The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-16
ALIENS OFFER.
Would Submit Congressional
Tangle to Primary.
Proposes That Both He and
Bowersock Withdraw.
LET PEOPLE DECIDE.
Says There Is Ample Time for
Such Arrangement.
Governor Bailey Talks About
Harmony in Party.


Republican party in the Second con-
lgressional district the coming fall H.
j. Allen has made a proposition to J.
D. Bowersock to submit the congress
sional contest in that district to a pri-
mary election to be participated in by
the Republican voters of the entire dis
trict.
No matter which way the contest
board may decide the contest, Mr..
Allen realizes that the Democrats will
very likely elect q congressman as
things are at present. With the in
terest of the Republican party at heart
Mr.. Allen proposes to refer the entire
lmatter back to the Republicans of the
Second district. allowing them to vote
by the primary election system so that
every Republican can express his per-
lsonal choice.
Aliens proposition was directed to
George J. Barker, Mr.. Bowersock's
follows:
Ottawa, Kan, March Is. 1905.
Hon. George j. Barker, Lawrence,
Kan.
is reached by the state contest board
touching the results Of the Garnett con-
| yention. a large amount of dissatisfac-
tion will prevail in the party in this
district I believe that the welfare OF
the party should be the paramount is
} sue in this district.
"If the contest board at Topeka fol-
lows the precedent of the committee on
credentials at Wichita. as Mr.. Bower
l. sock saws 1t intends to do. and recog-
nizes the Illegal delegations from
Wyandotte and Miami counties. there
is no possibility of Mr.. BowerSock'S
r election. If you will give the district
even superficial canvass. you VIII
: recognize the sentiment as it exists
Whoever IS placed upon the ticket in
t this district should receive his recog-
5 milton under such conditions as will
guarantee him the full support of the
party at the polls therefore make
/ you this proposition:
e THAT by mutual agreement Mr.. Bow
a ersock and myself shall withdraw our
] cases from the contest board at To-
peka and sresubfnif the congressional
contest to the people in primary elec-
tion to be held for the Republican voters
under the Crawford county system. This
would give every Republican In the dis
triet an opportunity to express his
7 choice.
There are now eight months inter-
vening until election day, and anpie
time is thus afforded for the holding. OF
these primaries. believe this would
= serve to absolutely unite the party in
e the district and do away with the im-
e minent possibility which now eonfronts
: us of defeat at the polls.
: Trusting that you will forward this
t proposition to Mr.. Bowersock, and that
/ he will accept the same in the interest
t of the party am, yours very truly.
| 4. -
: Mr.. Allen also publishes an editorial
d on the subject in his paper, the Ottawa
r Herald. He says:
e THE editor of the Herald has this
:, morning forwarded q letter to Hon.
!. George J. Barker, of Lawrence, who
is Mr.. Bowersock's manager, proposing
that, by mutual agreement, the con-
gressiona1 contest shall be withdrawn
| from the contest board at Topeka and
submitted to vote of the Republicans
of the Second district in primary to
be held under the Crawford county
u system. We have done this believing
that the welfare of the party should
be the paramount issue in the Second
district. No matter what decision IS
reached by the contest board at To-
! peka, there will be grave dissatfsfac-
4 ton throughout the district and an i'm
, , | minent possibility of defeat at the polls
r stMr Bowersock's course at Garnett
: has not met the approval OF the Re-
t publican voters in the Second district.
: 1t does not meet with the approval OF
S his closest supporters. It is unspeak-
able that a candidate for congress
| should dare to assume that he can
: utterly disregard the wishes of a ma
s iority of the voters in the district
g and deDend on contest board which
) he claims will be friendly to him to
[ ratffy his fragrant conduct. Mr.. Bow
: ersock in an interview before leaving
: for Washington, declared that the
e state convention. by seating the NE
e gitimate delegations from Wyandotte
settled his case. If Mr.. BOwersock
| is making a correct prophecy touching
the action Of the contest board. then
it is a foregone conclusion that a Re-
publican cannot be elected to congress
from the Second district this fall.
> There is one way by which the Sec
| ond district contest could be amicably
adjusted and party harmony restored.
and that is by a primary election
which would resubnit this issue to the
I voters of the district. giving every
: voter an opportunity. to express his
preference It is eight months until
4 | election and ample time is thus afford
. ed for primary election. Such q
t course would. we believe, be endorsed
t by all factions of the party, and q
: nomination secured by such means
! would be an honest expression of the
party's will"
Mr. Barker has not indicated what
viii be done about the proposition, but
says it will have to be forwarded to
: Mr.. Bowersock, who has returned to
!, Washington. Possibly he viii do as he
I did concerning the proposition of Mr..
: Stubbs to leave the settlement of the
: contesting delegations to Chief Justice
! Johnston-Mr. Bowersock said he could
y not get the consent of his supporters
to agree to it.
Governor Bailey thinks that First
district Republicans have done about
: all the splitting the party will stand
n I without meeting reverSeS in some Of
: the counties. In commenting the
rumpus in the Brown-Doniphan sena-
torial district he said:
1T looks to me as though it is about
time for the Republicans to be doing
something for the sake of harmony in
: stead of getting further and further
+; apart The First district is overwhelm.
/