The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-07-26
POLITICAL GOSSIP
w. j.. Brown Turns From
jackson to Hodges.
Old War Horse Was One of
Original Kansas Clark Men.
LIZ nMCo Lie QEAc0Mo
He GIVES HIS REASONS
Riot in Second District Over
Whites Hand Picked Slate.
Two Congressional Candidates
Are Progressive.

Iron Jaw Brown of Kingman
has deserted Judge A. NJ. Jack
son for governor and trans
ferred his affections to Senator
George H. Hodges as the logical Demo
cratic standard bearer in the Demo
cratic subernatorial scrap. Now Brown
hastens to make known his change 81
heart and the reasons why he sub
scribes to the candidacy of the reform
Johnson county senator. It is to be con-
lature. the Kingman man says, that ne
finds himself in the camp of the pro-
| greSSives
1t was in Dodge City one cold, dreary
Saturday afternoon in December last
year. when Iron Jaw Brown unfurled
crowd of Seventh district Democrats
| 1t was Iron Jaw Brown who painted
4 the lily a whittier white and exalted the
virtues of Champ Clark until the con-
vention's delirius enthusiasm reached
| 21S degrees above the zero weather out
/ side the convention hall. 1t was Iron
Jaw Browns proudest effort-for
Champ Clark sat there on the platform
and heard every word of it.
Then, just when it looked as though
! Browns hero was to be the nominee of
the Baltimore convention, Bryan spill
/ ed the beans and the Kansas delegation
deserted the MiSsourian and went to
Wilson. Was Brown wroth? People
| who live in the same voting precinct
with the Kingman leader, say his lam
entations mounted to the Heavens and
| his abuse fell like a shower of hot cind-
ers on the heads of the Kansas dele
cation. Since Jackson was a member
| of that delegation and was to a con-
siderable extent responsible for the
shift from Clark to Wilson, Iron Jaw
Brown came to look on the candidacy
of the Winfield lawyer with suspicion
and misgiVings. But that isn't the
reason Brown deserted-so his inter-
, view says. Rather-for once at least
, Brown gathers under the tent of re-
formers and washes his hands of the
old allegiance with the crowd that fol-
lowed the teachings of Mother Demo-
cracy and scoffed at the progressive
babblings.
1t is to defend the work of the party
members in the legislature. Brown re-
cites that he transfers his friendship TO
the Olathe man. So the party record in
the 1911 legislature is made the pivot
on which Iron Jaw Brown swings his
friendship to Hodges.
Brown points out that the utilities
bill which Jackson criticizes was a
Democratic platform pledge and was
demanded by the progressive people of
the state and opposed by the Inter
ests-" The criticism that Hodges and
other Democrats in the legislature
voted to make the commissioners ap-
points out, is unjust. He says:
Now as to the charge that it made
the commission appointive rather than
elective. That is true, but it is also
true, that until next January the board
of railroad commissioners, who were
elected by the people, will serve and if
Mr.. Jackson will work as diligently tic
help elect Democratic legislature,
he now is to belittle what we all did,
in order to defeat George Hodges for
the nomination, that part of the law
can be changed, as it ought to be. But
it was either the passage of the bill
as it went through or no utility law at
all 1 might add that this criticism is
not new. Every Democrat who had a
vote on the measure had it pointed
out to him many times by the corpor-
alton Hobbies. who were doing their best
to defeat the bill. 1t was either the
bill as passed or no law on the great
public necessity at all. Had the Dem
ocrats in the legislature defeated this
bill there would have a howl gone
up over Kansas that we had sold out
to the interests and the Democratic
party would have been fooling away it,
time in naming a state ticket for this
year of our Lord 1872"
In the matter of appropriations Mr.
Brown points out that Jackson's critic
ism of Democratic legislators is I'M
just for a half dozen senators out of
could hardly control appropriations.
Mr.. Brown sa-s:
I'VE Democrats thought we did fair
~ well in helping cut them down from
over $14,000,000 asked to nearly one-
half that amount. For two sessions, I
served on the ways and means COM
mittee, brought in minority reports,
voted and worked against the appro-
absolutely necessary for the welfare
of the state. In this 1 was supported
by all the Democrats on the committee
and in the house. On all bills that
came before the joint committee of the
two houses, 1 personally know that
Senator Hodges did the same thing,
and yet We are criticised for not be-
ing able to ride over a heavy majority,
and the influence of the governors
patronage as to the increased con-
tingent fund Of which the Judge justly |
complains. The chances for the re-
election of the Democratic members
of the legislature of 1910 should not
be frittered away to boost any man for
governor. If George Hodges record in |
the legislature bars him from heading
our ticket this year, Senator Robertson
and Tom Morrison are not eligible for |
attorney general or r. H. Cron for |
state treasurer, for both senate and |
house members are i'll the same boat |
Our NOTICE was United we stand di- |
vided we fall The people of Kansas |
have set the seal of approval on our |
actions, and the Democrats in the
Kansas legislature have done more |
than their part to make it possible to |
elect a Democratic governor and state |
ticket. Had they adopted Judge Jack |
sons belated advice a place on the !
state ticket would not be worth a
whoop in a rain barrel. I admire |
Judge Jackson's fighting qualities, but
advise him to point his guns the other
way and go after the party which |
alone is responsible for doubling our
state taxes in the last ten years; which
beat the tomtoms of reform and then
went back on its platform and it's
promises"