The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-11-14
POLITICAL GOSSIP.
Next House Likely Be Kilkenny
Cat Affair.
Fight for Speaker Warming Up
Early.
TOSS UP A COIN.
That Is Best Way to Pick Speak
er at This Time.
Insurgents and Regulars Will
Have to Get Together.

Insurgent candidates for speaker
next Kansas house: Robert Stone OF
Shawnee, G. H. Buckman of Cowley'
Cliff Matson of Sedgwick.
Democratic candidates: Jim Orr of
Atchison, w. L. Brown of Kingman'
W. P. FEEDER OF Barton.
Regular candidates: -.
Yet the regular Republican members
will hold the balance of power in the
next house between the Republicans
and Democrats. There VIII be ABOUT
seventy-three Republicans and fifty
two Democrats in the house. OF the
seventy, at least a dozen and prop
ably twenty will be regulars of pro-
nounced anti-administration senu-
rnentS. Then there will be about ten
members with regular leanings. Not
over fifty members will be dyed in the
wool insurgent. 1t will take siXty-three
votes to elect a speaker.
1t looks from this distance as
though some compromise or agree
ment will have to be made in the Sc
lection of a candidate to oppose the
Democratic choice. A strong insurgent
or regular can not hope to win. The
candidate must be broad enough to
command the support and confidence
of both factions.
The regulars will probably unite on
J. W. Davis of Kiowa for speaker. He
was one of the able and aggressive
leaders of the last house.
If the insurgents divide on their
three candidates, Davis will likely re-
ceive as many votes in party caucus as
any one.
promises to be the warmest since the
Pop days Here is the way Charlie
Sessions, the veteran Kansas newspa-
per man. sizes it up in the Kansas
City Journal:
what of the legislature? That is a
question now under discussion in po-
litical circles. Returns so far show
that the Republicans will have at least
70 members of the house or seven more
than a majority. This number may ne
slightly increased. but there are 80
many varieties of Republicans in that
majority that it will be hard for them
to pull together.
THAT the Insurgents have more
members than regulars is certain.
but they haven't enough to control.
Under the circumstances good politics
would indicate a conciliatory course.
But the fnsurgent leaders don't show
any signs of adopting such course.
They are keeping up their fight on the
regulars just they did before the
election and insisting that no one but
a progressive be chosen speaker. So
far no regular has even been men
toned for that place. There was i
disposition among the regulars to ac-
cept some fair-minded progressive as
speaker and try to harmonic the
party, but if the 'progressives' don't
want harmony. then the regulars
may change their program. They are
in position to raise some cain them
selves if they want to. It will take
some mighty adroit work to bring the
two factions together if the 'insurgent
leaders keep up their abusive talk
much longer.
Hodges to Be Leader.
1.-THE Democrats will have around so
members of the house. Two years ago
a small number of Democratic mem
bers worked with the administration
But tn Democrats are chesty this
time. They believe they scent victory
in the air two years hence and tn ~
will make all the political medicine
thew can for themselves in the coming
legislative session.
Senator Hodges. who lined up with
the administration at the last session
on several important measures. likely
Will change his tactics this time In
his recent race for governor he got no
credit whatever for the stand he took
at the last session. He will no doubt
be the Democratic leader of the leg
isature this winter. In fact the Dem
ocrats will shape up their program
so as to make Hodges the logical
Democrat to run for governor again
two years from now. Hodges and his
Democratic forces will no doubt try to
put the Hodges stamp on every piece
of good legislation enacted. And if
the insurgents keep up their war
fare the regular Republicans NAV
not object seriously to the Hodges Dro-
gram. This is an additional reason
why the insurgents should now use
salve instead of salt.
Temperance People Awake.
The senate was not particularly
fond of the administration the last
time. The same senate will be here
this time. and it hasn't shown any
signs of change. The Democratic
end of it. as stated above likely will
be against the administration this
time instead of for it as it was before
Both political platforms contained a
lot of things in common and perhaps
many of them will be adopted into
law. but the big fight will come on
what form they will assume.
THE temperance people already are
organizing against the initiative and
referendum. The threat of the brew
ers to make wet fight in Kansas two
years hence has caused temperance
people to sit up and take notice They
don't feel like yielding a single point
in favor of the brewers and they real
ize that the initiative and referendum
will be a big card for the brewers be-
cause it will enable them to get a vote
on resubmission.
Winfield, Kan. Nov. 14.-Judge
George H. Buckman, representative
elect from the Winfield district. who
since the defeat of J. n. Dolley has
been brought forward as a candidate
for speaker of the Kansas house OF
representatives. declines to state
whether or not he will make a tight
for the position. His Winfield and
Arkansas City friends declare positive.
ly that he will be in the race
The number of communications thai
have gone out from here and Arkansa.
City since the election indicate that thf
speARership fight already is on and
that other aspirants for the honor vii
hare to reckon with Judge Buckman