The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-09
POLITICAL GOSSIP
P0pulist State Convention to Be
Held Next Week.
Movement on Foot to Adjourn
without Action.
WAIT FOR DEMOCRATS.
Leaders Are Especially Anxious
to Have Fusion.
Talk of Nominating w. A.
Harris for Governor.

On next Tuesday, April IL, the Popu-
list state convention will meet in To-
peka for the purpose, according to the
call, of nominating a state ticket. That
does not mean that a ticket will be
nominated, however. A movement is
on foot to have the convention ad-
journ to meet again about the time
the Democrats hold their convention
next August to nominate state ticket.
so that a fusion arrangement can be
made.
Three months ago nearly all of the
old-time Populists were against fusion.
That was before things became so
tangled in the Republican ranks, and
neither Populists nor Democrats had
any hope of accomplishing anything
more than maintaining their organize
tions. For that reason the Populists
favored going it alone and the Demo
Gratis favored the same thing because
| they thought many of the Populists
would then come bodily into the DEM
ocratic party.
But there has been a decided change.
\ The family jars of the Republicans and
| the course of the recent Republican
| state convention have led the Demo-
/ Gratis and Populists to believe there is
/ chance for them to do something
| in Kansas politics the coming fall The
| bitterness resulting from the factiOnal
/
shameless rule of the Republican con-
| VentiOn by the railroad interests, the
! Outrages committed in seating the con-
| testing delegations, the denomination
! of State Treasurer Kelly. the turning
down of the commercial interests in
/ the nomination of A. D. Walker for
1 railroad commissioner, and the efforts
l of the Burton people to regain control
/ in Kansas politics despite the disgrace
/ of their leader, all these things make the
/ Democrats and Populists believe there
| is an opportunity for them to elect at
| least a part of a state ticket the com
/ ing fall If they unite and put up the
right kind of candidates.
! That is why both sides are now look
| ing towards fusion Some of the coun-
/ ties which will nave the largest repre-
I have instructed their delegations to
work for a postponement of the nomi-
nation of a state ticket until the Dem
! ocratS meet.
/ w. ]. Babb. chairman of the Populist
state committee, believes that while
/ there may be no postponement, some
action will be taken to bring about fu-
| sion. The endorsement of Hearst by the
/ Democrats will aid in bringing about
fusion with the Populists, but the Popu-
( lists would have preferred instructions
Il hope the Democrats will not turn
! down Hearst Mr.. Babb said to a re-
porter for the State Journal just before
/ the Democratic convention Thursday.
Hearst is the kind Of a man the Popu-
]
Populists believe In. He would
strengthen our state ticket in Kansas.
| If we cannot win natiOnallyrwe could at
/ least conduct a campaign of education
! and that is greatly needed, and Hearst
/ is the man to do it.
LAS to the Populist state convention
at Topeka next week. I do not know
! just what will be done. There is a dis
position in some quarters to adjourn it
until the Democrats hold their nominat-
ing convention. While that may not be
done I think there will be some action
| looking toward a united ticket"
| There was little talk of candidates for
the state ticket among the Democrats
this week. While many counties have
! instructed for Harris and it is more
than proba bic that the gubernatorial
nomination will be offered him, many
| Democrats said it was pretty certain he
would not accept. It was also evident
Gently lost ground with the Hearst
Democrats. Since he came out for an
eastern man for president some time
ago and against Hearst they say he is
| lining up with the ''reorganizers, and
the old Bryan Democrats, a majority of
whom are now for Hearst personally.
himself was conspicuous by his absence
1 from the Wichita convention.
Next to Senator Harris Judge David
NJ. Dale of Wichita was more talked of
i for governor than any other man at the
Wichita convention.
There are any number of candidates
mentioned for state treasurer on the
fusion ticket G. P. Christensen is be-
ing pushed by the Democrats of Re
public county. but he says that person
ally he does not care for the office as
he can do much better financially
from his business than the office of
state treasurer pays. c. W. Kyle of
Rush county is endorsed by the Dem
| ocrats of his part of the state. d. A.
Freeman of Beloit has q generous sup
port in the Sixth district. Tom DOlan
| of Clifton is mentioned and also r. d.
i McClinan of Seneca, J. D. Prendergast
and W. H. Ryan of Girard. There is a
strong sentiment among the Democrats
| in favor of nominating an Irish Catho-
lie for state treasurer. Two years ago
the friends of T. T. Kelly told the
Catholics that the opposition to him
came from the fact that he is a. Catho-
lie This was. of course, untrue, but
it had its effect in lining up the Cath
olics for Kelly. The Democrats now
urge that there are many good Cath
olics in their party who would make
capable state treasurers and would be
good candidates to run against Kelly.
Senator Harry Mcmillan, who is
president of the Federation of Com
run for railroad commissioner, but he
is not disposed to heed the call. In
stead he proposes to run for state SEN
ator again in the Ottawa-Saline dis
trict, and he believes that he viii be
elected.
Sam I. Hale. Democrat! That's the
latest Three days ago Mr.. Hale was
biggest Democrats in the state and a
observation-disclosures from Kansas to the
national Democratic convention.
Mr.. Hale's advent into the Demo-
cratic party was peculiar, to say the
lleast. 1t was probably the most re-