The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-08-18
REEDER is HERE.
Sixth District Congressman
Talks Cheerfully of Defeat.
Doubts Whether He Could Have
Been Elected.
LII SAVED HIM $4,000.
Says That Is What Campaign
Would Have Cost.
Says Young Men Should BE
Elected to Congress.

congressman w. A Reeder of the
Sixth district is in Topeka today for
the first time since the primary cleo
tlon- The congressman does not appear
TO be cast down over his defeat for re-
nomination. but on the contrary, talks
cheerfully about the matter He frank
ly admitted that even had he been
nominated he would have had a harder
nght still at the polls in November
1t was probably the best thing for
me after all,' he said. Had 1 been
nominated 1 would have had to make a
hard and expensive campaign for cleo
ton with the chances against me. My
defeat this month probably saved me a
couple of thousand dollars and a de-
feat in the end. You know live in a
Pop district, and the upheaval, long
threatened has arrived"
Asked about the insurgent movement
and its present proportions, Mr.. Reed
er said: 1T will die down in the course
OF time That 1T should come during q
time of prosperity is strange, but 1t is
an evolution that was due at about
this period. 1t will be a long time be-
fore Kansas will regain her present
place of prestige at Washington. The
loss of Congressman Scott and Calder
head cannot be replaced for many
years by any one. These two men,
equipped in the beginning with natural
talents developed by education and
training, ndQ served long enough TO
reach high place in their party coun-
ellis and were of inestimable value TO
their state 1 regret their defeat more
than / do my own. Take the case of
Scott in particular. He was young
man when first elected to congress, and
at the time of his defeat he had a great
career opening ahead of him. The peo
pie ought to elect young men to con-
gress, not over 40 years of age at the
| outside. I was too old when 1 first
went to Washington The young man
in congress will grow during every year
of his service there and if he stays long
enough will in the end be of great ser
vice to his state. I once heard Champ
Clark, the Democratic leader, say, in
speaking of the distinguished services
of DeArmond. member from Clark'S
own state of Missouri that DeArmond
had stayed in congress unnoticed long
er than most members stay there at
all.
IT do not know what particular line
of work shall devote my attention to
In the future but do know that am
resting now and will rest for the bal
ance of the summer. / made hard
campaign following a long and ardu-
Gus session of congress and was pretty
we'll tagged out.
sI honestly thought that would win
the nomination and I put up as good
fight as I knew how. I toured my dis
trict in an auto and spoke in every
county,"
The congressman appeared to be re-
signed over his defeat, If not actually
| cheerful, and he showed no sore spots
| He was of the opinion that Senator
Young would have a hard fight at the
polls, but expected him to win.
Came to Kansas "BrolSe."
Congressman Reeder is an old time
Kansan, coming to this state over
| thirty years ago. He is man of good
! business Judgment and has amassed
considerable property and his bank
holdings nay him we'll. 1t may not
| be generally known. but the congress
man came to Kansas without dollar.
''I walked from Solomon to Beloit,'' he
said. "I walked because did not
have the 65 cents necessary to pay car
! fare"
! He secured a place as teacher in the
public schools upon his arrival at Be
lott. From then on his success in
amassing store of this worlds goods
was steady If not rapid. Speaking of
his success, Mr.. Reeder said: "It is
| easy to accumulate money. No trick
at all to get rich. Just save nickel
| out of every quarter you make and
you are son the road. Any man can
make a quarter, but so few save the
nickel
| Reeder's entrance into politics was
an accident. He had never had an
ambition to enter the game and never
attended the conventions in his county
or district Twelve years ago there
was hot fight in the Sixth for con-
| gressional honors and a neighbor of
| Reeder's persuaded him to get into
the game. He reluctantly consented
and his nomination that year was one
/ of the accidents of the game when the
| dark horse wins the race. Since then,
| at every biennial period, Reeder'S enc
mics have gone after his scalp, but
| they could never quite get their hands
on the trophy. Year after year he
| plodded on in his own way and accord
| ing to his own ideas and his congress
sional machine withstood the assaults
| of the dissatisfied ones. 1t was con-
fidently believed two years ago tha:
Representative Ham of Rocks county
| would win in the first primary that
was held in the state, but Reeder
| nosed out by a small majority and then
won again in November.
| This year, with two insurgent can
| didates against him, it was believed on
every hand that Reeder would win the
nomination again, and people talked
| of his luck. But the spirit of insur-
rection in the Sixth district had not
been properly gagged by the wise ones
| Both Young and White secured a
/ larger vote than Reeder.
| There is a heavy Democratic vote
| in the Sixth district and Frank Rookie
feller will give Young a race next fall.
Mr.. Reeder's s.Luck-
| The passing of Reeder from the
public life of the state illustrates one
| fact that can not be denied and is al
ways worthy of note. This man walk
ed into the state without dollar He
| possessed no brilliant faculties of
mind or talents with which to win his
| way in public life. He did not even
have ambition for fame. He is COM
monplace man, type of the average
| Kansas farmer or country merchant.
But he won a place in the history of
his state. He was elected to congress
| and held his place there for twelve
wears in the face of the greatest efforts
i - tnln L.