The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-11-05
POLITICAL GOSSIP
Indications Point to the Defeat
of Kelly.
Very Few Republican Papers
Supporting Him.
OTHERS SCRATCHED.
Burrow, Coleman and Dayh0ff
Also Have Opposition.
Movement for Nonpartisan Rail-
road Board Under Headway.

If one-half of the reports that come
in from over the state concerning Re-
publicans who will scratch Kelly are
true, Kelly will be defeated by a big
majority on next Tuesday. If all of
! the reports are true, the people of
Kansas will place themselves on rec
ord for honesty and integrity in public
officials by an overwhelming ma
jority. The people realize that the
honor of the state is at stake as we'll
as the safety of the state treasury.
An investigation of fifty Republican
papers as they arrived at the State
Journal Office in the last day or two
showed only SIX that indicated that
their editors would support Kelly.
Only two of this number. the Stafford
Republican and the Smith County
Pioneer, openly defended him. The
Osborne News is supporting Kelly be-
cause it hates Bailey and some of
BaiIey's friends. and not because it
thinks Kelly is not a thief. The editor
of the Courtland Register says he ex-
poets to vote straight ticket, al
though he will not do so very will
lingly. He says he is the only Re
publican editor in Republic county
who will vote a straight ticket. The
editors of the Osborne Farmer and the
Lincoln Republican, both of whom are
former employees of the Topeka Cap
ital say they will vote for Kelly, not
because they believe he is innocent,
but because of his resignation in
escrow
Every other one of the Republican
papers examined were either against
Kelly or were silent. Most of them
were against him. 1t is probable that
more than so per cent. of the Repub-
lican editors of Kansas will scratch
Kelly.
1t must not be understood that all
of the other papers than the six
named, of the fifty examined by the
State Journal, are against Kelly; some
of them are undoubtedly for him in
secret but their editors are ashamed
to say so in print. Here is a man
who is proved TO be an embezzler and
it takes great amount OF urging Ior
an editor to go on record urging his
reelection in face of the probability
that he may be punished for his
crimes. The editor who advises the
of position and honor sacrifices his
claim to respect and consideration as
an adviser of the public, and most
editors realize it, That is why so few
Kelly and why so many of them have
taken an open stand against him, as
shown by the extracts from their pa
pers which have been published in
the State Journal recently.
The only part of the state where
Kelly will run anywhere near with his |
ticket will be in the south eastern
counties. The State Journal circulates |
less down there than elsewhere, be- |
cause of poor railroad facilities, and !
hence the people of that region know |
less concerning Kelly and his crimes |
than do those especially of the north |
ern part of the state.
The three school fund commission |
ers, Burrow, Dayhoff and Coleman, |
will also be scratched by a large num-
Der of Republicans, but not by as |
a x q 1f M
cipal reason why the school fund |
commissioners will be scratched is the |
Infamous Comanche county bond deal. |
Even the most charitable view of this |
deal shows that these three officials |
were grossly incompetent or criminal
ly negligent in making it.
Besides this there was J. r. Burrows |
deal in Smith Center bonds, whereby he |
sold $4,000 of Smith Center bonds to
the school fund commission, of which |
he is president, allowing himself to clip
DIFF over $4,000 worth of coupons. He
actually clipped every coupon from one
Of the bonds which Burrow bought from
himself for the school fund, and the
state will never get cent of interest on
the investment This and some other
matters will cause Mr.. BurrOw to lose
votes in some localities, in addition to
hose he loses because Of the Comanche
county deal.
I. L. Dayhoff will also lose votes be-
cause of his record as a petty CRATER
md his general small calfber, and also
because the educators of the state have
ong recognized that he is not fit man
% be at the head of the public school
system of Kansas.
Attorney General Coleman would not L
lave lost as many votes as his associ-
ties in the Comanche county bond deal
lad he been prompt and decisive in
iealing with the state treasury embez-
dement's. There was a disposition to be
charitable with Coleman in the Com
Lnche county matter because many
people thought he had simply been
worked but his marked disposition
o defend the looters of the state treas :
Try instead of prosecuting them has
made the public lose confidence in him.
Coleman has done everything possible
o find excuses for T. T. Kelly in face :
nd he has refused to consider prose-
ution of Kelly. He gave as a reason ,
n the Garden City matter that 'the !
money was back in the treasury" The
FOLK as prosecutors has made many ;
'otes for Coleman's opponent. :
Two of the Republican candidates for :
abroad commissioners will also be ,,
cratched A D. Walker will be
cratched more than George w. Wheat
ay, but the State Federation of Com
nercial Interests and all the votes
vhich will be Influenced by the fedora I
ion will be against these two candi- <
ates In addition to this, many voters
i the First district will be against l
Walker because of the stealing of the /
ackson county delegation to the Re-
ublican state convention. Walker
imself acknowledged that he was l
eaten after the Jackson county pri- I
1aries. but the Curtis forces combined e
nth Walker to fix boiling delega- I
ion to the Wichita convention. Without I
he seating of that boiling delegation c
Walker could not have been nominated. i