The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-14
Ex-Governor Bailey Issues /;
Formal Statement.
FavOrs Enactment of State Wide
Primary Law.
REPLY TO MIR. STUBBS.
No Railroad or Corporate InfIu.
ence Backs His Candidacy.
Where He Stands Now and Has
in the Past.

From his homo in Atchison. Willis
J. Bailey last night sent out a state
ment concerning his candidacy for the
Republican nomination for governor.
Mr. Bailey replies to the insinuations
which have been made by w. r.
Stubbs and his friends concerning the
railroad backing which is charged
against Bailey. The statement fol-
lows:
1t seems to me to be q good deal
OF presumption on the part of Mr..
Stubs to arrogate to himself and his
imm ediate followers all the progress
sive ideas of Republicans as advocated
by President Roosevelt and to brand
all other Republicans who do not
recognize in him a political Moses as
belonging to political machine with
headquarters in New York and ten
tacles reaching into every county in
Kansas. Speaking for myself and
without consulting any Of my friends,
have this to say:
Il doubt very much at this time the
necessity and advisability and wisdom
Of convening the legislature. But this
is a matter of judgment upon which
men may honestly differ. But the leg
islature has been called together and
if I were member, under the cir
cumstances, as they exist in the state
wide primary law to nominate all Off
GERS from United States senator down:
that all political parties would be COM
PEELED to make their nominations on
the same day, and SO safeguarded that
only Republicans could vote for Re-
publican nominees and only Demo-
Gratis could vote for Democratic nomi-
nees, and the same to apply to every
party that desired to place a ticket in
the field for the general election. I
would safeguard by law these primary
elections as securely as the general
elections are safeguarded. And I
would make it apply at once so that
this law would take the place of all
been called or may be called to place
in nomination candidates to be voted
on at the coming November election.
1 shall be very glad to submit my
nor on the above conditions and to
abide by the decision of the Republi-
can voters of the state.
by inference and in his speeches Mr..
Stubbs charges that am brought into
the race for governor by the railroads
and other corporate influences. This
charge is untrue and unfair. I was
persuaded to say 1 would accept the
nomination for governor upon represen
tations of Republicans from every part
of the state, representing every past
faction of the party; that these differ
ences of the past could be united upon
my candidacy more easily than upon
any other gentleman mentioned and
that there was sentiment in the state
that 1 was fairly entitled to the nomt
nation in view of the action of the
party four years ago when I was denied
a second term. If there are any rail-
road or corporate influences clamortng
for my nomination now, it is unknown
to me and will be the first time in my
political history that I have had such
support If 1 have it now. In my race
for the congressional nomination in the
First district 1t is we'll known that rail-
road influences brought about my de-
feat. In my preliminary canvass for
the nomination for governor previous
to the Wichita convention I was Op-
posed by the railroad influences of the
state and it is fact well known by all
familiar with the situation that the
Boss Buster movement of 1904 was
financed by the railroads and that a
large sum of this money was sent into
Reno and other counties to bring about
the success of this movement that was
started by men who pose as purists,
who declared publicly that donations to
political campaigns by corporations
was wrong and that all donations for
campaign purposes should be publish
ed and a public accounting made of all
such expenditures. Yet these things
leading Boss Busters did accept and
receipted for money donated by the
railroads and used the money, presum
| ".
never made public accounting of the
same.
"I believe in progress, political COM
mercia1 and in all ways. 1 believe what
Kansas needs now to supplement her
splendid prosperity is more and better
railroad service. We have in the ma
ton the interstate commerce commits
sion and in our state the board of rail-
road commissioners, who have full
power to adjust fares and equitable
freight rates. We now have 2 cent
passenger rate and a stringent anti
pass law, which meets my approval
and 1 believe it does the approval of the
great majority of our people Upon
the great national questions. Kansas
and Kansas Republicans are in accord
with the policies of President Roosevelt
and will send q united delegation to
| Chicago to nominate Secretary Taft for
| the purpose of carrying forward these
| policies.
| sumption for any man or set of men
| to claim monopoly upon the advocat-
| ing of these policies in Kansas. Two
wears ago when the ticket in Kansas
was in danger, I gave two months of
my time to advocate the principles of
| Republicanism as set forth by Presi-
| dent Roosevelt. On every stump 1 de-
income tax, so drawn as to meet con-
! stitutional requirements and the gov
| ernment control of all service cor
! norations while Stubbs was too busy
| during that campaign 20 raise his
| hand or his voice for the success of
victory. BY their fruits ye shall
know them If I am elected COVER
nor. it will be by no ante-election
nIegde to any man or set of men
other than 1 will try to administer the
duties of governor in way to
H. IS