The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-04-01
POLITICAL GOSSIP
DR.. L. A. Ryder's Address Be.
fore Shawnee Committee.
Chairman Insisted on Fairness
for Minority.
Mr.. ROBERTS HEARD FROM
Says Republicans of Jefferson
Are for Taft.
He Charges the Roosevelt
Forces With Unfairness.

During the session of the Shawnee
republican committee Saturday SOM
one called Question: and 'votel' on
the motion to hold a convention. The
convention men had the votes and
they wanted to get it over in a hurry.
But DR.. l.. A. Ryder, chairman of the
committee. insisted on full discus
sion of the matter at hand. DIR. Ry-
der made a corking good speech in the
interest of fair play and decent treat
ment of the minority by the majority
at all times. DR.. Ryder declared that
he was a member of the party execu-
tive council in August, 1910, and he
still remembered how the steam roll
er was run over the regulars at that
time by the progressives. He had
said to himself then that if he ever
became member of majority at
gathering that he would fight that ma
Jorlty rather than see a minority with
in the party SO badly treated.
we must consider here first the
duties of a committeeman to his party
and his constituents" said DR.. Ryder,
land the desires of a candidate and
the ambitions of his henchmen should
come afterwards. Give the minority
fair hearing or you will drive them
out of the party and into the Demo-
cratic ranks. I am for the party that
is big enough and wide enough to hold
all factions and embrace all differ
ences.
Il remember we'll how the regulars
were treated at the last party council.
They never had a chance to be heard
at all, and the action of the progress
ives that August day hurt the party
at the polls the next November A
great many people in this county want
a primary and their representatives
here should be heard. / will fight the
majority that does not give the minor
ity chance. t have been besieged
with telephone calls and personal re-
quests the past ten days to hold a pri-
mary Both the caucus and the pri-
mary, to my mind, have many grave
faults, but of two evils choose the
lesser, which is the caucus"
The doctor closed by declaring that
he would not as chairman of the party
in this county be held responsible for
a primary that was not conducted on
expense paid. He presented many ar
guments against the practica bility of
holding a primary without funds or
law behind it.
Charlie O'Neil, who favored a pri-
mary, declared that eff the high mo-
guls now demanding one had been as
anxious during the months of January
and February last year when the legis-
lature was in session and primary bills
were before that body a presidential
primary would have been written on
the statute books"
F. H. Roberts, editor of the OskaIoosa
Independent, is up in arms over the
charges of the progressives that the JEFF
erson county committee took snap judg-
ment in calling the county convention.
He declares that three-fourths of the Re
publicans of his county are for Taft and
that the county committee meeting was
held on the level and plenty of time given
for every practical purpose. In a letter TO
the State Journal Mr.. Roberts says
ITO the Editor of the State Journal:
Republicans of this community are in
dignant at the abominably false report
emanating from the Roosefelt headquar-
for and hInai daoG oh
packed central committee and snap con-
vention in Jefferson county. If such false
hoods are the marks of a square deal
then a dirty deal is preferred here. Every
township but one was represented at the
committee meeting by either the regular
committeeman or his personal selected
proxy. Half of the fourteen present were
farmers and the rural precincts were all
represented. OF the two precinct commit
teemen absent one is Stubs appointee
and out of the county. The other alb
sentee is in six miles of Topeka and d.
rect railroad communication. Primaries
will be held in every township from to
have already published the call. The dele
gates will be instructed for president.
What more is wanted? The whole pro-
ceedings and actions are absolutely as
fair for one side the other, and wer9
evidently so much so that but man voted
no on the motion to adopt The Taft men
of this community comprise three -fourthS
of the Republicans or more, and include
bankers, lawyers, judges, ministers,
teachers, merchants, farmers and labor
ers and they do not relish such ISLANDERS
as this. The Roosevelt forces must be
hard pushed to adopt such methods, anG
If the cries of fraud and machine all
over the country are as baseless as this
charge, the whole campaign is based on
Misrepresentation and deception. The
Taft men of this county are not organ
lied and have no clubs, and have had no
speeches. the only club in the county be-
ing a Roosevelt club headed by deposed
postmaster. And the people are quite
to manage their own affairs
without orders from Topeka and the
state house"