The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-08-07
POLITICAL GOSSIP.
Second District Meeting to Be
Held Tonight.
Committee Will Determine
Method of Nomination.
ADVANTAGE TO SCOTT.
Admitted He Would Have Best
Chance in Primary.
All Other Candidates Are SO
Called PrOgressives.

The Second district congressional
committee will meet in Kansas CITY
Kan. tonight to decide upon the meth -
cd of nominating a Republican canal
=. date for COZ gross for the Mitchell seat
1t is confidently expected that the COM
mlttee will favor a primary electlon
and will at the meeting, select a GATE
for the primary late in August or curly
in September. The committee IS pro-
gressive in politics, and its decision 70
call d primary may give the seat 70
Charles +. Scott, a regular out the
principles of the progresSlNeS caI TOT
a primary. To be consistent they VIII
have to stand by their own keystone
principle.
When Senator Curtis was elected to
the senate his seat from the First dis
trict was contested ~ state senator
Hayden anG D. r. Anthony rms was
before the primary law hao passe
Arthur Car per, Ow a candidate FOR
governor. was Chairman OF TIC con-
eressiJnal committee. The committee
called a primary election in spite of the
opposition of the Hayden supporters
HAYDEN Withdrew and Anthony was
nominated without opposition.
If the First district congressional
committee established precedent 1or
a primary before the primary law was
PASSED the Second district committee
will not be likely to adopt any otner
plan.
The chairman of the E 'urbon county
committee is also member OF lne
congressional committee for the second
district He is a progressive Dur ne
favors a primary plan of nomination
de is quoted in the Fort Scott Monitor
as f, llows IN the congressional situa-
ton.
Up. G.. Hesser, chairman of the county
central committee and as such. mem
, her, Of the congressional committee,
y will leave Monday afternoon Tor Kan
sas City where during the evening ne
will attend tire meeting of the con
sressional committee, called for the
purpose of deciding on some met 9oo
of selecting a candidate for the once
of congressman, made vacant by the
death of A. c. Mitchell.
MI Hesser stated this morning t2at
re will favor a primary election lot
the selection of a candidate as py
that method the voice Of the people OF
the district can be best expressed Two
methods are open TO the committee LOT
1he selection of Il candidate, one by
the primary PLAN which has been gen
orally adopted in Kansas for the Sc
lection Of all candidates, the other py
the old convention plan, to which much
objection might be raised on the
Grounds that it is but a relic of the
political barbarism of past days In Kan
sas.
'Nr. Hesser this morning stated that
he faNors a progressive candidate IN the
f+~--~F0
gresham Chas. F. Scott of lola shoult-
be a candidate at this time MT scout
made fair fight year ago on ms
record and on a standpat platform ana
-, 8 honestly defeated by the late MI
= Mitchell on a progressive platform. the
! people of the Second district Voiclne
their sentiment decidedly in favor OF
progressive ideas. They have as yel
had no occasion for returning to the
support Of a standpat candidate and
will favor the progressive candidate
whoever may be named. Mr. Hesser
stated that in q general campaign, with
the Office TO be filled in the regular
manner il would he only Fair that MI.
scott nI=nt become a candidate and
take his chances with the others. but
to do 50 at this time would be to be-
little himself in the eyes OF his FORMER
Should Mr.. scott decide 70 enter
the race he would have a decided ad-
vantage over the remainder Of the
candidates. as he would be alone IN
the standpat field, while the progress
i've voters, would be divided among
the several candidates. The machlne
which was builded up by Mr. Scott
during his years in Office over the Sec
ond district. is still intact and would
prove invaluable to him IN ano-.'cl
campaign. lie also has probably Z
wider acquaintance over the dis rlc
thsn any of the candidates having
campaigned on many occasions.
Sim Bramiette. the well known labor
organizer favors Keene of Fort Scott
for the Republican nomination from
the Second congressional district In
an Interview given to the Independence
Reporter, Branllette says;
"They are all fine fellowship me- n
who have been mentioned for the Re
publican nomination" says Mr.. Bran
lette. but l believe Keene of Fort
Scot is the ablest man of the bunch.
He is d progressive, a deep thinker.
fine talker and excellent campaigner.
Don Carlos of Lawrence is another
good one Brady is q nice man. and
Scott of course. is a skilled campaign
er. but Keene looks like the fastest OF
them all.
The chances are. however, that if
the nominations leftto a primary cleo
ton Scott will cop it. The reason for
this is that the men he named are in
charge of the postoffices, and his ma
chine is practically as good as new.
The postmasters cut a big figure ir
handling congressional politics. And
the nomination can hardly be made by
committee because that wouldn't look