The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-04-29
POLITICAL GOSSIP
Kansas Politicians Are Already
Becoming Active.
Square Dealers and Machine
Men Are Lining Up.
LOOKING FOR LEADERS
Factions May Unite on Com
promise Candidate.
Fear Defeat Unless Union Can
Be Made.
LOOKING FORLEADERS

suing year. there may be new align
ments made Of the most surprising
nature.
While the Square Dealers. led by w
r. Stubs. are making most OF the
noise Just at present, there are signs
which show that the socalled ma
chine crowd is preparing 10 keep IN
touch with all the party machinery
created under the direction of the Re-
publican state central committee dur
ing the last campaign The Republ-
can committee has a good aggregation
of party workers in every county ana
precinct in the state. and the ma
chine" Will use this collection of work
ers to neutraIize anything which may
be done by the Square Dealers
At the present time, there has not
been enough development work done
to determine just how the lines will be
drawn There are factions within fac
tons It might be said that the Square
Dealers and the machine" are each
divided into two subfactfouS-
In the Square Deal crowd there is
one crowd which wants to make the
movement a close corporation with
rigid picket lines This crowd wants
to make everybody come inside the
lines or get shot In other words. the
machine idea will be used in making
the orgaRfza ton This crowd viii in
sist upon fight for the Office OF gov
eTnor, simply for the sake Of making
people line up. No compromise can
didate will be acceptable The other
Square Deal crowd is probably just as
anxious TO down the railroads and
wipe out the old machine. but it be-
Heves that IL might be a good sch erne
to nominate a man like Fitzgerald for
governor. and let the fight come on
the selection Of members Of the Iegis-
lature.
The old machine crowd is also di-
vided into two crowds One is the
liberal element. which comprises
great many honest and able men. who
don't like Stubs. and who in senti-
ment are Square Dealers. but who
through fear OF the machine and dis
like Of certain S1uares Deal leaders are
driven to the other side Many of the
leading politicians in the state may be
numbered in this crowd But another
portion Of the machine crowd is COM
posed of the rabid uncompromfsfnz
enemies Of reform OF the people who
fight all primary election. all railroad
regulation. and who fire the furnace
of the machine This is the crowd
which wants TO place a man like Grant
HOrnaday OF Joe BurrOw in the gov
ernor's chair
Compromise Is Doubtful
While the liberal Square Dealers
and the liberal machine men might
like 70 see compromise candidate
selected for governor. IL IS doubtful
whether they can break away from
the radicals in their respective fac
tions enough TO bring about this soIu-
tion OF the political dilemma
And Yet the fact is apparent to
many OF the best posted politicians in
the state that the nomination of a
compromise candidate is about the
only way by which the Republicans
can hope to win in the election of 1908
II the radical square dealers put for
ward Stubbs as a candidate for COVER
nor and the radical machine" men
put forward Grant Hornaday. IL ma kes |
very little difference which one is nom
IN tod for -
either one would be defeated bv a
Democratic nominee like w A Harris |
The anti-railroad Republicans would /
rather have Harris than Hornad day. /
and the Hornaday Republicans would /
rather have Harris than Stubs The
factional knife would cut both ways
Indications are that the Square Deal I
movement. which seems to have been 1
captured by the radical square dealers
VIII insist upon making the fight dur
ing the coming two years on the plat
form OF Stubs versus Long No mat
ter how much the matter may be dis /
guised- that will very likely be the Is |
sue in the case The victory Of Stubbs 1
will mean strong direct primary law.
and probsb bly, other reform measures.
the victory OF the Long machine would /
mean no primary. and possibly a re-
peal or modification of existing rail-
road laws-provided. in both cases
that the Democrats did not stem in ar5
take control of the situation
lac1&son May Be the Man.
While there seems to be a strong
sentiment against any compromise
both among the Square Dealers and
the machine, there is still talk of com
promise candidates The latest to ba |
suggested is z. s Jackson attornev
general. who has been making such a |
good record thus far. and whose most |
ton in political matters has been sat
ASfactory to both factions
Attorney General Jackson is |
clean. able. energetic young man.
who IS well liked by everyone 1-irr |
whom he comes in contact EXCEPT the
brewers and trusts. He is following !
right along in the footsteps Of Folk |
and Hadley in the work of seeking 10
enforce the laws as he finds them.
ana that IS popular in Kansas
General Jackson has also taken = |
prominent part in the work of the
state board of railroad assessors OF
which he IS a member. He has aided
materially in bringing out the facts 4
about railroad property in Kansas
Lieutenant Governor FItzgerald-s
availability as candidate for gov
srnor rests upon his excellent record
IN the senate as its presiding officer
md his energetic inquisition of rail-
road officials while chairman OF the
s one OF the men who has grown
amazingly since his election and
ranks now as one OF the big f:
men of the state While his activity
n making the railroads tell the truth [
.bout their property has alienaed the
support OF the radical railroad gang I
which was for him for nomination il
las won him the support of fair
minded people whose factionaI pre-
udice will allow them TO overlook the
act that Fitzgerald was elected bv
he machine" and is supposed to be