The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-26
POLITICAL GOSSIP.

William Allen White says in the
Emporia Gazette: Burton is a choice
spirit He is willing to admit that he
sold the use of his name-the name
that Kansas gave him as a United
States SenatOr-to a Swindling scheme,
but he denies with chesty Indignation
that he violated the letter of the law.
And this is the man whose interests"
Mulvane and Kelly and Mackey wanted
to guard at the recent meeting of the
state central committee. On his own
admissions, Burton should be ashamed
to come back to Kansas, even though
the jury acquits him on the first bal
lot. But if he is acquitted. his friends
will give him reception and demand
that Kansas return him to the senate.
And still the Gazette is greatly abused
when it says that Burton and his ring
have no moral sense. They are po-
litical perverts; they can't understand
why Burton as a United States senator
has done anything wrong in becoming
the attorney of toutS and SwindlerS.
His conviction or acquittal has nothing
to do with the question of his guilt.
Burton has been Stunned by the decent
senators in Washington for a year. He
is commonly known as a boodler. and
he has had absolutely no social recog-
nition-recognition as man-at the
White House. and will not nave if he
is sent back a dozen times. He is
simply beyond the pale. And yet there
is a distinct movement on foot to re-
elect him. And two state officers are
making it their theme in glory" And
still Kansas claims to be a child of
Plymouth rock" Fancy such man
a candidate from any New England
state or from Iowa. for instance!
Beloit Gazette: Henry Aliens man
ager announces that if the election
board decide against Mr.. Allen (Which
! is expected because the members are
against him), his man will run for con-
gress independent, because of the con-
/ viction that he was defrauded out of the
nomination, and because he will not
submit to plain robbery, even for the
/ sake of harmony. Dan Anthony will
also run independent in this district, for
| the same reasons that actuate Allen.
Many of the Republicans have decided
that a fight will clear up the atmos-
phere, and better conditions in the fu-
! ture; that to submit to the present way
OF doing things would more surely in
| jure the party than square bolt and a
square fight for majority rule.-Atchison
Globe.
If the voters of the First and Second
districts will turn back fifteen or twen-
ty years, they may learn something
from what happened in the Fifth and
Sixth districts.
In the Fifth, John A Anderson was
defrauded of a denomination which be-
longed to him by all rules of fairness
/ and decency He consented to run
was triumphantly reelected. And they
have had decent politics down there ever
since.
Later. in the Sixth district, Webp Nc
| Nall was nominated as the result of the
| same methods used by Curtis and Bow
ersock this year-absolutely and openly
stealing all the delegates needed to Sc
cure the ends of the combined opposi-
ton to Turner. In this district, no open
bolt was made, but Old Man Baker was
elected by a majority far in excess of
the opposition vote. Republicans all
over the district openly and solidly
voted against McNall. And we have
had tolerably decent Republican politics
here since that time; the only exception
being the attempt made by Burtons
gang. now known as 'Reformers,'' at
Norton two years ago. But they didn't
succeed.
The writer of this has never been a
bOlter- We supported Webb McNall
but were not particularly proud of it.
But there are worse things than boiling
| when no regard at all is paid to the will
| of the voters at the primaries, and the
| possession of a committee and an cleo
tion board in the state house means the
manning of a nominee.