The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-02-12
ONE OF THEIR OWN
BOlting Republicans Issue Call
for Caucuses.
Will Be Held in County on
February 21.
CONVENTION FEB. 20.
COntesting Delegation VIII be
at State Convention.
Leaders Say People Are Aroused
Over Committee Action.

Two delegations, both claiming to
represent Shawnee county, will ask 70
be seated at the Republican party
state convention on March 4.
The bolting delegates from the COM
ty convention of last Saturday held a
convention all of their own TUESDAY
afternoon in the Topeka city court
room.
First the delegates simply favored
accepting resolutions condemnlng tnc
action of the county central comInltlee
in naming the delegates to the state
convention without first permitting IN
people to have word as 10 lheli
choice. Later under the spell or ora
tory and maturer judgment they
shelved the resolution and proceeded
to take action to call for ward eau
cuses and township caucuses to eject
delegates to the state convention. the
caucuses to be held on February Il.
The caucuses in the city will be helo
in the evening and in the country at
the township caucuses at O'CLOCK III
the afternoon-this seemed to De the
opinion of the nine delegates VINO We're
assembled as being the best time
though the chairman of the meeting
z. R. Simon, will make public an
nouncement of the time at later gate.
The county convention has been
fixed for February 25 at O'CLOCK, as
provided by the Shawnee county CEN
that time the election of 2S delegates
and the same number of alternates to
the state convention on March Will
take place, and the First district con-
gressional convention.
Each township and each ward will
be entitled to one delegate al one
alternate for every 40 votes or mayor
fraction thereof for the Republican
candidate for secretary OF state In NO
vember.
The delegates present yesterday
afternoon were:
E. R. Simon. fourth precinct, Third
Third ward; G. T. Mattingly, first pre-
ciact, Fifth ward; ]. H. Allen, fourth
precinct First ward; John w. Hitler,
Rochester; James A. Stephens, Muddy;
L. F. Mcclellan, Hartsock; o. B. Eddy,
North Mission; w. H. Moffitt, North
Willia1nsport.
1t took two hours of debate and sew
eral cons ultations for the delegates to
make up their minds as to the best
course to be pursued. The fear that
they could not secure a turnout of
representative voters at the caucuses
was one of the main reasons that
caused hesitation in sending a contest
ing delegation. The delegates went
into executive session early in the
afternoon and after a long time
broached two resolutions, the first one
having the approval of majority and
the second backed by the minority call
ing for caucuses.
H. G.. Larimer made an attack on the
first named resolution: "It was your
plain duty to do what you did Satur-
day said he. "And it's your plain
duty to go further than that. If YOU
propose to let this rest with a resolu-
tion it's a great deal weaker than what
you did Saturday. and that was moth
ing more than doing your duty. Has
it been true that Mr.. D. w. Mulvane
has delivered the vote of the county
bound and gagged to the lawless class
es? There can be no doubt about it,
why should you weaken by pass
Ing such milk and water resolutions
as these? Isn't the fight going on all
over the state whether the men who
stood for the primary shall control
the Republican convention? Is It
right that you should withdraw your
moral support from this fight? IT
seems to me timorous if not cowardly
to assume such a position as YOU are
now taking. If the act that Mr. Null
vane committed last Saturday is to he
excused vote for this resolution. if not
fight. 1 understand that there were
those at the meeting who had NO
proxies. and 1 understand that there
were at least six of those scoundrels
who were interlopers. If you gentle
men don't feel that you can afford to
be our leaders, then 1 am in favor
of holding a Republican mass meet
ing and going along without YOU
Stone Insists on Caucuses.
A protest was also raised by Rob-
ert Stone, state representative. who
wanted the caucuses to be held He
said: I'VE know that the members or
the county central committee wera
not elected for the purpose of elect
ing delegates to the state conyention
We know that such action absoluteIv
disenfranchises every Republican a,
to who shall represent the party al
Art hof
usurpation of power that the Repuh-
ncans OF Shawnee county have a per-
feet right to repudiate. If they have
O right to elect delegates to the state
convention, they also have the right
to elect delegates to the national cor.
vention, and call off the state conven-
tion entirely. Now gentlemen know
ing that you are right, need Won hest
tate to give the voters of Shawnaa
county an opportunity to select their
delegates? know it may be said
that Mulvane and his friends nav
come in and capture the caucuses ana
IN convention endorse the action ~
last Saturday. but of that I am NO,
afraid. There is a feeling among ths
voters of this county that they have
been outraged and disenfranchised
There is something here then IN
which to make a fight
81 am always willing to defer to
the better judgment of my asso-
ciates." said P. H. Forbes. .sbut nar-
0onally these resolutions do not meet
my ideas. Personally 1 think it's
mistake not to let the voters have q
chance to elect their delegates. The
committee last Saturday took actior
that was unwarranted and deprived
voters Of right to rame delegates
to state and congressional conyen9
tfens. I don't know of ANYTHING bat-
ter that could happen than to have
q coatesting delegation go up and he
refused. I don't know of any ol,tra ee
that could happen to arouse up The
? voters as such an action"