The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-03-15
POLITICAL GOSSIP.
Tom Wagstaff Latest Offering
on StubbS Altar.
Montgomery County Man May
Run for Governor.
REPLY TO M'NEAL.
Biddle Den les Anthony COnnec
tiOn With Convict Labor.
Speaking of BiddIe, Will Stubbs
ReappOint Him9
REPLY TO M'NEAL.


Wagstaf of Montgomery county as a
candidate for governor against w. r.
Stubbs Wagstaff is the newly elected
president of the Kansas Day club and
at the last meeting of the club arouse 4
good deal of enthusiasm by referring
to himsel. as an "old-fashioned plug
Republican" liver since the meeting
of the club Wagstaff has been receiv-
ing letters from machine Republicans
urging him to make the race against
Stubbs. He has not yet made up his
mind to undertake That colossal task
Wagstaff belongs to the younger set
OF Republicans. He served one term as
county attorney of Montgomery county
and was a pioneer in the recent cru
sade against the joints of southeast
Kansas. For the first time in the his
tory of his county he closed the 75 or
SO saloons running wide open down
there at that time He put score OF
prominent jointistS in jail and put
crimp in the business in that section
flonI which it reVer recovered The JOB
cost Wasstaff his job for the whisky
element. aided by the w. c. I. U.'
which organization did not like Toms
methods, beat him at the next election
Since that time Wagstam has been prac-
ticing law in Independence. He was a
speaker az the Kansas Day banquet
some four years ago. He has kept pref
ty well ouc of politics until his appear
ance her Kansas Day with an over
Whelming majority for his election to
the presidency of the club. He is an
energetic young fellow, a good mixer
and has q wise head on his shoulders
But nothing short of revolution or an
earthquake could return him WInner
against Governor Stubbs
State Auditor Nation. Judge Lobdell
Ewing Herbert and others have been
mentioned as possible candidates
i7sd fa1-r
but the machine fellows did not seem
to get up much enthusiasm over the
announcements. 1t remains to be seen
how this 'feeier' thrown out in regard
to the Wagstaf candidacy will be re-
ceived by the regulars.
Judge 1obdell of Larned, who has
been urged to make the race against
Stubbs, prefers to wait two years and
take his chances against j. n. Dolley
for the nomination. He thinks that
"Dr James OF Cherokee is sacrifice
enough"
Speaking of the worthy doctor it
might be well to mention here the six
planks of his gubernatorial platform as
follows:
Enforcement of the laws.
''An amended tax law.
Public &c Dnomy.
more clemency to railroad corpora
tions.
"Publicatlon of school text books by
the stat
'sThe exclusion of the socalled re-
formers from the party"
Tom McNeal insurgent candidate
for congress n this. the First district,
has retaliated against the Anthony
charges of last week that he was not in
the race to stay. by announcement of
the fact that Anthony was vice preSi-
dent of a manufacturing association
that employed convict labor. This was
enough to set every union working man
in the district wild against the tall
congressman from Leavenworth. w. l.
Biddle, who is Anthcny's campaign
manager, makes reply to the convict
labor story as follows:
Eight years ago a movement was
started in LeaVenwOrtf. to eSta bliSh an
overall factory, a new enterprise, and
Mr.. Anthony subscribed 5000 in stock
and was one of the officers to form the
company known as the Union Overall
company. Within a year Mr.. Anthony
and all the other loca, stockholders
sold their stock to Mr.. Richard
Syringe, who has beer. sole owner of
years ago, a yeGer after Mr. Anthony
sold his stock, Mr.. Syringe entered
into a contract for convict labor, fol-
lowing the shoe company throwing up
its contract, and has been operating
at the peniteEtiary since. Mr.. Syringe
now has fourteen convicts employed
on his contract. which expires May 1,
about six weeks hence.
1.-THE facts are that Mr.. Anthony. as
shown by his record, is against en-
ploying convicts in manufacturing
goods or by contract in any manner
whatever in competition with free la
Dor. He Is pushing a bill in congress
to employ the 5000 convicts in the
United States civil ano military peni-
tentiaries here at road making instead
of working them in manufacturing
Industries The two penitentiaries un-
der construction here will be completed
in about two years more, and unless
these convictS are worked on making
roads, the government will have to
build factories and employ their labor
in making goods in direct competition
with the product of free labor Mr.
Anthony's attitude against employing
convictS in competition with free labor
is fully and clearly set forth in the de-
bate on the proposed military road be-
tween Fort Riley and Fort Ieaven-
ed in the Congressional Record of last
Wednesday, March 81
Speaking of Biddle, he is one of the
nenbe of the board of directors of
Lansing prison appoint I'd by Governor
Hoch, AMI his term vii. expire next
month. Will he be reappointed to the
place by Governor Stubbs? Well. there
is a chance that he may miss out on
keeping his place. McNcsI and Jack
son and ]. n. Dollev, all close frien Is
os Mr.. Biddle. and also close friends to
the governor. are doing all thay can to
keep him on the board. The governor
himself favors Biddle to an extent that
might be called partiality or discriIni-
nation or rebating. but there are An
thony and Curtis who want To take
Mr.. Biddle out of politics entire!v ana
place him at the head of foreiFn
mission movement being inaugurated