The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-05-25
POLITICAL GOSSIP
Three Justices File Their Nom
mating Petitions.
Judge Mason Asks Nomination
on the Open Plan.
LELAND AND RECORD
Reads Mr.. Stubs Vote in the
Legislature.
Charges He Was Opposed to
LELAND AND RECORD
Charges He Was Opposed to
Anti-Pass Law.

Justices of the Supreme Court Henry
F. Mason. Clark A. Smith and A. w.
Benson. all of whom are candidates for
reelection this fall, filed their nomina-
ton papers with the secretary of state
this morning.
Justice Mason, whose home is in Fin
ney county, was elected in 1908 to sue
coed Chief Justice Frank Doster This
will be his second term and he asks
the nomination on the open plan" He
mas over 5000 names on his petition,
733 of them from the county of Shaw
nee alone, the total including more
than l per cent of the Republican vote
in each of the los counties of the state.
Justice Smith is an old settler in
mitchell county. still lives there when
at home, came on the supreme bench
December l, 1904 by election to succeed
Judge Pollock who was appointed to
the United States district judgeship.
This is Justice Smiths second election,
though he will have served only four
years with the expiration of 1908. He
decided to ask for the nomination this
time on the 20 county plan though he
has hundreds and hundreds more
names on his petition than the law re-
quires.
Justice Benson. who has lived in
Franklin county ever since right after
the war, was appointed a justice of the
nor Hoch to succeed Justice Greene,
deceased. This will be his first nomi-
nation and election by the people. He,
too, chose the 20 county plan though
he has a great many more names on
his petitions than is required by law.
Justices Smith and Benson have each
served long terms as judges of the dis
trict court in their respective districts.
Harrison NayIor,s one Of the old set
tiers Of Russell county, whose home Is
Lucas, was in Topeka Sunday on his
way home from the Grand Army en-
campment at Kansas City.
I'VE are going to elect r. T. Fowler,
of Lucas. state senator from our dis
trict this fall. said Mr.. Naylor. He
will beat Mcfarland for the nominal
ton, and be elected to succeed D. b.
Harrison of Osborne"
E. A. Mcfarland is the only candi-
date against Fowler thus far. McFar-
land is a Bristowy man. Concerning Mr.
Fowler's attitude, Mr.. Naylor said:
"Mr. Fowler will keep entirely out
of the senatorial and gubernatorial
fights. He. viii assist neither man in
either fight Personally. I think that
Leland will carry Russell county at the
strength constantly in the Sixth dis
trict. don't know how 1t will be about
Long and Bristow' So -
Mr.. F'owler's petitions for the sena-
torial race have been filed. He Is a
cattleman, farmer and banker, and has
lived in Russell county since 1870. Mr..
Naylor circulated the petitions for
Fowler, and is his campaign manager.
Mr.. Naylor says that Russell county
will send a Republican representative
At the last session. the county was
represented by Frank Rockefeller.
Democrat. zsn -
John Dawson, assistant attorney
general, returned, Saturday from a trip
to his home in Hill City, and to other
points in the Sixth district where he
went on business for the attorney gen.
eraPs office. Speaking of political con-
ditions, Mr.. Dawson said that he found
the sentiment strong for Stubs for
governor in most of the places that he
visited.
The Arkansas City Traveller. in
speaking OF the speeches made there
by Cyrus Leland and w. j. Bailey.
gives the information that Mr.. Leland
has been at work digging UP Stubs
record" and claims that it proves
that Mr.. Stubs was not attending to
business during the legislative ses-
sions. The Traveller says:
AT the opera house Mr.. Leland
made the opening speech. He spoke
about twenty minutes, discussing the
recent charges which Mr.. Stubs has
up the record of Mr.. Stubs. In do
ing this he quoted largely from the
Journals of the legislature. He showed
that Mr.. Stubs was opposed to the
anti-pass law in the legislature Of
1905 and caused the bill prohibiting
passes to be pigeonholed at that ses-
sion. I'D hls
HE also claimed that the state
printer bill, for which Mr.. Stubs
claims so much credit, was in reality
-
1905 adopting and submitting to the
people for their vote constitutional
amendment making the office Of state
printer an elective office and giving
the legislature power to fix the salary,
thus cutting off the. graft of the office.
HE also showed from the house
journals that in 1907 Mr.. Stubs voted
for 1873 bills in the house and was alb
sent and not voting on 354. In 1905
he voted for 100 bills and was absent
and not voting on 493 bills. and in
1903 he voted for 80 bills and was alb
sent and not voting on SAB bills.
HE showed from the legislative
Journals that the resolution limiting
the number Of employees in the legisla-
ture OF 1905 was introduced by w. Y.
Morgan a Reno county. and that Mr..
Stubs secretly opposed this resolution
In the Republican caucus.
HE also showed from the legisla-
tive Journals that of the fifteen bills
favored by the union labor organiza-
lions of the state, Mr.. Stubs was alb
sent and not voting when twelve of
them were up for consideration and
voted against the rest. Mr.. Leland
makes a very strong case against Mr.
Stubs and freely invites the public
to examine the records to see whether
his charges are true or not.
HE made no statement which he
did not fail to cite the record to sup
port the charge He freely invited the
public to inspect his own record and
said that he proposed to make his race
for nomination on his record as pub
lie official and as a business man.
las a speaker Mr.. Leland Is not a
great orator. but impresses his audi