The Topeka state journal., 1909-03-06
DEMOCRATIC LOSS
All But Two Candidates Stricken
From Ticket.
This Decision Made by City
Council Last Night.
WILL BE ENJOINED.
Injunction Papers to BE Served
on City Clerk Burge.
He will Be Restrained From
Printing New Ticket.

Every Democrat, with the excep-
ton of w. F. Logan for mayor, and D.
J. Lannan for councilman, In the CITY
of Topeka who was supposedly nomi-
mated for a city Office in the last prl-
maries the first of the week, is declared
Ineligible by the board of canvassers
selected by the city council last night.
And when the councilmen made their
report to the whole body a fight en-
sued which ended in a final declara-
ton of ."ousting." The reason for TINS
wholesale annihilation of candidates
comes under the new primary laws
passed upon by the state legislature
lust two days before the Topeka cleo
ton. This new law requlred a, a can can
didate to receive per cent OF the vote
cast for attorney general at the pre-
ceding general election last NoVeIllp&eI' pei
The old law simply asked Tor the
highest number of votes.
The CITY council decided last night
that the election should have been
conducted under the new law ana the
canvassing was based on this asser-
ton. There are also a numner ol re- re-
publican candidates affected by the
turn of the worm. S. r. kutz, whose
name was written in for a First Waro
member of the school board, VIII pc
lfcan precinct committeeman with the
execution of o. K. Swayze of the sec
ond precinct of the Fifth ward, will be
barred from d new start.
The above result was OBTAINED dIteI
a very stormy session of the councll
last riight-but this is getting TO pc
an old story. Unless the city couhcli
meets under threatening clouds ana
endures a hurricane of some sort the
aldermen go home with the idea that
thew have not accomplished anything.
The fight started just after the report
from the canvassing board was gwen
~
Van Ness and Councilman Stanley
drew up a majority report-ln other
words a per cent basis under the new
law and prepared it for final passage
on the other hand Counclllnal1 rlIlG1 ,l
CDemocrat) and Councilman Lannan
(Democrat) withdrew from the board
and hastily fixed up a minority report
on the basis of the old law.
When Mayor Green asked for the
grand finale the two forces clashed
and until II o'clock this fight was car
ried on without a dry moment AT
the first vote those who stood up for
the Democratic ticket were Lannan
Dem), Miller (Dem), Fraser (Dem)
and Kutz (Rep). This is the first
time that a party fight has been car
ried on in the council chamber for a
number of years.
A New Democrat.
1t might be mentioned here that
good clear case of flop" was exhibit
ed last night when c. H. Kutz, who
ran for city treasurer on the Republ1-
can ticket and who commanded
large number of the party votes. turn
ed feather and made three long en-
thusiastic speeches for the Democrats
in the council. In his speeches he re-
peatedly stood up for the rights of the
Democrats in their actions and it was
the biggest surprise of the season for
the amazed councilmen.
AS one of the cOun ncilmen said after
the meeting: 'I was more than be-
wildered at the way Mr.. Kutz acted in
this matter. I know that he was
rip roaring Populist at one time and
never dreamed that he would fight
for the Democrats" Mr.. Kutz might
have seen something ahead in his ac-
tion and he might have really thought
that he was in the right regardless of
party lines but he talked more on the
merits of the Democratic party last
night than on the point of the ques-
ton And when the council was
"Iocked" on account of a four to four
vote and Mr.. Miller arose and settled
the matter by changing the vote, Mr..
Kutz still held out and he was the
only alderman to stand out-alone.
If Mr.. Miller had held out together
with his party colleagues last night the
council would have been fighting vet.
But after the amendment to the mo-
ton for an adoption of the majority
and thus had been lost Mr.. Miller
arose and informed the mayor and
council that he would change his vote
rather than allow the matter to get
into such a rut-but. he warned the
city that a lawsuit would take place
if the final action was taken.
AS result of the change the coun-