The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-09-03
POLITICAL GOSSIP
w. G. BisseIl of Phillips County
Is Pessimistic.
Says Things Look Bad for Re-
pubIicans at His Home.
FIRST CONTEST FILED.
Samuel Griffin of Barber Wants
Legislative Nomination.
Republican Executive Commit
tee to Meet Monday.

w. G. Bissell, former Republican
county attorney of Phillips county, was
in Topeka today for few hours on le-
gal business and took the opportunity
to relieve himself on the political stu
alton in his home county IF the po-
litical situation over the state is any
thing like it is in Phillips county, Bryan
and the entire Democratic ticket will
be elected in November" said Mr. Bis
sell.
Phillips county is normally Repub-
lican by good safe majority but this
year Mr.. Taft will do we'll if he car
ries it at all The old time Republi-
cans of the state who upheld Republi-
canism during the stormy days of Pop
ulism have been crowded to the rear
and the renegades who helped roll up
the Populist majorities are in the sad
die.
Hundreds of Republican voters in
Phillips county will stay away from
the polls on election day or vote the
straight Democratic ticket from top to
bottom if they do vote Phillpsburg is
a division point for the Rock Island
railroad and a number of railroad men
live there and 1 doubt if Mr.. Taft will
get single vote from their number.
The Gompers letter has done the work
ana Iney KNOW Oh the dIlSIlPl W4AAOiA
was made to get an Injunction plank
in the Republican platform and the
reason that it failed.
''There is colony of German
voters in Phillips county and the mem
bers in the past have voted the Re
publican ticket almost to a man, but
this year they will stay away from the
polls and many of those who do go
will vote the Democratic ticket. Phil
lips county usually gives the head of
the Republican ticket from six to seven
hundred majority but this year Mr.:
Taft may consider himself fortunate if
he carries the county
Samuel Griffin. of Barber county.
commenced mandamus proceedings
compel the contest board of Barber
county to hear his contest against
William Gesner fopN the Republican
nomination for representative in the
Seventy eighth district. composed OF
Barber county. Gesner was given a
certificate of election, on the face of
the returns, by a majority of two
votes.
The contest board is composed of S.
w. Ireland, county clerk; w. H Cloud,
county attorney; Q. ID. Rackley, clerk
of the court.
Justice Burch fixed the return day
for the writ as September 20, and it is
likely that the case will be argued be-
fore the court early in October, so that
a decision may be reached before the
time for printing the ballots for the
election.
Mr.. Griffin was in Topeka for several
days early in the month trying to find
the proper way to start contest un-
der the primary law. He finally Went
back to Barber county and on August
IL filed notice of contest with the coun-
ty clerk. ]. N. Tincher. attorney for
Gesner, filed a motion to dismiss, and
the contest board after hearing argu-
ments. held that the contest should not
have been filed until after the state
canvassing board had issued its GER
tificate to Mr.. Gesner. and that having
filed the petition prematureIy, 1t was
invalid. The board therefore dismiss
ed the case. Now Mr.. Griffin wants the
supreme court to compel the contest
board to hear the case. The conten-
ton of Mr. Griffin is that many ballots
voted for him were cast out and not
counted.
S. 1. Field are attorneys for Griffin.
J. D. Botkin, Democratic candidate
for governor, was in Topeka yester-
day on his way to Enterprise, where
he speaks today Mr.. Botkin thinks
that there is another uprising at
hand Just like the one when the Pop
ulist party came into power. He said:
Il have spoken in all the congress
sional districts but one. and have
made eleven speeches since August Is.
have travelled 2,100 miles. and ex-
pect to be on the road constantly be-
tween now and election time
81 never saw the audiences so en-
+hl1siastfc. A mention of Bryan's name
sets them to cheering. They are keyed
I'M to the place where they will do
some right voting in November.
am having big audiences wherever
speak. and everyone tells me that con-
ditions were never so favorable Tor
Democratic victory.
Tom J. Botkin, assistant secretary
of state has a lot of affection for his
brother J. D. Botkin, the Democratic
nominee for governor In spite OF the
fact that the two differ in politics.
Jerry was always great man to
fight the saloons" said Tom Botkin
YESTERDAY. "It didn't make any differ
ence what town he was in, whether
it was a prohibition town or saloon
town, he was always looking for
chance to make the saloon men ooey
the law. Many years ago he was
preaching in southern Kansas town
before the prohibitory law was en-
acted. He had been making trouble
for the saloons, and some of the
toughs threatened to lick him. Jerry
was a small man, and weighed only
about 130 pounds. But he wasn't
afraid of anything. 1 went down town
one evening, and saw big crowd in
the middle of the main street. I push
ed my way in, and there was Jerry,
having a heated argument with a big
husky saloon bum They were hav-
ing it hot and heavy. 1 saw that
Jerry was in a fair way to get badly
beaten up. 1 stepped through the
crowd. and tapped Jerry on the
shoulder. You better get out of here
I said Then 1 turned to the saloon
man and told him to go ahead
ct am a bad man. he said, Il
weigh $50 pounds and I've got more
fight packed into that 1S0 pounds than
any other man in the state All