The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-03-11
If Reeder Withdraws Will Be
Four New Candidates.
SMITH COUNTY'S SONS.
Two of Them May Go After the
Political Prize.
A Character Story About "Mr.
Stubs of Kansas"

lame reads like bulletin from the seat
of war. The fight for the congressional
nomination is the talk of the district
and the interest never flags. The latest
is persistent rumor that Congressman
Reeder will not make the race for
nomination. His friends deny the al
legation but the report will not down.
If Reeder drops out of it, then the
number of candidates for the place will
be quadrupled. 1t looks from here like
every other able bodied citizen of the
district has congressional aspirations.
In the race against Reeder at this
time are, /. d. Young of Mitchell coun-
ty Hays White of Jewell and w. b.
Ham Of Rocks. If Reeder retires to
private life then the following additions
to the free for all will be made: w. H.
Nelson, postmaster at Smith Center:
DR.. John B. Dykes of the same county,
(this fellow Dykes is a comer); Rev.sJ.
T. Stevens of Sherman county; Otis l.
Benton of Decatur county. and Chas.
w. Lands OF Osborne county. One
would, have to toss up a coin to pick 4
winner out of this likely collection OF
material out of which statesmen are
made.
With Reeder in or out of the race,
the Sixth district congressional fight
this year is going to be the hardest
fought on record. Reports that Reeder
The wise politicians in this section of
the state bclieve that either Reeder or
some, Democrat will l. represent the
Sixth in the next congress. 1t is an
even bet which it will be.
A Sixth district man, speaking today
OF the personnel of some of the candi-
dates, said: =
''W. H. Nelson of Smith Center, who
the present postmaster of Smith Cen
ter. He is now serving his third term.
There are rumors that his successor
will be appointed most any time, his
term of office expiring in June, next.
A petition numerously signed by the
patrons of the Office. said to contain
about 1.O00 names of Republicans.
Democrats. Populists and women, has
been sent to the postmaster general
protesting against any change in the
Smith Center postoffice.
"Dr. John b. Dykes of Lebanon was
elected vice president of the Sixth dis
trict Republican club at the Kansas
Day banquet and having made gall
liant fight for congress on the Populist
and defeated in three cornered fight.
he made great acquaintance through
out the district.
"Rev. ]. Ed Stevens of Sherman
the district. He is also one of the
ablest speakers from a religious as we'll
as political standpoint. His wife is
postmistress of the Goodland office.
painstaking official.
"The most certain one of winning
the congressional fight, whether Reeder
stays in the race or not, is Hays 3.
White. So far he is making a most
active campaign. One of his main
supporters has truthfully said: Our
When he represented the Jewell
Mitchell district in the state senate he
was found standing up for the people,
and the Sixth being an agricultural
"a .If = I'LL
the farmers and stock raisers will
stand by him.
'Ex-State Senator 1. D. Young is
also an active candidate. He is ac-
quainted throughout the district, and
he has hosts of strong followers who
will do all in their power to honorably
nominate him. He made a splendid
record in the state senate, and his con-
wins the old Sixth district will have a
representative who will work for their
interests"
Jay House Of Topeka has an ably writ
ten article in the last issue of the
Human Life Magazine about 'sMr.
Stubbs Of Kansas" A faithful pen pic
ture OF the governors start in politics
is given and his method and character
istics are set forth in strong fashion.
Speaking of the governors first fight
in the legislature Mr.. House says in his
article:
And so SLuDpS arose In protest. All
that afternoon a tall. broad-shouldered,
but slouchinR and Ioose-jointed figure
of man. whose orifiamme was a shock
of reddish hair. hung like gadhy on
the flank of the machine. From his seat
in the rear of the hall he punctured ev-
ery motion with embarrassing questions
and halted every roll call for investi-
cation. Nobody paid the slightest at
tention to him. They ignored his ques-
tions and at every Interrogation mark
put him under the wheels. In putting
through the afternoons business the
machine kept such perfect time that
music might have been written to It.
But Stubbs was on his feet protesting
when the session adjourned for the day.
Toward the close he resembled nothing
so much as a mad bull facing an i'm
in his throat had half choked his ut
terance. Hallway down the after
loon's proceedings the continuous
spectacle began to arouse some interest
at the press table. Who is the big
busher with the red hair?' asked Hop
kins of the Herald, falling easily into
the vernacular of the ballfield. That's
Stubbs Of Douglas Vandegrift of the
Star replied. He made million dol
lars in railroad contracts before he
broke into politics. Vandegrift was the
only one Of a dozen political reporters
at the table who knew him."
NJ F. Amrine, who is Governor
Stubbs' assistant executive clerk. also
runs the Council Grove Guard. Mr..
Amrine in the last issue Of the Guard
comments in caustic fashion on the
coming of Congressman McKinlay to
Kansas as follows:
ssThey say McKinlay is coming to
talk straight Republicanism and build