The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-01-30

III e l.
This is probably due to the fact that
the newspaper men of Kansas feel
that they cannot give up their lives of
usefulness as the real representatives
of the people for the mere sake of be-
coming SO a day statesmen with a cap
n lower ON prefxed to their
names. Ny friends when you find a
newspaper man in the legislature you
a put it down in your little note
books, along with the weather prog
~nOsticatiOns and the neighborhoOd
gossip, that his books don't balance,
and when his books don't balance his
heart is usually in h right place"
Senate Tucker is a politician of
longer experience thar he is editor.
He began his political career by op-
posing the Leland family in Kansas
during his college days and he has
continued his opposition, from son to
father, to this day. Along in ninety
five and six and seven George Tucker
and Ed Leland were students at Wash
burn college They were friendly for
a while and were room mates. If
there is anything that will pit one fell
low against another and sever their
friendship 1t is for them to room to-
gether at college. This rooming BUSH
ness at Washburn did the work in
TINS case Leland n Tucker became
bitter enemies in college politics.
An open split between Ed Leland
n George Tucker came in the ora
tor1cal society political struggle. There
We're two factions in the oratorical So
~ at lG COlAEkG. l4elan0 led one
faction and Tucker was one of the
leaders OF the other faction. The
nght was on over the officers of the
Washburn society for the faction
WnIcn Won he officers would go to
the state oratorical society meeting
able TO work deals the same as if a
politician went to a state convention
with a county delegation behind him.
Leland organized a rump oratorjcaI
association on the ground that the reg
uiar society, which was INCORPORATED
mad violated some of the Kansas incor-
poratlon laws. Leland brought an In
Junction case before Judge Hazen. in
Topeka to compel the old officers of
the society to cease to act and thereby
allow his rump association officers to
nave power. Leland was beaten in
the injunction case. Judge Hazen de-
cided in favor of the Tucker faction.
This marked the beginning of the fight
" Tucker and the Leland family
In 1902 Tucker was candidate for rep
resentative from the Fifty-second dis
trict, in Greenwood county, as the anti
Leland candidate and he won. A few
weeks after The legislative session of
lSVS Editor Tucker was one of half a
dozen original Boss Busters who met
IN Topeka and started the ball to roll
ing Last November Tucker was elect
ed senator from the Greenwood-Lyon
senatorial district as a full fiedged Boss
Buster
Senator Tucker is one of the few
members of the senate who can talk
and make himself heard. Tucker has
not yet turned loose any oratory on the
floor of the senate but when he does he
will be heard to the remotest corners
of the chamber for he has a voice.
Tucker is a native born Kansan and
mas beer one of the few favored sons
to respond to the toast kansas at the
Kansas Day club banquet.
Senate J.. B. Belts, from Shawnee,
when not attending a session of the leg
1siature as either representative, a posi-
ton he held for two terms, or as SEN
ator. a role he is assuming for the first
time. is helping in the work of re-
establishing the regular army of the
United States
Senator Belts is a contractor and he
has completed several of the large new