The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-03-08
''The Ring" Will Be Watched on
Next Saturday.
Supporters of Clean Politics and
Fair Deal Active.
AFTER THE REPEATERS
Will Be Careful Watchers at
Every Polling Place.
Anti WiIkersOn Circulars Will
Not Be Issued.

Repeating viii be stopped at the pri-
maries on Saturday, if money, vigilance
and watchers can do it.
The Law and order forces of Topeka
have got down to the bedrock of prac-
teal politics. .Money-vigilance-
watcher" s"-these are the medicine. They
can be accepted at their face value.
For some days past a large number Of
men have been employed and paid to
find out just what tactics will be en-
ployed by the opposition, whether re-
peaters are to be used, whether any
dishonest methods are to be employed,
whether the voice of the people is to be
stlhed BY any underhand means. The
men finding out these things are being
paid-and wen paid.
Vigilance-means "alert and intent
mental Watchfulness in guarding
against danger OF, providing for safety
according to the dictionary. and the
Websterian definition is to be followed
out to the very letter. Every avenue
is to be closed up against wrong-d doing.
Every chance OF working unfair politics
is to be guarded against.
Watchers" This means men who
can meet an emergency. There viii be
men-big, strong, scrappy fellows-at
every voting precinct in the city, and
especially so at the dangerous ones, to
defend the deceney and sanctity Of the
ballot box.
Saturday may be troublesome The
feeling is intense and in many places
bitter. Alert and intent watch is being
kept, every move on the political check
erboard made the subject of special
study. The primaries day after tomor-
row are crucial in Topeka and Shawnee
county affairs. The results are vital
and important. The eyes of the state are
on this city and its battle for civic
decency and purity. Unfairness Satuf-
day viii mean trouble
1--WE are going to see that there IS
no repeating Saturday" said one OF
the most promin nently identified. mem
bers of the Isaw and Order working
/ committee today. 4Quite q sum OF
money had already been expended IN
( that direction and more viii be spent
/ the voting precincts. especially those
/ where bad work is APT 90 take place,
are sFsa2ae to be projected at all odds.
T. is time for primaries in Iopeka 70
! be run decently. Those on sat
/ urday are going to be operated IN
that way too II possible
No Belts Circulars.
Much talk has been current dur
/ ing the past several days that just
on the very eve OF the primaries, PROD
ably tonight or Friday night, the Belts
camp would let loose flood OF cir
/ culars in behalf of their candidate.
and against John Wikerson-
Several days ago a prominent Belts
( supporter stated that he could provide
an affidavit that Wilkerson was
/ drinking man and had been drunk dur
! ing this campaign. He was asked for
/ his affidavit and other evidence, with
I the assurance that it would be pub
/ hshed in the State Journal if produced
/ He refused. I will not give out the
affidavit or the Information" was his
reply. I'VE are not resorting to this
style of campaign. We do not believe
in mud-slinging." The fact is that this
man has conducted campaign Of the
most despicable nature.
W. T. ShOch, one of Belts support
ers, was this morning asked whether
any circulars would be issued in favor
of the ring candidate. or whether the
/ threatened affidavit, which another
Belts campaigner, John Ostrand.
Sheriff Lucas chief deputy, said he
could produce, would be launched In
the shape of primary literature.
He readily answered. and asked that
the following statement come from him
as a Belts manager: There viii be
no circulars issued from our h headquar-
ters in favor of Belts, or against John
/ Wilkerson. There win be no af6davits
of any kind issued. There will not be
1 a scrap of campaign literature in the
shape of circulars or anything else
emanating from the Belts camp. we
do not believe in that color of politics
We do not believe in resorting to such
methods. I know that nothing of this
kind Will be done and I want the peo-
pie to know it. I suppose that stories
to this effect have come from Wilker-
sons friends I wish the State Journal
would personally inform Mr.. VVf1kerson
Of my statement"