The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-04-04
Sol Smith of Winfield Aspirant
for Senator.
HIBNER FOR GOVERNOR
New Candidate Halls From Con-
cOrdia.
Incidents OF the State
Convention.

upon by the Socialist state conVen-
ton, and such of the men as 1t is nee
essary to put on the state ticket VIII
he nominated at the primary next
August:
United States senator-sol Smith,
Winfield. ,., CON
cordia. Ar Porter.
Secretary of state-F'rank Curry To-
peka. ,,a, Newton
Attorney GeneraED f. Crossies'
J Clay Center. witch
ita. cr.ce ID.
Brewer Girard. rrod
Superintendent OF Insurance.
Lutzg Fort Scott.
Railroad Commissioners-D. z. MOORE
Dodge City; Moses Whitcomb, 6roh-
son; L. C. Breezy, Colby. AZ.
Justices Supreme Court-W. =. WI
Millen. Usage City; c. r. Mitchell
Garda SPRINGS. Myron Wiltse, Hiawa-
president Electors-A. E. Weich,
Macksville: c. P. Lee, Arkansas City
National Committeemen-A. .. NJ
Allister, Harrington; j. b. "ililts' No-
Delegates to the National Convention
A. S. McAllister, Herington; ben
Wilson, Girard; L. E. Katterfeld; TO
peka; ]. E. Snyder, Girard; Z. II.
Rogers, Hutchinson.
AIternates-T c. Davis. Benedict;
Frank Curry, Topeka; w. P. Herring
ton. Cove; Mrs. L. ]. Tubbs, Girard;
Grace Brewer, Girard.
Socialism is a funny sort of bust
ness. 1t does not fit in with modern
business and political conditions, and
neither does it fit in with the raw,
red selfishness of human beings.
Theoretically every Socialist cares
nothing for money or worldly pront'
yesterday the old original SIN kept
cropping out in unexpected places.
Some Socialists are adherents or
that doctrine because they have
studied deeply into the subject and
believe the foundation stones are SOLID
and that eventually the MARKHAM
theories will prevail. Nearly all
Socialists think they have studied the
subject but as a matter of fact nine
out of ten of them have only
smattering or veneer of patent med1-
cine socialism, the kind of socialism
immediate use. Probably out of the
sixty delegates who attended the
state Socialist convention, ten or
fifteen really understand their creed.
A good many Socialists are simply
discouraged and unsuccessful men
who believe that it would help some
to make the rich people divide up
their ''ill-gotten gains"
When the convention was at work
revising it's constitution, somebody
proposed that the salary of the state
secretary, who is expected to devote
all his time to "organizing' be in
creased from $50 to $50 month. But
the convention wouldn't stand for it.
They said that everybody was making
sacrifices for socialism, and that the
secretary should do his part. All
they proposed to do for the secretary
was to give him enough to keep him
self and family from actual want.
Then Geo. D. Brewer, associate edi-
tor of the Appeal to Reason. who is
also Mason of high rank, and a
suggested that it was not proper to
refer to the secretary's pay as sal
hated capitalism. He moved to
change the word to income.
Then a long-whiskered man moved
that the word wages be used in
stead of salary.
Another delegate in an eloquent
speech declared that neither salary,
income or wages was good socia1istic
language. He wanted the word ere
ward" used.
proposition. Finally 1t became so
palpably funny that even the Social
lists saw the joke in it, and somebody
moved to call the secretary's pay a
"hand out
Ben F.. Wilson. who used to be a
and was one of the keenest, most ag-
gressive men in the convention then
proceeded to give the delegates a
piece of his mind.
Are we children. or are we menu"
he said. Are we to sit here wasting
time when we have work of such vast
Importance to the world to be done?
Can we waste our time juggling with
words, playing with meaningless sem
fences. as children play with toys?
for the secretary? 1 don't care what
you call it. You can't estimate the
value of the secretary's services in
your damned dollars and cents. He is
are many of the rest of us. We don't
expect to get rich at it. Stop Juggling
with words and get down to business"
This speech was received with great
applause. and the convention proceed
ed studiousiy to continue the discus
sion about income Salary" wages
and "hand out"
One Socialist from Wichita in
speech before the convention told
what he would do if he was governor.
IF I was governor of Kansas" he
said, IT would start something right
there at Wichita. There is a man
| there by the name of Cooper, who
| owns forty houses. 1 would take ali
those houses but one away from him.
I would sell those houses to laborinr
| men at the rate of $40 a month and
by that means I would put a million
| dollars in gold in the state treasury
Any governor could do that If he
would
One of the prominent delegates to
the convention, who is a foreigner, and
| is educated in the German school of
socialism. which is the most radical
| school of all said in speaking of the
convention: This isn't a representa-