The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-02-08

to Henry ]. Allen of Ottawa. VIM. P.
Officer Of Hillsdale. a supporter of
Kelly, who is a. member of the county
central committee and attended it's
meeting,wa sitting in the rear of the
hall, and when Reichard made this
statement, Mr.. Officer remarked audi
bly,, That is a lie; Mr.. Allen was not at
the meeting Dr.. Reichard then stated
that the committee had made it COM
pulsory that the words For Kelly and
Against Kelly be printed on the eau
Gus tickets. This brought forth the OBJ
servation from Mr.. Officer: That is
not true
III. o. Ward offered a motion that
the call of the central committee be
recognized in so far as 1t was regular,
but that caucuses be held in accord
ance with the call of the individual
committeeman. DR.. Haldeman hurried
ly offered a substitute that the entire
action of the committee be ignored, a
new committee be formed, other eau
cuses and another convention be call
ed. Dr. Johnson, the chairman, oppos-
| ed such high handed methods and
, counseled the meeting to move slowly.
Attorney Simpson, at Kelly's
prompting, snatched up another fire.
brand and proceeded with his incen-
diary talk, urging the adoption of Hal
deman's motion, and with Kelly urg-
ing his friends to vote for it, the mo-
ton prevailed. A new committee was
| formed with Haldeman as chairman,
and a date set for a new convention
| and new caucuSeS.
POLITICAL ANARCHY.
| This is political anarchy, setting
at defiance of law, order and decency,
disregarding of the rights of the pee
/ pie and their legally elected represent
tatives. Simpson knows this, but as
Kelly's attorney he is reckless of con-
sequences, so long as a showing can
be made for his client. The members
| Of the county central committee were
regularly elected by the Republican
voters of Miami county at the primary
election held in 1902. Their authority
| is direct from the people and their GER
| tificate of election is as regular as that
| of Judge Winfield H. Sheldon, Probate
| Judge Wilson, County Treasurer Tay-
| lor. the county commissioners or any
| other public officials in Kansas. Kelly
might be aggrieved at the acts of some
f! of these officials, yet he could hardly
| get his attorney, Simpson, to face a
| mob advising its members to throw
any of these men out of office and in
stall others by revolutionary methods.
| Kelly might as well have organized a
new board of county commissioners af-
ter the present board found him guilty
| of various crimes, and attempt IL
| transact the business of the county
| with a bogus board.
| 1.-THE Republican county central commit
tee did not exceed it's authority, legal or
| otherwise, in any degree. They had an
date and hour for holding primary eau
cuses appoint the men to conduct the
did do. They are not acting under the
primary election law, political lawyer
to the contrary notwithstanding. There
is no statute anywhere in Kansas recit-
ing that they must not do a single thing
that they did do.
I'm other counties in Kansas and Other
states ident1caI1y the same proceedings
are pursued by political committees. This
method has been employed in Wyandotte
tore4 for TaD lam Glaxr
nee, Jackson and other counties have
practically the same methods of electing
delegates and Miami county has a right
to adopt this plan. 1t is certainly prefer
able to hold caucus at reasonable hours in
day light, where every Republican has ar
opportunity to vote and have his ballot
counted, than to hold MOB caucuses al
night,as has heretofore been done in Pao-
la and elsewhere In mob caucuSes Kelly
always voted Democrats and in one case
in Paola he voted citizens of other coun-
ties In the caucuses this year he ex-
| -ec+e5 10 vote Tlenocrats ana in foot l,af
been assured by the Democratic boss Of
Paola~ township that the Democrat would
elect a delegation for him in that pre-.
cinct. Plans had been made to vote Kelly
Democrats wherever they could be drum
in the bud. They did not have the nerve
to face Republican judges in daylight and
vote a Republican delegate ticket
"A plea for legality, fairness and hon
esty from Kelly is a spectacle that would
make the devil weep for the folly of his
own Kelly wants anything else thar
that. He knew that ne could not get q
delegation honestly in his own home coun-
ty. hence his note of alarm for a snide
committee and bogus convention An
other thing, the call of the regular Re.
publican committee for q county con
vention does not provide for the election
| of delegates to a bogus senatorial con
vention called by a snide committee. Thi:
is another reason for Kelly's political an
| archx-
kelly calls his action a war measure
| It is more in the nature of a mob at
tempting TO rescue a justly condemned
| criminal from the hands of the police
! p