The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-12-29
Old Story of COburn Entering
the Cabinet Revived.
Senator Curtis Will Boom Him
for Agricultural Portfolio.
HE HAS A RECORD.
Recognized Everywhere as Au-
thOrity on Farming.
Friends Here Think He Would
Not Accept Position.

Just at the time when the farmers
of Kansas are waking up to the shabby
way they have treated the best friend
they ever had and the biggest man in
the state, they may lose him. Senator
charles Curtis of Topeka backed by
the united strength of the Kansas dele
gatlon IN Washington, is going to pro-
pose the name of F. D. Coburn for the
place of secretary of agriculture in
traits cabinet next summer with a
/ flne chance of success, as it is likely
/ that Mr.. Wilson, the present secretary
at that time.
Mr.. Coburn, in his capa city as secre-
| tary of the Kansas board of agricul-
ture, receives salary of $2,500 per
year. This is paltry sum in contrast
with the work Mr.. Coburn has done
| and is yet doing for Kansas Now the
FARMERS have started a movement to
double his salary. Every person in
Secretary Coburn or who knows any-
thing at all about his work will favor
the plan. And the legislature will not
| refuse the demand of the state for this
recognition of her most valuable
citizen.
Statesmen can be replaced, as fast
as they drop out of office, for the woods
are full of orators and politicians and
ONCE seekers. A score of men can be
found in Kansas who can fill the gov
I'ernor's chair with as much ability and
honor as any one who ever occupied
the place, but is there a man in Kan
sas who can take Coburn's. place? Is
there such man in the west?
Coburn's Reports Authoritative.
CobCrn's crop reports are accepted
like the gospels by the big milling con-
Germs of Topeka, Wichita and Coffey-
Vile and they are given precedence
over the government reports in the
commission offices of Toledo, Ohio
The dust never gathers on any volume
/ OF statistics or tables issued by Coburn.
for he has frightened every chapter
with the touch of his painstaking
genius. His stories of wheat and corn
and cattle and chickens and the Kan
Sas prafries are as fascinating as the
Arabian Nights tales and as full of
great achievements as the epic of King
Arthur's knights of the Round Table
And what is more Coburn's stories are
as true as sunshine and running water
I The greatest short stories in the
English language, according to the
Kansas idea, are contained in the CO.
burn cards and little circulars and
pamphlets sent out all through the
year. They are designed and illus
trated like a Christmas Offering of
Whitcomb Riley by Gibson or Chris
ty. Like Sambkin Ayleward's arrow,
they always reach the mark. Kansas
is proud of Coburn and there is not an
agricultural state in the Union that
does not envy her possession of this
great advertising genius.
For many years Coburn has served
kansas, devoting his talent and energy
to the duties of an humble office until
he has raised that office to the most
talked of in the state. He has re-
fused $1,000 jobs with newspapers and
advertising concerns, turned deaf ear
to the offers of other states and de-
clined place in the United States SEN
ate when 1T was offered on silver
platter. Coburn loves his work and
his pride in his state will only die with
him.
Some Explanations Needed.
If the next legislture does not double
Coburn's salary there will have to be
some tall explanations follow the
roll call on that proposition and the
clerks of the 1911 session will recite
with the poet: Gone, are the old
No one who knows Coburn believes |
that he would give up his place as sec
retary to the farms of Kansas, raise f!
or no raise in salary, offer or no offer
of another place, whether by corpora
tion, state or nation, for he has re- |
fused them all in the past, and asks !
for nothing so far as anyone knows, /
but if Kansas has any decent sense OF i
gratitude for work done, wonders ac-
compliShed and benefits accrued she
viii cheerfully take advantage of the !
opportunity to pay Coburn something
nearer his real worth to the state
AS regards the chances for a place |
for Coburn in Taft's cabinet, Senator !
Curtis in an interview discusses the
matter as follows:
kansas will get no cabinet position
at the beginning of the Taft admins
tration, unless possibly Senator Long
consents to accept a place if it is ten
dered him. Later on the state stands /
a show. In my judgment it will be F. |
D. Coburn for secretary of agriculture. |
1 shall present his name at the proper |
time.
No Kansan Yet on List.
Taft has selected all of his cabinet J
with but one exception said the SEN .
ator, ''but he will not announce their
names for some time. No Kansan is
yet on the list. Long may get the po-
sition of secretary of commerce and
la Dor if he indicates that he will take +
it. But he has made no such indica- /
tion far. ON the contrary, he says |
he doesn't want a cabinet place. or
any other official position. He wants |
to practice law and make some money. /
Secretary Wilson will be reap |
pointed at the head of the agricultur- /
al department for two reasons: First, |
because z%Ie is an able secretary; sec |
ond, because he wants to break all ,
records in the length of Service of a. !
cabinet member. If he quits on
March 4 when Taft goes in, he will |
have served the same length of time !
as some other fellow way back in the |
early days
Wilson thought he already had !
broken the record, but recently dis |
covered that some other statesman of !
the past would tie him if he quit |
March A.. He explained the situation |
longer than anybody else. So Taft |
will reappoint him. He will likely re- !
sign some time next summer, and then |
/ propose to present Secretary Co |
burns name for the place.
''The Kansas delegation is work.
to- Ia tors CIV II holt