The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-05-14

A(O4UnueQ CAAG-(
]. Bailey, who is modest. useful. up
right, and capable. M Hoch not /
only does not compliment Mr.. Bailey, I
which he might do without exaggera- /
ton, but engaged in conspiracy to !
beat him out Of a compliment that 1
We don't believe in these great earth /
encompassing compliments that are /
not deserved; but we do believe in be- /
Ing Just to the plain, ordinary good !
citizen.
One of the things for which E. W.
Hoch has repeatedly declared himself
IS new primary law. Recently A j.
Bayse, editor of the BellevilIe TeIe- /
scope, wrote Mr. .Hoch asking for his
views on the subject. In his reply
Il am exceedingly anxious to see a
general primary election law enacted
in this state. Government begins at
the primary. Under our system of
government, where parties seem to be
a necessity, and loyalty to party tick
cts essential to the success of party
principles, it is of the utmost import
ance that all the DreliminaTieS of
ticket making be such as to command
the respect and confidence and sup
port of the people. The convention
vote in most cases in relation to all
/ the Offices except one. Some candi-
date selects delegates favorable to his
candidacy and he may be your choice,
J SO lar SO BOOQF DuL you s1lSO nave a
choice as to the other aspirants for
position on the ticket and this gentle
mans delegates may be all opposed
to them, so that it is impossible for
you to voice your sentiments. ordi-
narily. concerning more than one can
/ didate who sOlicits your support This
is not represen tative government, ex-
cept in a fra gmentary way.
| again, the opportunities for trade
and traffic in convention defeating the
known wishes of the people who send
the delegates to the convention, are so
many and so great as to continually
occasion political scandal
But I cannot in this short letter
enumerate the many objections to the
convention system of nominating can
didates. I am in favor of a primary
election system in which every voter
will have an opportunity to vote Tor
every man he wishes placed upon the
ticket and for whom he is expected
to vote at the general election, and /
| would have this primary election as
carefully guarded in all of its details
as the regular election is guarded by
law. Cordially yours,
e. w. HOCH."
Now that the Brown-Doniphan SEN
atorial deadlock has been broken and a
man nominated who seems to be &C
ceptable to a majority of the Repubi-
can voters OF both counties, little in
side history which has leaked out dur
ing the three months in which the con-
test has been on, may not come am1ss,
says the Troy Chief
20. J. Nugent was not the unanimous
choice of a majority of the Curtis men
of Brown county. He did secure a ma
jority in the senatorial delegate con-
vention in that county, but with many
Of them It was HObsOn's choice. Frank
Meisenhefmer who was running against
Nugent for Brown countys endorse
ment, made no great effort to secure 1t
and 1t is doubtful IL he ever personally
asked the support of anybody
ION the other hand Nugent made a
systematic canvass and found it hard
shedding, Notwithstanding the fact that
he had no active opponent. He ran up
against a strong sentiment in favor of
Scott Hopkins of Horton and had Mr.
Hopkins at any time announced that he
was a candidate, he would have won,
over both Meisenheimer and Nugent,
without much effort.
Back of the candidacy of Nugent IS
a story that he was only used as n
| cats paw Knowing that Nugent was
not really the choice of Brown county
and that he would not be acceptable
to Doniphan, the story goes. R F.
Buckles and ]. D. Weltmer, both Of
whom had aspirations for the nomlna n
/ ton, put up the job on Nugent.
1T is said that these two WORTHLESS
planned the rump convention and made
, its proceedings so plainly rotten that
! they knew that even partisan BOARD
would never sustain them and that the
J decision of the board would effectually
dispose of Nugent-
"Weltmer's testimony before the
board when the Nugent contest case
| came up, gives color to the story. He
showed a disposition to be fair to Doni-
phan county and give Nugent the worst
! of it. He left Topeka after giving lis
/ testimony and came to Troy, making
/ ! connection here with the Grand Island
road to Hiawatha. He stated here that
Nugent had no case and would be
knocked out. At that time no decision
had been rendered in the case.
s"WeItn1er has beer. trying ever since
that time to line up the Brown county
delegation for himself. but without any
/ great degree of success. Buckles has
been working along the same lines and
, also had a knife UP his sleeve for Welt
mel. in case he got in the lead
Both Weltmer and Buckles came
to Troy Saturday and took part in the
convention before supper. They did
| a great deal of caucusing and were
ostensibIy for any one of the ten men
they had listed and presented to in
diVidual members of the DOniphan
. county delegation It turned out that
/ Buckles and Weltmer had made the
list. and although J. H Lange's name
was signed to- it he had not assisted
} in selecting the list OF course Welt
mer's and Buckles names were on the
, had both taken part in the rump con
ventfon which had nominated Nugent,
it would have been against good NOR
ais and clean politics to consider
them
w Y. Morgan claims that he was
| compromise" candidate for the
! legislature in Reno county. This is
one of "Billy's" jokes