The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-17
POLITICAL GOSSIP
Believed Clark VIII Get Part Of
Shawnee Delegation.
MulYane-Curtis Faction Is Sup
porting Fitzgerald.
DEMOCRATS DIVIDED.
Some Want ResubmissiOn and
Evidently Others Do Not.
BOurbonites Democrats Want
the PrOhibitOry Law Enforced.

Indications are that Ansel r. Clark
will have the big end of the Shawnee
county delegation in the fight for the
Republican nomination for lieutenant
governor which fight promises to be
the chief center of interest in the com
ing Republican state convention.
Under the showing. of strength at the
Shawnee county convention for the
election of state convention delegates,
Clark should have the solid support of
Shawnee county, but the Civic league
people who were in control of the con-
Vention let Dave A1ulvane jockey them
out OF their position. Mulvane now has
a strong grip on the delegation, and
while he was able to bring about his
own election as state committeeman
from this county he may not be able
to line up the same crowd to accept his
dictatiOn in other matters.
Mulvane is Of course for Fitzgerald
Tor lieutenant governor, and he Is
claiming that Fitzgerald already has
plenty Of votes pledged to secure his
election. The Fitzgerald people are
making a great deal of noise about
their strength. and declare that the
fight is all over, and the victory won.
They say that Clark has no show what
ever.
James A. Troutman. the Civic League
leader who was chairman of the Shaw
nee county convention. and heads the
county delegation. says:
THE Shawnee county delegation will
be divided about equally between Clark
and Fitzgerald, but Clark will have a
few votes the best of it,
Fitzgerald will probably get a good
deal of strength from the larger coun-
ties of the state. where the railroad in
fiuences are strong He is given the
credit of being the railroad candidate,
though he strongly insists that he is
under obligations to no railroad and
would act with absolute equity toward
the people and the railroads in case of
his election.
Charles Curtis is also getting himself
tangled up in the Clark Fitzgerald
fight Curtis friends in Shawnee cOUia-
ty are dragging him into the fight in
spite of himself. No matter how much
Curtis may protest that he is not the
railroad candidate" the fact is that
most people are convinced that he is.
When Curtis friends are working tooth
and-nail to whip Ansel Clark, and line
up all the friends Of Curtis behind
Fitzgerald, the evidence is too strong
to be overcome by the timid sta tements
which Curtis has made to the contrary
There are some of Curtis friends who
are strong for Clark. and they are be-
ing put in a very embarrassing position
by Curtis aetiens They say that the
only way Curtis can square himself is
to come out strong and uneQuiVOcally
for the nomination of Clark for lieuten-
ant governor. This would put Curtis
anti-Failroad friends in a position to
combat the story that Curtis is the
railroad candidate.
But the chances are that Curtis will
not dare to adopt this course. He
does not want to risk losing the friend
ship of the railroads. which he now
enjoys Even though Curtis may not
| be under obligations to railroad in
terests it is undoubtedly true that he
is profiting by their assistance. Curtis
can get anything he wants from rail
road companies. He can swing the
appointment of his friends to positions
with the railroad companies, he can
I get passes; he can bring railroad in
/ f7uence to bear in his interests. All
1 these things might be lost If Curtis
\ should desert Fitzgerald. Curtis
| friends here in Shawnee county are
pounding the Shawnee delegates into
| line for Fitzgerald by telling them
/ that Clark is the anti-Curtis candidate.
However, if it should happen that
Fitzgerald is defeated for the Repub-
/ ernor, 1t would cast a dark shadow
over the senatorial chances of Mr..
Curtis.
Judge Clark has issued a statement
| in which he denies that he is rail-
road attorney He says, among other
When went off the bench three
years ago the Missouri Pacific asked
me to act as local attorney in my sec
ton of the state. I accepted the offer
and up until last September handled
| what few cases came I'D out in my
country. During that whole time ]
never got a dollar out of the railroad
] Their legal business amounted to al
most nothing and all I got in return
for my services was a pass over the
i Missouri Pacific lines in this state.
Last fall I decided to quit the practice
4 of law and returned my piss. I re-
| ti1rnad II hacal1sa was dnine moi hing