The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-11-27
POLITICAL GOSSIP
Candidates for Speaker Are
Sending Ont Letters.
Three Men Are Out Seeking for
Votes.
LELAND'S LETTER.
His Candidacy Not in Interest Of
Senatorial Candidate.
Promises to Keep Work of the
House Going.

| of representatives are busy sending out
| letters to the members of that body,
setting forth their position on various
matters of public interest
J. S. Simmons Of Dighton, who was
| in Topeka Monday, says that he has
| sent no letters yet. but he may do SO
| before long.
J. w. Creech of Dickinson county has
sent letters to all the memb ers, stating
| that he is not the candidate of any
| faction.
Cyrus Leland of Doniphan county,
VINO Is looked upon as one of the
| strongest candidates, sent out his let
ters some days ago, and the following
| is copy of one received by a member
of the legislature:
My Dear Sir: I am candidate for
speaker of the house of representatives
and would like very much to have
your support. l wish to say that my
candidacy is not in the interest of any
candidate for sUnited States senator,
and If elected shall not use my posi-
ton to defeat any aspirant for the
United States senate. If elected I shall
do my part toward enacting such laws
as Will be for the best interests of the
people of the state. Believing that the
work of the house should be com
pleted within so days for which com
pensation is allowed the members, I
shall, If chosen speaker, get the work
OF the house started during the first
week of the session, and keep it going
with all reasona BILE dispatch until com
pleted. I would be pleased to hear
CYRUS LELAND"
1t is said that Mr.. Simmons is get
ting the backing of H. J. Bone, Morton
Albaugh, Andy Richards. and a large
number of other Seventh and Eighth
district politicians, who are supposed
to be friendly to the Long interests
This may mean that the so-called
Long machine" IS taking UP the can
didacy of Curtis. and proposes to make
Simmons the Curtis candidate.
Mr.. Leland refuses to pledge himself
to any senatorial candidate. He said
today:
"A man came to me the other day
and said: 7 can give you a vote for
speaker If you will tell me. out and
out, that you are not for Curtis I
told the man that 1 would like to have
the vote. but that 1t would be impossi-
Die for me to pledge myself to be
against Curtis, or against anybody
else.
Mr.. Creech is not looked upon as a
very formidable candidate, though he
will have a number of votes in the
Fifth district. It is known, however,
that Mr.. LELAND has some supporters
in the Fifth, and Creech may lose
some votes to Leland
Indications are that the big fight
Will be between Simmons and Leland,
and in spite of the fact that Mr.. Lee
land refuses to commit himself on the
sena torial situation, he is thought to
be with the anti-Curtis crowd, though
who viii get his support is an open
question.
Concordia Kansan: One of the best
known men in this town said to US
this morning that there was no danger
that custer proceedings would be
started against the mayor of Atchison.
He said that If Attorney General Cole
man and the Judges of the state SUI
+~4 - =
Atchison. Bale Waggener and Jim Orr.
who is the mayor, would take their
Missouri Pacific railway passes away
from them. No danger about Atchison
being disturbed, he thought.
The Kansas City Journal contains
this interview with Ex-Governor w. J.
Bailey:
is not an ttaggressive," but a "recep-
tive" candidate for United States sena-
tor from Kansas.
Are you in the racer" was asked.
We'll" he replied. Il have never an
nounced myself. 1 have never told
anyone that was candidate
Are you going into it?''
Il am not pushing myself" he said,
with another big smile.
You are not going to hold back on
the traces though 2" was suggested.
NO he replied. IF that Office is
given me certainly should accept it. I
appreciate Inc immense nOnOT WHICH
1t bestows and the honor which a state
does the man whom it chooses"
May an announcement from you be
looked for early?" was asked.
That's ALL he said, indicating that
he did not care to favor the public with
a reply.
Leavenworth, Kan, Nov. PIT am
DESTROYS of seeing the salaries of the
Kansas supreme court judges increas-
ed" said John H Atwood 1.-The sal
aries of the supreme court and of the
district judges, too, In the state of Kan
sas are shamefully low. 1t has been
a wonder how such able men have been
induced to take the positions when one
thinks how inadequate is the pay and
tremendously arduous the labors-
This question ought not to enter the
realm of politics: it ought to be deter
mined upon lines of fairness and jus
tice No one can accuse me of favor
ing the measure as party one, be-
cause every one of the judges is a Re
publican, while my politics are pretty
well known to be radically to the con-
trary. These salaries were fixed at
time when the cost of living was not
more than half what 1t is today and
at a time when the rewards won by the
leading lawyers were not more than
one-fifth of what they are today. With
the increased cost of living, If some
thing is not done toward increasing the.
pay of our supreme judges, the result
is sooner or later bound to be that good.
men will refuse the positions, and in
ferior ones alone can be induced to
accept them.
EVERY citizen in the state should be
interested in having this bench occt-
pied by men OF the highest api f6y t;a
measure and the salary fixed should be
not less than 5000 year, and | hope
there is not a Democratic representative
in the legislature who Will fail to vote