede the right
of way to Matthews and unite the whole
west side for him. There is no question
1llat this kind of an arrar cement would
make Matthews a very formidable can
didate provided it can be done. At all
events some of the other candidates would
act wisely if they keep an eye on the
Greer county man.
4 very prominent Democratic leader in
The territory only few days ago eX-
pressed the opinion that this west side
scheme would win. He said that the bulk
of the delegates from the eastern counties
would come to the convention with the in
tention of nominating Edgar Jones of
Guthrie. NJ. Bowles of Perry. Robert Neff
of Blackwell VIM. Cross Of Oklahoma
City or Judge ]. II. Maxey of Shawnee
There would be other Democrats with
some delegates working for their nom-
ination and this would give Matthews
such an oyerpowering advantage in the
convention that delegates pledged TO other
candidates would make a break to Mat
fhews long before the other fellows could
form Il combination on another candidate.
He said the average delegate to a con-
Eressionai convention always had an in
nate desire 10 he on the winning side and
it took nightly good leadership some
the strongest man before the convention
ar the candidate with the largest follow
ing.
New developments in the Democratic
field may be expected soon which will
materially lessen the number Of candid
ates considered in the race for the nom
ination for delegate to congress. That
position is not running after anybody at
This time. but is resting. and the would be
statesman who gets it will have 10 get out
snd so after ii.
v NJ q s To MEET