The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-02-28
.CANEFOR ROBSON
Mysterious StOckmen's Meeting
Gives a Present.
incidentally Mr.. Potter Is
Endorsed for Commissioner.
IN A STAR CHAMBER.
Session Is Secret and Details
Are Lacking.
Some Members Are Opposed to
Plan Followed.
IN A STAR CHAMBER.

raisers in the state were invited TO
come and lend their assistance IN the
selection of a stockmen's candidate for
member Of the state board of railroad
commissioners.
When the stockmen had assembled
for the mass convention the word
was passed around and the stocknen
slipped off into a little room and smut
the door behind them.
isn't this going to be public
meeting" inquired a newspaper man
of George Plumb. of Emporia, who
called the mass convention.
mo; III tell you about it. said Mr..
Plumb in soto voee. You Sc we
have decided to call off the mass con
vention. and have a meeting of the
executive committee of the stockmen's
association instead Those meetings
are not public.
you are going to endorse some
boy for railroad commissioner in that
meeting?"
yes, that's the PLAN
isn't that rather a peculiar way
for an organization of your kind to
/ operate o.
ITS our custom" said Mr.. Plumb
And so the dozen or so stockmen
who attended the meeting went into
star chamber session, and when It was
/ over announced that Thomas NJ Pot
/ ter. of Peabody, had received the en-
dorsement of the mass convention
c. A Stannard, of Emporia who was
/ prominently mentioned for the place,
/ absolutely refused to have it.
One member of the association, who
came to attend the meeting, refused
to go into the meeting when he ascer-
tained the character. This was W. f.
| Rightmire, until recently the held
manager for the Uncle Sam oil re-
finery. He said:
This secret meeting scheme does
not appeal to me. am member OF
the stock breeders association, and
/ could attend this meeting, / suppose,
if I desired But I don't want any
thing to do with a meeting of the sort
this turns out to be-"
Potter's endorsement may make
trouble for Governor Hoch and the
other Fourth district candidates. Hoch
of Marion for governor is from Pot
ter's own county. It would look a lit
tie queer for two places on the state
ticket to be filed from one county OF
!, the population Of Marion It also
promises to make a lot Of trouble for
the other Fourth district candidates
Graves of Emporia has had smooth
sailing for justice of the supreme
court, and Barnes of Usage City and
Jackson Of Eureka, are both out after
Office. Potter's candidacy is likely to
cause milling.
Mr.. Potter announced that he would
not accept the nomination if It would
EN- barrass Hoch, but he didn't say
anything about the effect it might have
/ on other candidates.
/ OF course everything that went on
| behind the tightly closed doors of the
meeting place is secret It is not
known whether any action was taken
concerning the attitude of the stock
men toward the present board of rail
road commissioners, and especially
George Wheatley, who is candidate
for reelection.
". r. Stubs put in most of the day
circulating around among the dele
gates to the mass convention" for
| the purpose of giving them the benefit
of his political insight. It is under
stood that Stubs did not look with
much favor upon the plan of endors-
ing Potter for the position of railroad
commissioner. He wanted the "con-
ventiOn" to take a strong position on
the subject Of freight rate regulation.
passes, etc.
Harry. Mcmillan of Minneapo was
one of those who received an invita-
| ton to the convention Mcmillan
sent a letter to Mr.. Plumb. explaining
why he would not comply with the IN
! vttation. The letter was supposed to
be presented to the meeting. For fear
1t may have been overlooked. the
State Journal herewith prints it in
: full:
Minneapolis. Kan, Feb. q. 1906.
MI George Plumb, Secretary Live
stock Association, Topeka, Kansas
Dear Sir:-Your letter requesting me
to be present at the meeting of the
State Live Stock association at Topeka
on the 28th, received. Owing to other
+ engagements, it viii be impossible for
me to be with YOU This verv much
regret, as I would have greatly pre-
ferred to have made the following state
ment to the associat ton PERSONAL v. but
e will request you to consider it as a com
a municatiOn addressed to the meeting
; ri Lot
the object Of the meeting is to indorse
: some one candidate for railroad com
missioner. This is so indefinite, 1t is
difficult to tell what the plan of Orera
q ton outlined is to be I presume how
p ever, from the circumstances surround
ing this special meeting, it is to be a
a Republican and who viii be recommend
! ed to the Republican state convention
= as one of their nominees Then the
: stockmen Of the Democratic and Popu-
. list parties will be called upon to ig-
= more their party candidates, at least one
: Of the for railroad commissioners
Il which with the resulting confusion
would perhaps result in defeat of all
> The Democratic party will at their state
convention nominate three men for rail-
road commits toner's. and While I have nc
q knowledge who they viii be this I dc
know they win be worthy of the sup
port of every member of the party re-
gardless OF their business or avocatfon
q And I presume the Republican party
: And I presume the Republican par.y
I THE Democrat party had some expert
. enee two years ago in indOrsing a can
didate originally named by the live stock
= interests in the Federation of CONNER
cial Interests. which experience will sat
: isfy them for some time. Then this pro-
posed action is foreign to the origina
objects for which the Live Stock asso-
citation was founded. This meeting al
the best can represent but a very small
fraction Of the live stock shippers of the
state, therefore is not truly representa-
2 tive. At a distance this proposed actor
: looks ike a movement to push the DO
5 lit1ca4 fortunes Of some particular fndi-
o yddual rather than those of the live
= stock interests of the state in general.
e Finally. the general public Will be
r liable to look upon this action, nc
matter how worthy the candidate you