Los Angeles herald., 1905-09-28
THE MYSTERIOUS
STRANGER HERE
A DISTINGUISHED MISS0URIAN
ARRIVES
Major William Warner Is First Re.
publican Senator From "ShoW
Me" State In Thirty
Years

"The Mysterious Stranger" is in Los
Angeles!
To all Missourians this means that
Maj. William Warner of Kansas City is
here. Maj. Warner enjoys the unique
distinction of being the first Republi-
can senator from Missouri in thirty
years, having been chosen last winter
after one Of the most memorable and
bitter political struggles in the history
Of the country.
Senator Warner is not nearly so well
known as Maj. Warner, former COM
mander in chief of the Grand Army Of
the Republic and a national political
figure of prominence in Republican
councils since the party came into ex-
istence.
Senator Warner arrived at a few
minutes after last midnight and imme-
dintely retired. He wes seen, however,
by a Herald reporter last night and
spoke briefly of the wearisome twenty
days trip which he and the other men,
bers of the national board of managers
Of soldiers homes have endured in the
annual tour of inspection. of soldiers
homes throughout the United States.
1--WE have enjoyed our trips of inspec-
ton very much, although we have
travelled much and endured many in
conveniences of loss of sleep and change
of cars and poor connections.
Talks of Politics
1--WE will be in Los Angeles and
vicinity until Friday, when we shall
begin our journeys homeward. After
we have inspected the home at Sawtelle
we will have concluded our trips of in
spection, and quite delighted are we Of
the prospect"
When asked as to political conditions
in Missouri, the senator frightened up
and said:
"Oh, Missouri is naturally a Repub-
lican state, and we Republicans are
confident that it is permanently so. The
. HBuL dIIOIlS LllG lJGillOGldto ldSI JCdi
aided us to come into possession of our
own; the long dreaded Democratic ma
chine has been smashed to smithereens
by the election of Governor Folk,
whose new machine has wiped the old,
tried and trusty Democrats off the face
of the map.
"Old campaigners in the cause Of
Democracy in Missouri have been or.
dered to take a back seat and the
younger and less experienced Democrats
are at the helm. Naturally, they will
have much to learn and in the mean
time Republican majorities are grow
ing amazingly fast and by the time
these young politicians are educated to
sors Missouri will be as rock-ribbed in
the Republican column as 1t once
was in the Democratic column.
A New Democracy
Governor Folk represents a new
Democracy and the party is not united
in supporting it. Many of the old
timers have drifted into a state Of in
difference, which replaces the old time
vigor and vengeance with which they
fought their battles and these veter-
ans will not be seen again at the front
fighting for Democracy.
"On the contrary, after more than a
quarter of century of hard fighting
with the hosts of Democracy, Missouri
| - IroA
that the state has returned to the fold
and, we are confident, to stay.
"The old sore, Republican factions,
has been healed and there is no fac
tion in our party in Missouri now"
Major Warner became senator by a
coup of Col. R. G. Kerens Of ST. Louis,
former national committeeman and a
lifelong friend of Mark Hanna and
President Mckinley. The struggle was
of national interest because it marked
the elimination of Col. Kerens from
Missouri politics.
Col Kerens became famous through
his long and finally successful warfare
upon Chauncey I. Filley, another Re-
publican leader of national fame nj his
day in politics.
Bitter Struggle
After Col. Kerens eliminated Filley
he was enthroned in his stead as the
Missouri leader and became national
committeeman. Factions arose over
patronage and Col. Kerens had the fight
Of his life in securing the minority
nominations for United States senator
at the two previous elections.
When Missouri swung out of the
Democratic column last year, Col.
Kerens became candidate for the
senatorial toga, but Missouri Republi-
cans decided against him and the legis-
lative caucus selected State Chairman
Tom K. Niedringhaus as the candi-
date, with one dissenting vote.
| When the senate and house of repre-