The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-04-08
POLITICAL GOSSIP
Second District Congressional
Contest Is Being Discussed.
Believed 1t Will Be Between
Allen and Scott.
BOWERSOCK TO QUIT.
Believed That He Will Retire
From Congress.
RumOrs of Candidates in the
Other Counties.

from present appearances it looks as
though the congressional contest in the
Second district next year will be a
straight fight between Charles F. Scott
of lola, the present congressman-at-
large, and H. ]. Allen of Ottawa. There
may possibly be other factors in the
fight, but these two will be the leading
candidates and the indications are that
it will be a straight contest between
them
It Is possible. of course, that Congress-
man Bowersock may conclude to run
again. but the report comes from a
number of different sources that Mr..
Bowersock has stated that he will not
run but will go back into business
again. He proposes to build up his mill
once more and, give his attention large
Iy to that. Even if Mr.. Bowersock
should run again he might be the third
man in the race.
If Mr.. Bowersock keeps out he will
undoubtedly aid Mr.. Scott all that he
can. Mr.. Aliens friends suspect that
Mr.. BoWersock has not the warmest
feeling in the world for the Ottawa edi-
tor because of certain things that hap
pened last year, and the present con-
gressman will therefore throw what in
huence he has to Mr.. Scott.
There are rumorS that there may be
CduulUdLSS III OCl6f cOunIleS, DuL DOC0
Allen and Scott have friends in other
counties who will do their best to keep
out other candidates If Mr.. Bower
sock runs in Douglas county again,
however, it is probable that there will
be one Of the liveliest scraps down there
that Douglas county has ever known.
There has been considera Bile talk of J.
L. Brady, editor of the Lawrence World,
as a congressional candidate. Mr.. Brady
has not announced his intentions, but
he occasionally reprints nice pieces
about himself from some other Daper
and he is in a position to get into the
fight if he thinks it advisable. 1t is
said that Brady will be a candidate if
Bowersock is. but if Bowersock stays
out Brady may keep out also.
And if Brady gets into the race it
is said that another Lawrence man,
Alex. r. MITCHELL will also ask for the
Douglas county delegation. Mitchell
is one Of the leading members of the
Lawrence bar. He is the man whom
Governor Bailey appointed as the
local regent of the state university
when w E. Spangler died about two
years ago. 1t is bit of unwritten
history that w R. Stubs would have
liked the place on the board of re-
gents, and he had strong backing for
the appointment. among others the
endorsement of Cyrus Leland, but for
some reason Governor Bailey chose
Mitchell. So that it is not impossible
that there VIII De a three-COTner cred
fight for the Douglas county deIega-
ton if Mr. Bowersock asks for a re-
nomination.
The two leading candidates are
both newspaper editors, and success
ful ones. Both have been prominent
in politics for the past four years.
Mr.. Scott has been congressman-at-
large during that time, and Mr.. Allen
has been closely connected with both
the Stanley and Bailey administra-
tiOns He has just been legislated out
of his place as president of the board
of charities. Both are clean, able
men, but Allen is the more positive
and aggressive, which is a matter of
some Importance in a political fight.
Allen has been in political fights here
tofore, while things have generally
come Scott's way without fight.
It looks as though there will be no
dearth of candidates for state super
intendent of public instruction next
year. The state convention is at least
a year off, but candidates are bobbing
up at a lively rate.
Supt. E. T. Fairchild, of Ellsworth,
was the first to enter-or whose
friends entered him. A week ago it
was announced that Representative
Plummer of Jefferson county, would
probably be a candidate, and now the
announcement comes that Prof. J. S.
Carlson, of Wichita, will ask for the
l1Or9i0a fiOn.