The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-17
congressional CampaignsNot on
Partisan Lines.
REPUBLICANS REVOLT.
Half Party Papers I'm District
Supporting Major Harvey.
c. ID. Jones Scored a Victory i'm
Norton County.

First congressional district will be ont
OF the hottest in Kansas before the
campaign is over, notwithstanding the
fact that the district is naturally Re-
publican by big majority.
1t is not really a partisan contest. A
considerable number of the largest and
most influential Republican papers in
the district are bitterly opposing Con-
gresham Curtis on the ground that he
is not justly the nominee of the Re
publican party and that the party owes
it to itself to rebuke such methods as
were used by Mr.. Curtis friends in
securing his place on the official ballot.
When the fight first started it did
not look reasonable to suppose that Mr..
Curtis big majority in the district
could ever be overcome. The chief
object the Republicans who were op-
posing him had was to lower his ma
JOrlty to such an extent that it would
be a rebuke to him. Now, however,
the sentiment is gaining ground that
Major A. NJ. Harvey, Curtis opponent
stands a reasonable show for election
The result cannot. of course. be fore
told with any degree of certainty, but
if the newspaper sentiment of the dis
trict is any index of the sentiment
among the voters, Mr.. Curtis will be
defeated
Nearly half of the Republican pa
pers of the First district are actively
fighting Curtis. If the same proper
tion of the Republican voters feel the
same way it will be sufficient to defeat
him In addition to that. half of the
remaining papers are keeping still,
where they might reasonably be eX-
pected to be putting up a strong fight
in Curtis behalf, so that only a COM
paratively small number of Republican
papers are really doing anything for
him. If this same ratio holds good
among the voters on election day. Mr..
Curtis will not go back to congress for
another term from the First district.
OF course there is still time for a
change of sentiment between now
and election, but thus far the oppose
ton to Mr.. Curtis has been growing |
more bitter instead of becoming sub |
dued. 1t is difficult to see how matters
can be ironed out for him in the next
Another thing: The fusionists have
always made a fight in the First dis I
trict heretofore as a mere formality- |
They have never before had any show
to win. and many fusionists have not
voted at all
This is the first time, too. that Mr.. |
Curtis has ever had a Topeka man to /
run against. Major Harvey who has
been lieutenant governor. is exceed |
ingly popular in Topeka and it stands /
to reason that he Will cut into Curtis
vote at home more or less-1ust how
much it is impossible to say.
In the meantime Major Harvey is /
making a campaign of the district
that no Democratic candidate has ever
done before, and that counts for some
thing
The poet of the Chicago Record
Herald sizes up Mr. Bryan's position
in the present presidential compaign,
giving Mr. Bryan's supposed senu-
ments concerning Mr. Parker as fol-
lows:
Friends and countrymen. let's trust him
Though he's not a man to trust
Taarfe sarrFa n 81
Though his cause is far from just;
] have put away all rancor
] ar for tbs s-icndid time.
Though it isn't any good.
Let US grid ourselves for battle
But hope we can not win
Let US pray to be successful,
Though success would be a sin;
Let US give the peoples banner
Unto him to nObly bear
But it's dangerous TO do II,
For he isn't on the square
Let us wave our hats for Parker,
The Poor tool of foxy Dave:
Though he's Mammon's cringing slave
Let US raise him up to power,
But remember-here warn you
You'll be sorry if you do.
,Tba denomination of both Speaker
Pringle and Speaker Pro Tenn Jones
is gall and wormwood to the boss
busters who foughI me eiectlon OF
ate last winter Pringle did not be-
come a candidate for speaker until af-
ter he consulted MI Curtis about ii, |
and he voted for Curtis for senator,
according to his instructions, but the
boss busters were mad about it just
the same Colonel Jones was elected
without any strings on him and lined
I'D with Governor Stanley, but the
boss busters expected to control him
but they failed ,
Consequently there was hard night i
against Colonel Jones' denomination
He had two candidates against him,
r F. Shimeall and J. F. Wray.
Colonel Jones had the distinction i'm
the last house of answering every roll 4
call. and he was about the only mem
Der who did SO.
DIR. F. B. Lawrence, of Ell Dorado, {
usion candidate for congressman in the 2
Fourth district, was in Topeka Friday I
.onsuIting with the fusion campaign v
managers He expects to open his cam
,aign the coming week. possibly at NC
TarIand but has not definitely decided S
Fred Dumont Smith takes pains to /
,fficfaIIy deny in his own paper tnat (
ie is an attorney for the Santa Fe- q
IN the contrary. he says, he has al
vs0-s beer against the Santa Fe in ev-
~ railroad suit brought in his county
or years. In his card of denial ne
,rfnts some things which may be news ;
o the people of Kansas. He says:
@InArhe passage of the present rail- =
Dad law. in 1901, I led the fight on the Z
aucus against the railroads. and Sc Z
ured the adoption of more stringent s
rovisions and I have letters from the V
niIlers who watch these things. thank | a
: -, So efforts in that direction. 4 b