The Topeka state journal., 1911-09-11
MIR. BILLIARD FOR GOVERNOR.

Mayor Billiard of this city has finally
and formally uncovered his candidacy
for the next Democratic gubernatorial
nomination in Kansas. The chief
plank in his platform will urge a re-
submission to the voters of the pro-
hibitory question. And while you new
er can tell what jury of twelve men,
| or a majority of all the people of a
commonwealth, or a majority of the
voters of a party will do, 1t does not
appear that Mr.. Billiard will get very
far towards a realization of his latest
| political aspirations.
That Mr.. Billiard will wage a vigor-
Gus campaign and one that will be
surprising in it's success even to the best
informed of his political opponents is
almost a certainty. He is courageous
and honest, and vote getter of un-
usual proclivities as his two campaigns
for the Topeka mayoralty testify. He
has discharged his duties in the
mayors chair in a most satisfactory
manner Even though he is and al
ways has been opposed to the princi-
pies Of prohibition, he has been man
enough to enforce the prohibitory law
in Topeka to the best of his ability,
and that has been with as much sue
cess as any of the local administrations
has achieved during the past few
years, or ever since Topeka went dry
for keeps a little over five years ago.
This respect for the prohibitory law
that Mayor Billiard has shown, not
withstanding the fact that he is per-
sonally and vigorously opposed to the
law, stamps him as an unusual man.
and is certain to give strength to his
candidacy for the governorship.
But Mr.. Billiard is striving for the
nomination from the hands of a party
that dropped its allegiance to the re-
submission cause some time ago. 1t is
the well founded belief of many that
the late Senator w. A. Harris sacri-
feed an election to the governorship
of Kansas, when he ran for that Office
a few years ago. because he refused to
compromise on the prohibitory ques-
ton. During his campaign he came
out just as strongly for the enforce
ment of the prohibitory law as any
other law. He was told towards the
close of the campaign that if he would
let up on this kind of talk in certain
counties in the state that were then
admitted to be sswet" his success at the
polls was assured. But he went right
into these counties a few days before
election and made even stronger
speeches in them in favor of the en-
forcement of the prohibitory law than
he had made in other parts of the
state. These counties rolled up the
largest pluralities of any in the state
against Mr.. Harris, and sufficiently
large ones to defeat him by a small
majority on the aggregate vote of the
state. Since that campaign which Mr..
Harris made. the Democratic party in
Kansas has seemed to be irrevoca bly,
in favor Of the prohibitory law and its
enforcement. Senator Hodges of
Olathe, who was the Dem ocratic can
didate for governor at the last cleo
ton and who is to be a candidate for
the same gubernatorial nomination
that Mr.. Billiard is after, is an avowed
champion of prohibition Mr.. Hodges
is particularly strong with the Demo-
Gratis. of Kansas. If Mr.. Billiard de-
feats him for the Democratic nomina-
ton for governor on a resubmission
platform, a political miracle viii have
been worked out