The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-03-19
ICE MI CLASH
Law ana Order and Ring Forces WIN.
Meet On Ray 2.

The next clash between the Ring and
Law and order forces, so far as county
political affairs are concerned VIII
come at the first meeting Of the new
committee on the morning OF May 2,
over the election Of e chairman. Both
sides already have candidates l1 the
ueld, and they are being groomed
carefully.
The crowd now fn control of the
court house. commonly spoken Of as
The Ring or the Combine, Is advancing
the names of W. j. Sterne. county
commissioner, and of Captain H. NJ
Philips, the present chairman. The
Law and order camp have put forward
?. II. Forbes and H. Ward Page, either
OF whom they think would be suitable
10 them as presiding officer.
The chairman Of the county central
committee is no longer elected at the
primary as in recent years.
At e meeting of the committee held
81 January 1t was suggested that the
chairman be hereafter elected by the
committee itself. for then he would be
iu accord with its majority. Al Bauer
made motion to this ehect. following
q resolution recommending the change,
from the committee appointed for the
purpose of revising the bylaws In its
support he said at the time: 1T is
thought by the committee that 1t
would be much better to have the
chairman elected by the central COM
u1ittcr end not at the primaries II he
Chairman IS elected at the primaries
ard belongs to one side or Tao ION and
ire majority OF the committee belong
TO another faction opposed to him. can
you have harmony In your committee
meetings. Strife and dissension is apt
TO arise. or even at the best close union
and co-ODeration cannot result IL the
presiding officer holds one view of
political matters radically different and
opposed to the opinion Of the majority
Of the committee"
The committee voted to change the
rule so that herea fter the chairman is
20 be elected at the committee. There
fore at the primary held last Saturday,
q chairman was not voted upon but
he VIII be elected at the first meeting
Of the new committee which was chO-
sen at the polls last Saturday.
In that way the present fight is given
Its origin. Naturally both factions, the
wet and dry. or ring" and anti
ring wish to control the position Of
presiding officer. The mill has already
commenced to grind Both sides are at
work in sounding the ground as to the
complexion of the new committee. 1t
IS the general suppositiOn that 1t is
about evenly divided, so far as wet
and dry factions are concerned. The
liberal element is generally in control
of the county central committee IN faet
its standing boast IS to this effect. Some
of the actions of the county central
committees of recent years bear out
this assertion. Especially was this true
OF the committees action about
month ago. In which the gag-rule was
enforced and the Opposition" not even
allowed to talk concerning the propOs-
ed registration for the primary which
was held last Saturday. This act,
above every other. aided in the defeat
OF the ring" crowd. what else could
the newspa pers do2" said prominent
ring" man today. al Bauer simply
handed the newspapers "a club and told
them to beat us to DEATH The inter7
nal dissension among the Republicans
Of shawnee county has made it
mighty hard job to count noses on the
committee Nothing but the actual vote
will show whether or not the victory
won bv the law and order fereee last
Saturday viii also extend into the
complexfon of the committee. That
makes the fight particularly redhot
right now. The ring" wants to reas-
Fert the grip It has held for such
long time. while the other side is just
as anxious to get into complete con-
r~rl