The Topeka state journal., 1908-08-25
.MARTINOF MARION
He Will Direct Fortunes of
Kansas Democrats.
Agreed Upon for Chairman of
State Committee.
BOTKIN is HAPPY.
Says Prospects for Democratic
Success Are Bright.
John H. Atwood Optimistic
About the Campaign.

the outcome or the polltlcal struggle
in November met in its first party
council under the new primary law on
the roof garden of the National hotel,
The announcement of the place of
meeting was greeted with cheers. I'VE
are getting nearer Heaven all the time"
yelled one Democrat and the shout was
taken up with laughter and whirled
along.
At 1915 ]. T. Botkin, assistant secre-
tary of state. raped for order and the
200 Democrats who compose the party
council got together. The roll of the
nominees of the party, who are MEM
| bers of the party council under the
law were called and temporary officers
selected. resulting in the election of
Tom Morgan of Franklin county as
temporary chairman and w. H L.
Pepperell, as secretary.
'On every hand there are unmistak-
able signs that a great majority are a.
last aroused to a comprehension of the
justice of the principles for which we
| on the political horizon, that the hour
of triumph is at hand said Mr.. Nor
gan in his speech of acceptance
Demand for Atwood.
A call for John Atwood then started
in the crowd and would not be downed
until the national committeeman who
is in charge of the speakers bureau of
the party at Chicago appeared
Atwood Immediately launched out on
a speech of enthusiasm and bolstered
up the spirits of those who We're f1uhi
Gus of the results of the presidential
campaign.
with few exceptions the press ia
| under the dominance of the Republi-
| can party and what you see in the
newspap pers is no indication of what 10
really going to happen" said he. at
| came down here to tell you of how
| things look to us at Chicago the focus
of all that is happening.
If L should tell you one-half of the
| truth you would say that 1 am an aw-
| full liar. When 1 tell you that New
| York, Illinois. Indiana and Ohio. as
well as Kansas are going Democratic.
| it's the truth. You can't grasp the
in the drift of public opinion Conten-
ton and strife have dropped entirely
| out of sight. We have got to carry
New York and We are going to carry
it,. said Charles F. Murphy. And
say to you that New York is as safe
as is Texas. Nebraska is going for
Bryan by not less than 10000.
There are 327 speakers on my list
ana only seven have asked for pay be-
yond their expenses. 1t illustrates the
| earnestness of the movement
Officers Selected.
Henderson Martin of Marion,
chairman.
w. II. L. Pepperill of Concordia,
secretary.
+. 5. Thomas, treasurer
This is the way the new Democratic
! state central committee is headed. AZ
ter carefully examining the state pri-
mary law the party leaders decided
that to hold the meeting of the state
central committee before IL o'clock
would be unwise, that it should be
sidetracked until after the party coun-
ell had been assembled and disposed
of its business Like the Republicans
the Democrats had first arranged for
the meeting of the committee at 10
O'Clock in the morning at the Throop
hotel, but other counsel intervened
and won the day.
THE faction that likes to make
| trouble might have kick coming and
make things hard to handle il we had
the meeting in the morning and rath-
er than to give any chance of any
question arising as to the legality Of
the meeting we decided to wait until
after the party council said one
prominent Democrat.
a fight of considerable dimensions
was started against Pepperill for sec
retary and in favor of Grant Harring-
ton early in the morning. The cry was
started that Pepperill has had the
office too long and that change should
be made, passing the honor. To this
the friends of Pepperi1l interposed the
swap horses in midstream with the
election imminent. Said one prominent
Democratic leader: "Pepperill has got
this business at his finger tips. 1t
would take another man six months
at least to become thoroughly ac-
quainted with conditions and the hum
dred and one things that come up. By
that time the election would be over.
It's poor time to make change
right at the eve of an election. Most
of us realized it even in the face of
the plea that Pepperil1 had been in
the office too long. Harrington him.
self realizes it,
The fight of supporters of Harrington
at about the time that the party coun-
Gil was called seemed to lose out
through the announcement that Har-
rington had refused to permit his name
to be used any longer in connection
with the place.
IF he would only come out he could
have the place. but he won't fight for
it, said a friend.
The whole morning was spent in
milling around in the corridors of the
Throop hotel, though a small confer
ence was INDUCED in by a number of
the prominent candidates for Office at
which time a discussion of the plat
form and the question of officers for
the state central committee was taken
up and considered.
After thrashing about for several
hours the conference broke up, calling
for request upon tne state central
committee to select Henderson Mar
tin as chairman and leaving the Sc
lection of secretary open.
Pepperill was later elected secretary
by the committee.
Democracy Assured and Confident.
mot since 1896 have the prospects
| looked so bright for Democratic VIC
| tory" said Judge Jerry Botkin, the
party candidate for governor today
| Hearty. robust. with the color of