The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-02-26
POLITICAL GOSSIP.
Smith Center Postmaster Fight
: Is a Hummer.
Dan Dyer Supported by Reeder
and Opposed by Brist0w.
HENRY ALIENS O. *.
Has Been Placed on Stubs Ap.
p0intment Idea.
State Gets Better Men by Ap.
pOintment Than Election.

A story come out of the Sixth district
of a fight for the Smith Center postof-
fee that is just as exciting and bitter
as the Bone-Huggins fight for the dis
trict attorney job, even If it is on a
smaller scale. Bristow Is in this fight,
too but he is opposed by Congressman
Reeder instead of Senator Curtis That
old time patriot, Dan Dyer. none other,
is the person about whom this storm
centers.
w. II. Nelson is the postmaster at
Smith Center and he likes the job so
well that he wants it again. So he got
a petition signed by most of the patrons
of the office and sent it to his friend
Bristow at Washington. Dan Dyer
cast his eye on the postoffice, too, aud
thinking of his own record Of many
long years service in conventions he
slipped out and got all the members of
the county committee of Smith county
to sign his petition. He sent this little
old petition in to Congressman Reeder.
Dan was as wise as a serpent in his Sc
lection of signers and his choice of a
person with whom to trust his petition.
Congressman Reeder endorsed Dan for
the place and it looked like it was all
over but the formality of taking charge
the Nelson side of the story and got the
appointment held up until he could
produce further testimony.
Bristow argued that as the admins
here to the rule not to allow politics to
interfere with good service on job,
that Nelson was getting the worst of it
in this matter. The long, lank senator
said things to Postmaster General
Hitchcock and the latter paused for a
mr. ont R1If Randar q cf9
patter, and SO is Dan, and it looks bad
for Nelson.
The Holton Recorder calmly hands
out the following roast for the press
bureau for the stand-pat Kansas con-
gresham located in Washington:
Speaking of punk editors If there
! is an editor in the state who can not
write better stuff for newspaper in
| a more interesting style than that sent
out from Washington by the stand
| pat interests to Kansas editors, we
would like sample of his writing to
| file away in the archives as relic of
| the degenerating influence Of reac-
| tionary politics.
| When the insurgent candidates for
| congress open their campaign press bu-
reau they will engage home talent and
thus avoid the slurs like the above from
| Kansas newspapers. This little mat
| ter of eastern talent for Kansas con-
gressmen only bears out the charge of
the insurgents that the old time Re
publicans are too partial to men and
things that come out of the east.
| Henry Allen, in his Wichita Beacon
| endorses the tardy stand taken by Gov
ernor Stubs to fill important state Of
| fees by appointments rather than by
direct vote of the people. The Beacon
| says:
| According to newspaper dispatches
| Governor Stubs is now declaring that
the people elect too many state officers
and that his office has been deprived OF
| power to regulate certain branches OF
| state government by reason of the di-
rect election of the heads of so many
| departments by the people.
CRITICISM of this situation does moi
| come very well from Governor Stubs
No other public man has attempted tt
carry the policy Of electing subordinate
| state officials by direct vote as far d:
has Mr.. Stubs. He even attempted a
the last legislature to have the state
tax commissioners and all tax deputies
| made elective.
"As a matter of fact the governors
office at Topeka is suffering from too
many legislative reforms. The railroad