The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-04-25


for organization and wonderful ability
to size up men and size them up right
that gives him the ability to handle SO
many widely diversified interests. and
at the same time be one of the most
active political characters in the state
and hold down a good fat receiver
ship most of the time. 1t is said that
when Mr.. Leland goes up to Troy, ne
notifies everybody whom he wants TO
see of his visit. and when he sits down
at his desk. these persons begin to ME
past. First there is the man who runs
his store. and then the man who runs
his butcher shop, and the man VINO
runs his opera house, and the man VINO
runs his horse ranch. and the man
who runs his dairy, and tenant after
tenant of the various Leland farms.
Leland has a few words with each one
about the way things are going; ne
gets to the bottom of the situation
briefly and thoroughly. When 1t is
over he knows exactly how things
stand.
Everybody up in Doniphan county
who has been there long enough to
get a standing with Leland can call
on him for a favor with assurance
that the request will be fairly con-
farmer hurts one Of his horses so
that 1t is unable to work for some
time, Leland says, go into my pas
ture and pick out horse to use till
yours is we'll" Or he may tell some
neighbor who needs it, IT have nice
can take her home and milk her if
you have any use for the milk"
A tenant on one of his farms had
been working honestly and steadily
for a number of years and Leland,
who happened to be calling at the
farm said to him:
"Jim. why don't you buy this farm
Of me?"
ct couldn't buy anything" replied
the tenant.
Eyes you could, If you wanted to.
I've been watching your work. You
are a good farmer, and can make it
pay. Do you want to own this
farm?"
"Sure I do" said the tenant.
Come in to my office tomorrow,
and will have the papers fixed up
so you can take possession Of the
farm and begin paying for 1t" That
was number of years ago, and the
tenant is now owner of the farm.
Leland's family relations will not
that those who know the inner life
of the Leland family declare that
Cyrus Leland is a most kind, loyal
and generous parent.
The greatest crime which has ever
been charged against Leland. even in
goes after. He is quiet, logged
fighter, and if a man gets in his way
in the political game, Leland quietly
gets himself in position and bumps
the obstruction off the track. Lee
land plays the political game accord
ing to the rules of the old school,
He isn't "reformer" but he is a
politician. Leland was one of the
first men in Kansas to denounce dis
honest public officials, and he did 1t
without "pollyfoxing or monkey
Leland has stood for
others. But he usually had a good
reason for his position. He has won
many great political battles. He
nominated Morrill,. He nominated
Bailey. He put John c. Pollock on
the federal bench. Each political vic
Leland's line of march has been
marked by bloody heads and lac
Grated feelings. 1t has been said of
Jim Lane that no man was so loved
by his friends or so hated by his enc
mics. The same thing might be said
of Leland. In the legislature, if Le-
land makes a promise he will stick
to it. He doesn't have to be watched.
Just give him time and he will deliver
the goods, in his own way, and ac-
cording to his own best judgment. Lee
lands promises are real promises.
Once Cy Leland was boss of Kan
sas politics. Everybody admitted 1t.
Then some of the men whom Leland
had helped make turned against him
or possibly it was merely a case
where political paths divided. 1t was
declared that Leland was dethroned.
Leland's job as national committee
man went to Dave Mulvane. Leland,
they said, was down and out, a politi
cal derelict, whose decks would never
again be manned with fighting men,
whose last shot had been fired. 1t
came to pass, nevertheless, that the
"derelict" seemed to get everything it
wanted at Washington; it landed the
best receiverships which there were
to be had, and the people of the state
gradually discovered that Leland, de-
throned. was about as potent as those
who held the visible scepter.
When Leland became a candidate
for governor many people considered
it political joke. The peculiar run
of the cards brought him at last to
the top of the heap. He was the only
visible recipient for all the "anti-
Stubbs' sentiment in the state. It
may make him again the recognized
leader of the Republican party of
Kansas.