The Topeka state journal., 1908-05-14
NOT FOR HODGES.
johnson County Senator Will
Not Enter Race for Governor.
Has Been Looked Upon as q
Democratic Candidate.
HE WRITES A LETTER.
Says He Will Ask to Be Re-
turned to Senate.
Will Leave Three Democrats
in GubernatOrial Contest.

in Gubernat0rial Contest.
George H. Hodges, state senator
from johnson county, who has been
strongly urged to become a candidate
for the Democratic nomination for gov
ernor, today announced that he would
positively decline that honor. In a.
letter to the State journal, he says:
II am receiving scores of letters
from all over the state urging that
be candidate for governor. You are
authorized, if you choose, to state
through the columns of your paper
ernorship, but that 1 shall be can
didate for reelection to the staLe SEN
ate. 1 make this statement in justice
to the Democratic aspirants for guber-
material nomination, as 1 have re-
ceived letters from numerous sources
saying that they would not sign the
petition for the gubernatorial nomi-
nation until they heard whether I was
a candidate or not. With kindest re-
CARDS. am yours truly,
GEORGE H. HODGES"
George H. Hodges was one of the
most able and conscientious members
| of the last state senate. Hodges voted
| with the square deal Republican
crowd.
| Private business interests of great
AA1APOA loACC die odAQ W De Responsible
for Senator Hodges refusal to become
| a candidate for governor. He is head
Of the firm of Hodges Brothers, lum-
bermen, and owns string of ten
lumber yards in eastern Kansas.
Hodges withdrawal makes it seem
| more probable that the Democratic
| nomination will be fought out between
Botkin, Ryan and Harrison. Some of
| the Democrats are making strenuous
efforts to get another candidate in the
| field. Breidenthal is now the man
most talked of, but it is said by
F. Breidenthal's friends that he will not
be a candidate.
:. Senator Fred Dumont Smith, who
wants to be returned to his old place
| from the big 3Sth district, seems to
have determined to spend money free
ly on his fight. He is printing in all
| the newspapers in his district
| serial story of his record in the
state senate. Each week he tells
| about some of his good deeds and
great achievements for the people,
| while serving as senator. And the
supposition is that it all goes in on
| the per line basis, which is perfectly
| lovely for the country weeklies.
1t looked for a time as though the
people of the district had determined
to turn Smith down His own county
| refused to endorse him. But Smith
may be able to convince a majority of
the people of his district. by August
4, that he is all right, after all. His
| plan of getting out candidates in sew
| eral counties of the district he hopes
will weaken the opposition so that he
can win despite the feeling against
] him. But it is doubtful if even that
and his generous advertising will save
him.
Naughty item from the Parsons
Sun: with Long and Bristow run
ming for United States senator there
ought not to be any shortage in the
ice crop this year, even if the output
Is not as large as usual"
Hamilton county is in the Seventh
district, which is supposed to be the
enemy's country, so far as Stubbs is
concerned. But the Syracuse Journal
1lton county, comments as follows on
the speech which Stubbs made there
a few days ago:
"Mr. Stubbs impresses one as being
honest and sincere in hic efforts to
bring about reforms in Kansas state
affairs. He may not win the office
of governor, but he will set thousands
of Republicans to thinking and wher
a Republican gets to doing his owr
thinking he ceases to be a blind sup.
porter of the vicious machine methods
which have for SO many years domi.
mated Kansas politically The new
primary law gives such voters a great
opportunity for party housekeeping
and if Mr.. Stubbs continues to deliver
that speech until the fourth of Angus
it will be remarkable If his ideas dc
not win by substantial majority"
w. P. Hackney has started his cam.
paign for state senator from Cowley
county and the Winfield Tribune com
ments as follows on his first meeting
''W. P. Hackney spoke to a larg.
crowd in the sch ool house at Cam
bridge on Saturday evening on tn,
his respects to the gam which permits
, ury, and especially criticised the ex
cessive appropriation made for tn,
state university at Lawrence.
HE denounced the new tax law ant
condemned the primary election law
He made a characteristic Hackne,
speech and was warmly received b,
. the people of Cambridge"
| The Wichita Eagle thinks that Sedg
, wick county Democrats are welded t,
T. J. Botkin's candidacy for governor
It says:
: "W. H. Ryan. Democratic candi
date for the nomination for governor
was in the citv yesterday from Girard
. Mr. Ryan was calling on a number O
+ the local Democrats, and testing tn
) sentiment of his candidacy in thi
county Sedgwick county Democrat
, were early lined up for jerry Botkin
and 1t does not appear that Mr.. Ryal
will have much OF chance to secur
: Sedgwick county"