The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-02-03

What did you and Curtis and Leland
talk about at your conference today?"
Mr.. Anthony : as asked.
I'VE tried to get together CT a COM
promise for the organization of the con- /
vention. a Curtis man came to Mr.. !
Leland and suggested to him that 1t |
would be a good idea to try such a
thing, and we We're willing 10 meet the I
other fellows half way, but we couldn't
agree.
What was said on both sides %
Il would not like to tell that just
now You see. Curtis and I had a real
good talk. We have buried the hatchet
and are good friends personally. so far /
as know"
Mr.. Anthony smiled as he said this.
1T was a significant fact continued |
Mr.. Anthony. that Curtis would not
face the convention where the people |
had gathered Even granting his claim
that the convention which nominated |
him was the regular convention, would !
1T not have been at least a decent act |
on his part to have appeared where the |
great majority of the people were
gathered and have explained his posi- /
ton? There were from eight hundred |
to thousand people in the tabernacle, |
but Curtis did not dare to face them"
He was in the hands of the congress
sional committee" said a Curtis man.
"A sort of congressional machine,
eh?" said an opponent.
You could tell by the way the mem
bers of those contesting delegations
acted" said Anthony, that they knew
they had no right to seats in the con-
vention. man who believes he is in
the right is always ready to stand UP
and fight for what he believes is
right, but the man who knows he is
wrong and has to do something wrong
to win hangs his head and won't put
up fight. That's the reason the con-
gressional committee hastily changed
the place of meeting for the convention
/ at the last minute. Their contesting
| delegations knew they were in the
4,
who were right, SO the committee tried
| to sneak the convention off to a little
| hall where there wouldn't be much
more than room enough for the dele
gates, and where they had provided for
admission by ticket. You had to have
a ticket to get in.
Shawnee county?'' a newspaper man
| asked Mr.. Anthony.
Sure he said I've commenced al
ready. Made six votes this after
noon.'
What are you doing that for? Didn't
your convention 'segregate Shawnee
county," was asked.
That's So I had forgotten that re-
piled Anthony with laugh.
What will Leavenworth county
do in the state convention now that
| Bailey is out of the race?"
Il don't know, but l wouldn't be sur
prised if it votes for Bailey anyway.
| We instructed for him the day before
/ ne W1lnOreW, ana we may stay Dy MN
anyway. There is mighty little Hoch
sentiment in LeavenWorth county,"
''Will you draft him into the race
again like the other fellows did with
Ed Hoch?'
Maybe"
Holton. Kan, Feb. s-The outcome of
the congressional contest here yester-
day was a disappointment to those who
| had expected to see both factions meet
together and fight for the possession of
the convention hall. The tabernacle is
large structure for public gatherings.
The front part had been seated with
chairs for the delegates and alternates
and the rear was filed with benches. It
/ is asserted that c. d. Logan, chairman
j of the local county committee, pro-
nOunced Curtis man, rented the taber-
/ nacle at the request of the congress
siona1 committee. It was repeatedly
announced that the convention would
| meet there, and the local committee
| had even put up cards designating the
seats of the various delegations.
The crowd that wanted to see the fun
/ had gathered early. Several hundred
farmers from all parts of Jackson coun-
/ ty, most of them enthusiastic BrOder-
| lex men, were on hand. The chairs
were reserved for the delegates, but the
anti-Curtis delegations which were be-
ing contested were on hand early and
/ took possession of the seats allotted to
! the counties. This is why the congress
/
place after the crowd had gathered in
| the tabernacle.
Had an attempt been made by the
| Curtis delegation to take possession of
the tabernacle and unseat the anti
Curtis delegations, a conflict would
have been inevitable. The contested
delegations were united in their deter
mination to use force, if necessary, to
retain possession of their seats.
AS it was both conventions were COM
paratively dull, being exceedingly har-
nonious. The organization of both was
conducted along the lines laid down by
their respective steering committees.
| In the Curtis convention, in the alb
sence of w. I. Biddle, secretary of the
congressional committee, who was or
ganizing the anti-Curtis convention,
John Bacon, a member of the congress
sional committee read the call. The
organization was effected by electing
J. G. SIonecker chairman. and j. NJ.
Johnson of Brown and v c. Rains of
Jefferson as secretaries, and the Curtis
cOntesting delegations We're seated.
s z. Brown of Brown nominated
Curtis for congressman, and he was
nominated by a rising vote, but to make
everything legal the roll of counties
was called. Then Curtis was called
on for a speech.
Mr.. Curtis thanked the Republicans
/ assembled for his nomination and con-
/ graduated them upon holding an order
/ " convention. He denounced those VINO
led the other forces to take forcible pos
session of the other hall. He said it
was the way Colonel Anthony had act
ed ever since the war
Il hope they nominate Dan Anthony,
jr., at the rump convention" said he
/ IF they do I will beat him in his own
/ county, The only way the machine
could retain its power in Doniphan
county was to have its tickets printed
on red paper so as to scare the people
Then where we had an equal show we
carried the primaries I am not afraid
/ of an honest count anywhere. / know
the great majority of Republicans in the
First district are against the machine
/ and bosses. I hare helped to get $1,000
| 900 in appropriations for Leavenworth
county from congress during the past