The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-11-05
POLITICAL GOSSIP
Chairman Hanna Of Populist
Committee Guesses.
Harris Will Carry Three Con-
gressiOnaI Districts.
LOSE IN THE TOWNS.
Thinks Law Enforcement
Speeches Hurt Him There.
Says Curtis win Be Defeated
for Senator.
LOSE IN THE TOWNS.

George w. Hama. chairman Of the
Populist state central committee. today
gave out his forecast on the outcome OF
the election, in which he predicts the
election Of Hoch by less than 10000
votes.
This is Mr.. Hanna's forecast;
THE total vote for governor esti-
mate will be not less than 295 600 Har-
ris will carry nearly all the counties Of
the Sixth and Seventh districts, land
about half the counties of the Fifth dis
4 trict which viii give him IN the three
districts mentioned q good majority over
Hoch.
I'm the other counties OF the state,
Harris will run ahead of Hoch in the
rural districts but will be badly beaten
/ in the large towns on account OF MS
/ law enforcement speeches.
Thirty days ago Harris would n naVs
! been elected by 10000. But in the past
two weeks a lining up has occurred,
which I think may elect Hoch by less
/ than 10000 votes.
s.Curtis Is defeated for United States
senator. I believe that Brtstow viii
1 be the leading candidate. In my 5udg-
ment. however. Bristow will be elected
as a compromise candidate, all other
factions preferring him to any other OF
/ the aYowed candidates.
''Keefer's vote in the state will be -ot
| less than 10000, and the Populists Will
/ eject several lnSlI CdnQlGdL6S 1Dk tAA-
legislature. 1 estimate that Harris will
run at least $4,000 votes ahead OF his
ticket
Speaking of local conditions in his
home county, Clay, Mr.. Hanna says.
CLAY Center is a Republican strong
| hold, and home of F. L. Williams. for
mer private secretary to Governor H9cn
also Of c. c. Coleman. attorney general
/ VIII go for Harris and Overmyer oy
good majority. Clay county will be
/ close county,
There has been a story in circula-
4 ton for some days that Governor
4 Hoch naS written a letter to the peo-
pie OF Wichita promising that in case
/ of his election he would not appoint
an assistant attorney general for Sedg-
wick county, unless the people OF that
| county requested him to do So
It was reported that this letter had
| been entrusted by Governor Hoch to a
man named French Of Marion, and
had been delivered by French to the
proper authorities at Wichita.
To ascertain the truth CT this state
ment, the State Journal wrote let
ter to Taylor Riddle Of Marion. who
had been quoted as authority for the
story, and today received the follow
ing reply from Mr.. Riddle:
I'm reply to yours of the 2nd inst
will say that Mr.. l. G. French OF
whom you speak. is at this time very
sick and can not be interviewed. But
Mr.. French has repeatedly stated in
my presence, and in the presence Of
from one to fifty on the streets of Ma
/ riOn, that he took a letter to the Joint
keepers of Wichita at the instance of
Governor Hoch, in which Mr. Hoch
stated that his policy would be to keep
hands off, and that he would not ap-
point an assistant attorney general
unless the people of Wichita showed
to him that majority of them wanted
him to do so If elected. Yours.
TAYLOR RIDDLE"
w. W. Wiley. the Populist candi-
date for congress in the First district
against Curtis, has given out a state
ment in which he predicts that Harris
will carry the First district Wiley
says that Keefer is the only PopuIist
he has found that will vote the
straight Populist ticket. This is VII
ey's statement:
II have been in every county of the
district since the campaign opened in
September and have found just one
Populist who said that he was going
to vote for Keefer for governor. I
have been making my campaign to try
to hold the party organization togeth-
er, but it SENS to me that we would
not have any party after this election
have tried to see every known Popu-
list in the district and every one of
them said they would vote for Harris
and no amount Of persuasion would
cause them to change their opinions.
OF course, there were some POpuIists
that I could not see but I heard from
all Of them and Keefer is the only
Populfst in the district that I know of
who will vote the straight ticket.
Il believe that nine-tenths of all the
Populists in Kansas, one-fourth of the
old soldiers, all the Democrats and A
lot Of Republicans will vote for Harris
this year. By the OLD soldiers I mean
men who have ALWAYS been ReDl1b-
liOano hear them f11lrfnu- nj
know what many of them intend to do.
I made a hard fight in the conven-
ton to preserve the party's organiza-
ton this year to be ready for a good
efforts were useless and If the party
does not poll a larger vote than the
Indications at present show will be in
favor of disbandindg forever
Governor Hoeh is closing his long
, and strenuous campaign at his home
| county of Marion today There is no
doubt that Governor Hoch has made
one of the hardest and most effective
campaigns ever made by a candidate
for governor. He has been on the road
constantly for nearly two months, and
: for the past three weeks has been
making two speeches nearly every
day. His health has continued good
] and his voice has seemed to improve
I rather than fail. Governor Hoch has
; visited nearly every important town
? In the state.
: Yet in spite of Governor Hoch's fine
campaign. it IS reported today that his
; home county, Marion, is in danger OF
going against him. The Republican
! poll of that county is said to show a
: majority Of only 80 for Hoch, in spite
! OF the fact that he had 1900 ma jority
t two years ago. It seems almost in
credible that such change should
take place. and yet some Of the Demo
Gratis are of the opinion that Hoch is
: likely to lose the county. Hoch's