The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-18
AT The CAPITAL.
RumOr That Mr.. BriStOW Has
His Eye ON Place.
This Is i'm Connection With Taft
Administration.
WHAT GUESSES ARE.
Would Like to Be Interstate
Commerce Commissioner.
Senator Longs Fish Culture Bill
Passes Senate.
WHAT GUESSES ARE.

9, washington, Jan. 1S.-Whlle Joseph
L. Bristow. the Salina editor, and for
mer terror to wrongdoers in the pos
tai service, has been in Washington
Tor the past two weeks, comforting
with Secretary Taft on his Panama
report, and incidentally discussing
presidential politics, there has come
about the belief that he is playing for
prominent position in the Taft adj
ministration.
OF all the political positions under
state or national administrations
there is probably none that would ap-
peal to Mr.. Bristow more than that
of interstate commerce commissioner.
1t is believed that he hopes he may
some day realize such an important
position
Friends of the late fourth assistant
postmaster-ge personal and poll
teal, are aware that neither the posi-
ton of governor nor representative in
congress would tempt him. He has
always wanted to be United States
senator, had one chance at it two
years ago, and may take another in
the future. But governor and repre-
sentative do not appeal to him.
Owing TO the fact that, strong La
Toilette man as he is, and close friend
to the Wisconsin radloz- and agitating
statesman, Bristow early took ground
In favor of the nomination of William
mitted himself to Taft interviews with
great regularity since coming to
Washington, there has naturally been
the query, does Bristow want any
thing at the hands of the Taft admin
istration?
Probably Bristow has no thought
of any cabinet position, and probably.
too, he still has visions of the United
States senatorship; but the position
of Interstate Commerce commission
is in line with the work Bristow has
been doing since he left the postoffice
department and returned to Kansas
and his newspaper, with lecturing and
speaking as a side line, devoting all
such engagements to transportation
propositions. Bristow is considerably
of an expert on these matters and
though extremely radical. has been
looked upon by certain class as an
authority on the question. He be-
lieves it to be the greatest issue in the
country today, and so declares him
self on every occasion. The position
of interstate commerce commissioner
is highly executive; Is dignified; is
useful along the line of real honest
effort to relieve conditions under the
Hepburn act and other pieces of
legislation touching interstate COM
merce; pays well; and in the opinion
of many equals a, cabinet portfolio.
Bristow believes it is superior to
such.
For the second time. Senator Long
has passed through the senate and
checked up to the house of repre-
sentatives his bill to appropriate $25,-
600 to establish fish cultural station
in the state of Kansas, the site to be
determined upon investigation by the
bureau of fish and fisheries. Butler
county and Kingman county particu-
larly desire this location, but first the
bill must be passed through the house
Mr.. Murdoch has bill fixing the sta
ton in Butler county; but this is
contrary to all precedent in legisla-
ton, the act always permitting the
bureau Of fish and fisheries to locate
the site.
Senator Long has been placed on
the committee on privileges and cleo
lions of the senate, making an attrac-
tive and useful addition to his list of
committee assignments. This is the
committee that handled the Smoot
case in the last congress.
The Kansas senator's are endeavoring
at the department of Justice to secure
an increased allowance for the salary
of the assistant United States district
attorney for Kansas, Judge ]. s. West
The argument is used that the district
of Kansas is one of the busiest in the
country; that it has two Indian reser-
vations bringing a vast amount of fed
eral business into court; that it has
the United States penitentiary at Fort
Leavenworth with numerous habeas
corpus proceedings; that Mr. Bone is
absent in connection with special as
signments made by the department.
such as his land fraud cases which he
won in Denver last year; and that
Judge West is highly equipped and I'M
usually competent assistant The place
now pays $1,000 per annum and the
effort viii be made to secure an al
lowance of 81 500
Senator Curtis and Representative
Anthony have introduced bills for
pensioning survivors of the Price raid.
and as a result the mail of Kansas
members is burdened with large num-
bers of letters asking cooperation of
the delegation in securing the passage
of the bills. The Price rail men We're
Kansas militiamen who repealed the in
vasion of General Sterling Price in
1864.
1t is thought that probably a con-
sular or diplomatic position may be
found in Europe to which William
Heimke, the Leavenworth attache of
the department of state may be assign
ed. Secretary Root has promised Sen
ators Long and Curtis and Representa-
tive Anthony to do the best he can
on the application of Heimke for trans
fer. Heimke has been in the service II
years and speaks five languages.
David D. Leahy. for years secretary
to Victor Murdoch, has left for kan
sas to become managing editor of the
Wichita Eagle. The opinion of the Kan
sas colony is that the Eagle will he
better, but that the Eighth Kansas dis
trict member will be helpless for some
time.
The seed distribution is about on
While nearly all Kansas members. par
ticularly Chairman Charles F. Scott of
the house committee on agriculture.
and Senator Long, who is a member of
the senate committee, deplore the an
nual seed business, yet as long as it
lasts they get in on it. Mr.. Scott viii
flood the Second district with lot