The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-10-17
POLITICAL GOSSIP.
CONTINUED from Page One,

race in the Fifth district this year; it
looks to me as though all three candi-
| dates would stay in to the finish Inc
| trouble has been in previous campalgns
| that there We're plenty of candidates
| who were good starters, but poor mn
ishers. This campaign will see three
! men go under the wire at the h1llsh
unless 1 am mistaken
The special session tali1~ received
| considerable impetus today when AT
F., torney General F. S. Jackson mace
public his letter on the Anthony pri-
| mary plan, in which he advocated the
ea lime Of f. speea primarg law
| The following is MI jackson
letter:
Dear Sir: Your letter concerning err 5ie
the nomination of state officers by a.
| rect primary was addressed to me at
| Eureka and therefore did not reacn
me until after several of the persons
| whom you addressed on the same mat
| ter had answered your letter
| 'It seems to me that the question OF
| how the next nominees OF the parry
| are to be selected is one TO De SettIeo
! by the state committee, without REGARD
| to the opinion of candidates Tor once
! The control of party committees by
! candidates. in their own or mel i
! friends interests is one among the gyms
! sought to be prevented by the retre,
I ment of the convention system anu
| the adoption of a primary law II Is
! the duty of the committee to ascertain
what plan the people WISH, anu LIZ Sl1A
| to adopt that plan. If after us adop>
| ton. it seems to any candidate 10 pc
| unjust to his interests, he can eNercls5
| the right of an American citizen anu
| retire from the contest. For TINS rea>
son, 1 shall not consider the queSeio
! of expense at this time -.
However, you desire my OPINION as
| to the advisa bility of the proposeu pr
| mary and 1 give it as nearly as posi-
| hIo Iritbo,1t regard to any personal IN
| terest 1 may have in It. 80
| "For more than two years PRIOR 10
| the last state convention, nave auNo
| Gated the passage of state PRIMARY
| law which should include as nearly as
| possible under the constitution the Sc
| lection of United States senator II
| had thought the present law aueq s u1'J
| officers | would not have advocated d
new law. 1t is admitted, thlnk, py
almost every one that any primary
that can be held under tne Pieotinns Of
will be subject to all the obJectlons o.
| the convention system, except perhaps
! that of shifting candidates LOT one
| position to that of another aAlel tHo
! convention is in session. -
| "It is true that fairly satisfactory
/ results have been secured under the
| present law in the counties Whers
| there are no large cities, IN county anu
| district primaries but the law s iNes
! protection to such primaries II gives
! none 10 nominate state officers or dele
| gates to the national conYentlon.
| Practices which have prevalled at the
primaries held in the larger cues;
| leave no doubt as 10 lile lileiiiNiOOS ~
| the present law.
''The fate of an efficient and up-to-
! date primary law in the next seSI1on OF
II the Iegislat ure, and in fact, IN the mex
\ decade in the state, is IN the balance
4 And if the result of an experiment un-
II der this imperfect law is disappolnt-
ing. YOU will not be able TO convince
many that the failure is due 10 the law
and not to the system. The sentlnent
for a real primary Will Ihuo oe SCH
ously impaired.
II believe the people of the state are
for a primary, under law mat WI
/ enable them to really nominate tlleIl
| candidates and not for a primary
| which may prove to be farce Inc
Republican party, and its committee
| can afford to be fair ana frank WIZ WIZ
| the people on this issue: Inc party
| has it in its power to give what the
| neonle demand. Let the state COM
| nittee meet and by appropriate reso-
| luton ask Governor Hoch 10 convene
| the legislature to enact suitable prl-
| mary law, and thus share with MN
| the respon visibility of such action. I'he
| governor faVorS a primary ana mas
| shown that he is willing to call a spe-
| cial session for this purpose If the peo-
| pie demand it.
| "Now that the 2-cent fare is settled
/ and the railroad commissioners nave
| announced that they are at work on
new classification of freight rates soon
! TO be announced. there is no necessary
for undue excitement over any ran
| road problem, nor for fear or nasty
! railroad legislation. The time or the
session could be given almost entirely
| to the work of drafting primary
| law. Indeed, there is no necessity Tor
| haste in calling the session. -There mas
already been much discussion or u1-
ferent laws, and after conferences
| with those who have made the pest
study of this question, the governor
could embody in message the main
| Dro1,isiOns of law that could be
| nassed within short time and with
little difficulty. This law would be
one for which the party could assume
full responsibility.
| 1.-THE tax law. it is admitted. needs
some amendment and this like the prl-
/ mary law should be as nearly perfecl
as nossible before it is given trial.
| "Manv other things which were over
| looked in the regular session, could De
found ard much practical work accom-
plished IN a short session.
| while as I have said, the expense OF
the urinary is not now the controlling
consideration the expense of an extra
session would of course need to be con-
sidered 1t would not be more than hall
| Auditor Nations estimate of $4,000 for
| the necessary cost of a primary election
and certainly would not in any event
exceed that sum. I think Mr.. Nation
figures are not far from correct, and ne
| does not consider what the cost VIII De
to other parties of the state for prl-
r1a1