The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-07
TONIGHT DECIDES.
Speakership Caucus Has Been
Arranged For.
Three Men Are Prominent in
the Race.
HOW THEY LINE UP.
Simmons Friends Claim lie
Has Enough Votes.
Combination of Forces in OPP
position May Be Made.
Contest Likely to Result in a
Tangle.

Tonight the Republican caucus will b'
held at Representative hall. at which
the speakership fight will be settled, and
other principal officers of the house
selected.
Stannard, Simmons and Leland are
still in the race, and each of them IL
claiming that everything is favorable tc
his candidacy.
The Stannard people. however. show
the most confidence, and indications are
that either Stannard or Leland will win
1t is likely that the senate caucus
will be held tonight in the senate
chamber, but this will not be decided
until a little meeting of senators is
held this afternoon. 1t may be rushed
through late this afternoon. or it may
be postponed until Tuesday morning.
The fight for the speakership is at
white heat today. Everything indi-
Gates that Stannard and Leland to-
gether will control the situation,
though the Simmons "rooters'' were
busy this morning circulating the
claim that their man will win on the
first ballot hands down. The Sim
mons people are placing their depend
ence upon making their mans candi-
dacy a "band wagon" proposition, and
starting a stampede.
IF Simmons does not win on the first
or second ballot, the chances are that
he is lost simmons will lose several
votes on the second ballot, and he may
gain a few votes from Creech.
1t is possible that the caucus will
ED in a deadlock, and that the fight
viii go into the floor of the house,
when the session beginsTuesday noon.
In such a case. Stannard probably has
the best chance to win, for most of
the Democratic vote is believed to be
for Stannard-
Things Which Hurt Simmons.
There are three things which are
being used effectively today to hurt
Sirnmons's candidacy.
The first is the undisputed fact that
he is a Santa Fe attorney.
The second is that Simmons is not in
full sympathy with the primary cleo
tion law. He may favor a modified
primary, but he certainly will fight a
general application of the primary
system Some of the people who were
expected to support Simmons are
weakening because of simmons posi-
ton on the primary law. Mr. Sim
mons was asked this morning to state
his position on the primary election
law, and declined, on the ground that
he is making no statements on any
subject at this time. In the Square
Dear' handbook, Simmons Is one of
those listed under the heading mo
answer Both Stannard and Leland
answered the Square Deal questions
satisfactorily.
The third thing which is proving
damaging to Simmons is the fact that
he took prominent part in the defeat
of the repeal of the law requiring rail-
road employees sustaining injury from
q railroad to serve notice of the injury
on the railroad company within 80 days
after the accident, in order to sustain a
suit for damages. This 90-day law was
enacted at the 1908 session, which was
strong railroad body and the effort
to wipe the law off the books failed be-
cause of the opposition of Simmons and
others.
Fourth District Solid for Stannard.
The representatives from the Fourth
district held a caucus this morning, and
a vote showed that ten of the twelve
representatives are for Stannard for
speaker.
his vote on the first ballot for Leland
and will thereafter be for Stannard
Major P. ]. Potts of Morris will cast
his first vote for Simmons. and on the
second will go to Stannard. Both
Sticher and Potts pledged their votes
before Stannard's candidacy was an
nounced.
On the second ballot Stannard will
get twelve votes from the Fourth dis
trict
The Third district, which has been
counted as a strong Simmons locality
will probably hold caucus this after
noon 1t is the understanding that the
district will give five votes for Sim
mons. four for Stannard and four for
Leland. but Stannard may get the long
end of the bargain in this district. The
Third district wants to divide UP so
that the chances of Campbell for SEN
ator will not be injured.
simmons friends claim that the first
ballot will stand as follows:
J. s. Simmons .......-..... Al
c. A. Stannard- Observation-Disclosures. %
TaIa
j. w. Creech- .--.......-..-......- 8
Total --.------- ------- -----.------ 90
This leaves Simmons six votes short
of nomination, according to his own fig
ures. He claims that he will get the
Creech votes on the second ballot, and
will be elected.
Stannard and his friends make the
following forecast on the result:
Stannard - ....2 81
Leland .-.--.....-..-..- -.-...---..... q
CrSecn -.-.---....... IL
summons .---..-..- --.....-.---.-.... p
Cyrus Leland does not stay around
the hotel lobby much as the other
candidates. One of Mr.. Leland's friends
sized up the situation this morning as
follows:
Leland will either be speaker or he
will name the man. He has enough
votes to decide the fight. 1 am in
clfned to believe that Simmons will
have to throw his strength to Leland
That Will be about the way it will
comI OUT
The indications are today that the
Simmons strength is not standing well