The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-08-17
Governor Discusses Effect of
New Primary Law.
Every Man May Take His Ambi.
lions Before Public.
LELAND ALSO TALKS
alOats Over the Defeat OF Sen.
atOr Long.
New Workers Secured a Ton of
Information.

The special committee of the New
York legislature appointed to investi-
gate the workings of the primary laws
in operation in western states. con-
cluded its work here last night and
left for Des Moines. Iowa. The fea-
4ure of the AFTERNOON session of the
committee was the testimony given by
Governor w. r. Stubs and Cyrus Lee
land in favor of the primary law. Sec
rotary of State Denton. ]. r. Mulvane
and Bank Commissioner J. N. Dolley
were among the other witnesses before
the committee.
Governor Stubs never appeared to
better advantage than when he teStihed
before the committee from the Empire
state in defense of the law he had
helped to place on the statute books
o. Kansas. The committee was try
ing to show up the weak points in
the lay and develop its bad effects
through practice The governor answer
&c every question with a thorough I'M
derstanding of the subject and went at
length into every phase of the law He
made the strongest argument ever ad-
vanced in favor of the law when he
answered a. question as follows:
II believe that the greatest benefit
conferred upon state by the primary
law is the chance it gives every young
man and every old man to be heard
when he has a meritorious idea or re-
form or issue to advance. He may
not gain the goal OF his ambition, but
he IS given the opportunity to go be-
fore the public. The voters of his
state have passed judgment on his plan
or his personality or his ability. He
was not suppressed beforehand by
few men-a coterie of manipulatOrs.
The man who carried off conven-
ton prize had to stand right with
certain few. The man who wins in a
Urinary has to stand right with ma
jority of the voters in shis party. II
there aI=. bosses under both systems
Tie people choose their own BOSS I'M
der the primar- plan"
Cyrus Leland, in answer to the COM
mittee's questions declared that the
primary had defeated Senator Long
and that single performance had done
other bad points of the system could
weigh against. Mr.. Leland spoke |
quickly and straight to the point as is
his custom. He had been defeated for |
state primary, but still thought the
primary law the best thing that had |
ever happened to the state.s When asked |
why he voted for the primary while in |
the state legislature he replied:
Because 1 thought it was good
thing and it seemed that 1.-The people |
wanted it. Then the Republican or |
ganization in this state was getting
pretty rotten"
The committee from York state got a
ton Of information about the primary |
law while in Topeka and out of the |
mass of testimony taken down by the |
stenographer most of it was in favor
of the law.
The semiannuaI distribution of the
interest on the permanent school fund
has Just been made by the state super
intendent. The total sum of the Inter
est was $24s,s35 and this was dis
tributed among the 507S school chill
dren of the state on the basis of As
cents for each child. Wyandotte coun-
ty leads with 27,S65 school children;
Shawnee is next with 1915; Sedgwick,
1906; Crawford, 1875 Montgomery,
13, $685. Cherokee, 12,506; Leavenworth,
70 06S. Reno 10177, Ns@e