The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-07-27

large majority. -
And so it goes. There is lots of
"cross firing" in the present campaign.
There was a belief at the outset that
Stubs and Bristow would be closely
allied, and that Long and Leland
would work together.
Stubs has shown a disposition to
pull away from Bristow, while the Le-
land forces are said to be somewhat
piqued at the Indifference of the
friends of Long. The active sup
porters of Long are keeping out of the
governor fight. They intimate that
neither one of the governor candidates
are entirely satisfactory to the people
of the state.
Farmer" Smith, whose more real
name is A. w. Smith of MCPHERSON
has gone to visit the Soldiers home at
Leavenworth, and the object of his
visit is said to be to spike" Leland's
gun with the old soldiers.
Smith is very hostile to Leland, be-
cause Leland refused to support him
when he was running for governor on
the Republican ticket.
ct only know of only four old SOL
diers in the Mcpherson G. A. r. post
who will vote for Leland said he.
'"The same condition is true in a num-
Der of posts know Of"
Ever since his defeat in '92 for
governor, Farmer" Smith has ac-
cused Cyrus Leland of party treachery.
I'm that campaign Leland told me
that the men who nominated me
would have to elect me-" said Smith
today. "Now all have got to say is
fight will have to nominate him."
Farmer" Smith dwelt at great
length on things he said Leland had
done to Dick Blue, Major Morrill,.
Captain John seaton, Judge Case
Sam Peters, John p. st. John. Cover
nor George T. Anthony, Governor d.
W. Finney, Major J. K. Hudson, Cap
tain P. H. Coney and other old SOL
diers.
In this months American Magazine
CONGRESSMAN Victor Murdoch of the
Eighth district "opens up his prom
Used literary campaign against the
Cannon organization of the house.
Mr.. Murdock's piece is entitled "a
Congressman First Speech" 1t is
prefaced with a few Introductory re-
marks by William Allen White. Mr..
Murdoch does not abuse anybody. but
he tells how completely the business
of the house is dominated by the
Organization" and how useless 1t Is for
a member to try. to exercise his
individuality.
The article is illustrated with
number of cartoons by McCutcheon.
Mr.. Murdoch says in part:
Il knew a congressman amounted TO
nothing in Washington in comparison
with the figure given him at home by
admiring partisans. All congressman
know that But no congressman
knows, 1 did not know, I could not
know that I was to become speedily
less than the humblest of my constitu-
ents. For there was no man in my
district whom did not wish to know
and to win to my following. The
third day 1 spent in the house, Mr..
Cannon, the speaker. did not return
my morning salutation. I argued that
he was in a brown study over some
thing and did not see me. But men
are not blind in brown studies, except
to those who are negligible. And the
realization that was negligible was a
terrorizing thing which awoke me in
the dead of night and would not let
me sleep.
There was no balm for the wound.
for each day tore open the sore anew.
1t Is common to all members of con-
gress. though few confess it, to
identify certain CALLING customs in
house by instinct long before actual
experience has revealed them. Pos
sibly the instinct is first quickened
through a realization of the mean
ing of fragmentary opinions heard in
the cloakrooms. When new con-
gresham is told with some asperity
that the United States is a Republic
impeachment of the principle of ma
jority rule that sounds, at the mo-
ment, like treason. And he cannot
square 1t. try as he will, with Mr.. Dali
zell's explanation on the floor of the
house, made annually in defense of
the drastic and un-American rules that
a majority can change them at will.
The majority is under control. And
perhaps a little later the new con-
gresham will be told, in kindly way.
1t t.
whom he is to obey and whom he
can make obey him, meaning that he
is to obey the coterie which is in
control of the house, and that he is
to make his constituency obey him.
And he begins to understand that
house, the speaker, Sherman of New
York, Dalzell Of Pennsylvania, and
the chairman of his own committee
among them, will lead to comfort He
will learn in time that tractability
does not lead to preferment, for he
will see the speaker put personal
friend at the head of an important
committee at the beginning of the
friends second term, while scores of
men OF longer service wait in patience
at the bottom of unimportant COM
mittees. TractabiIity leads to comfort
of having 1t said at home that our
congressman is next to the speaker
Cyrus Leland is sending out this
week another batch of 10000 letters to
the Republican voters of Kansas. These
letters are sent to selected lists of
names sent in by Leland's friends. The
letter Is as follows:
THE contest for the Republican nom-
ination for governor at the opening pri-
mary to be held August 4, 1908, Is be-
tween Mr.. Stubs and me. and 1, of
course. very much desire to enlist the
support of influential Republicans
throughout the state, and would like
the assurance of your help. 1t will be
greatly appreciated. I assure you.
Having lived in Kansas fifty years,
and taken a deep interest in public
affairs during the greater part of that
time I feel that I know somethiug of