The Topeka state journal., 1908-09-26
POLITICAL GOSSIP
Congressman Anthony Writes
to G. A. Stephens.
Refuses to Say Whether or Not
He'll Vote for Cannon.
TAFT AT GARDEN CITY
Will Make Speech There in Ear
ly Morning.
TAFT AT GARDEN CITY
Rest of Schedule Will Remain
as Arranged.

Ii. A. stephens, the Topeka man
who wrote to Congressman Dan
Anthony of Leavenworth asking him
to oppose the reelection of Joseph G.
Cannon as speaker Of the house, has
received a reply to his letter, and
sends it to the State Journal Part
of Mr.. Stephens letter to Congress
man Anthony was printed Friday.
The reply is as follows:
''This will acknowledge the receipt
of your letter Of the 18th instant ask
ing me whether or not I will agree to
oppose the election of one man as
speaker of the house of representa-
tives.
I'm reply to your letter will state
that will not make any promise to
support any one man or not support
him. If elected to congress I intend
to participate in the Republican
caucus and to vote for the nominee
of that caucus for speaker of the
house. I repose entire confidence in
the wisdom of majority of the Re-
publican representatives elected, in
that regard.
"In reference to the rules of the
house of representatives. I have taken
clear and positive position in favor
of reforming some of them, especially
for change in procedure which will
permit some sort of a vote in the
house at least once during a session on
matter of general legislation.
Please remember, however, that there
were $4,000 bills introduced last ses-
sion. 1t takes As minutes for a roll
call and without rigid rules the entire
time of the house could be wasted
in voting on bills in which very few
would be interested.
During the last session I was one
of the seventeen members of the
house to sign call for a caucus for
the purpose of revising the rules of
the house, and was one of two mem
bers of the Kansas delegation that
signed the call.
ct am afraid, however, that much
of the present agitation against exist,
ing rules of the house comes from
Democrats and others who desire to
embarrass Republican candidates for
congress, and the hyprocisy of Mr..
Bryan and other Democratic leaders
upon this question of house rules is
most apparent when you reflect that
in the Fifty-second congress of which
Mr.. Bryan was a member he voted for
the adoption of the very same rules
which now govern the business of the
house of representative and to which
he pretends he is so strongly opposed
at this time. Very truly yours,
I'd. r. ANTHONY"
In reply to Mr.. Anthony's letter,
Mr.. Stephens makes the following
comments:
Inc stand TAKEN Dy Mr. Anthony
for change in the house rules is
highly commendatory. though he is
probably mistaken when he assumes
that the demand for such a change is
wholly partisan.
But as to the caucus. however,
necessary it is to party unity, a
genuine representative of the people
will not allow himself to be thus tied
up to vote in the open as the
majority voted in secret, when a prin-
ciple is at stake in the defect of a
man whom the people oppose and
whom President Roosevelt has thus
characterized:
1--WE cannot escape from the fact
that it was no credit to the Re-
publican party of the house that Mr.
Cannon should be one of its leaders,
"It is to be noted also that Mr.
Anthony does not state how he will
vote in this secret caucus with
reference to Speaker Canonn. Will he
represent his constituents there ?
Silence is ominous"
Chairman J. N. Dolley received word
last night from national Headquarters
that the Taft special train will be stop-
ped at Garden City at about o'clock
on the morning of October 3, to enable
Taft to make a short speech to the
Garden City people.
This will be the first stop of the Taft
train in Kansas. The second stop will
be Dodge city.
Vice President Sherman will follow
Taft through Kansas about a week la
ter, and Governor Hughes of New York
will come across the state from the
east about October 8, making ten
speeches between Kansas City and
Wichita. His big meeting will be Wich-
ita at night. During the rest Of Octo-
Der Senator Beveridge, Cummins of
Iowa, Dolliver of Iowa and other big
Republican speakers will make Kan
sas.
1t is said that the Democrats are
planning to work the same scheme on
Charles A. Case, the Republican nomi-
nee for the legislature in Dickinson
county that they have worked on Her
man Avery, the Republican nominee
for the senate in the Clay-Dickinson
district. In the fight on Avery, the
Democratic nominee withdrew, and
another much stronger candidate was
substituted by the Democratic commit
tee. 1t is said that E. z. Butcher. the
Democratic nominee against Case, will
be pulled off, and some prominent and
popular Democrat upon whom the op-
position to Case can center, will be
substituted.
In the case of Avery, the Democrats
hope to get the votes Of a lot of ina
chine" Republicans who were sore at
Avery'S nomination. In the fight on
Case, the Democrats want to persuade
the square dear Republicans to bolt
the ticket and vote for the Democrat
Thus the foxy Democrats are working
both ends of the Republican factioual
fight against the middle.
Charles A. Case was nominated for
representative by 1921 votes to 704 for
Childs, his opponent.
Dan B. Dyer. former sergeant-at-