The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-07-08
No New Party Needed-Just
Control the Old One.
WILLIAM J. BRYAN IN TOPEKA
Commoner Admits Kansas Is
Progressive State.
Sixth District Political News of
Interest.


a third party in Kansas this fall.
White, who was selected as national
committeeman for Kansas, and grace
fully declined to register under the IT,
tie, says that Kansas is progressive,
that the progressives are in control OF
the state machinery and if a third
party is paraded in the state it will oe
found in the independent column ana
the Taft forces will be sponsor for the
movement.
Whites nimble pen tears up the neat
paving laid by the national committee
in Chicago and declares that the WORK
was not in accordance with plans ana
Specifications. He recites that the same
gang could as easily steal the nom1na-
ton in 1916, just as the "autocratic olc-
tators'' stole the Taft nomination IN
Chicago. Moreover, White says there
is every reason to believe they would
do it. With the same power as was
vested in the committeeman who met IN
Chicago, the committee four years
hence might cheerfully expel any mem
Der who disagrees in the method OF
driving the steam roller and appoint
someone who is friendly to the driver
Heretofore the state central COM
rnittee could fill the vacancy, but now
the vacancy is filled by the natlonaI
committee itself, and a satrap is SET
over each state who bears no relation
To the state sentiment. This IS hlgh-
handed oligarchy," declares the EN-
porian "A self-perpetuating autocfdtlc
ruling body is established by TINS ma
4fouaI committee, which makes 1t i'm
nerative for the Progressives to control
their organizations. and to go into TINS
fight with Theodore Roosevelt as tneH
leader. This we will do in Kansas
Then White belabors the reactionary
Democrats for their stand in the senate
eighteen months ago, when they joined
with the Curtis wing OF the Republican
party and in their alliance defeated the
demands of the progressfves- Whte |
warns Kansas to guard against repe- |
tition of this scene and appeals for
votes for real progressives- men VINO |
have borne the brunt of battles with
out f1inching or compromising.
mo new party in Kansas IS needed,
declares White, but the men who have |
stood shoulder to shoulder to make |
Kansas a free state must get out to |
the primaries and defend what they |
have won, and keep tn state from that
combination of reactionary Democrats |
who allied themselves in the organiza- |
ton of the state senate last year with |
the standpat Republicans to defeat pro- |
gressive legislation.
Up in Marshall county the Democrats |
are training P. E. Laughlin, Jr., as
their standard bearer for state treas
urer and Laughlin himself is planning
a busy campaign. Laughlin is a bank
er and lives in Marysville. He is also Il
native Kansan and was born and
reared on a farm in Atchison county.
Several years ago when Laughlin
went to Marysville he began work in
a local bank. Now he is cashier of
the Citizens State bank in his home
town and a stock holder and officer
in several other banking institutions
il Northern Kansas. When Laugh
Inns petitions were circulated recently,
the Kansas bankers stood behind the
Marysville mans candidacy almost 20
a unit. so far as party lines would per-
nit. His nomination papers bore the
names of more than 300 bank officers in
the state and from scores of these men
he received personal letters promising
assistance in the campaign. Laughlin
is "a years old. He is quite wealthy
and in addition to his prominence in |
the banking business, owns much land.
Il can make a living without the
Office" Laughlin told a friend, ''but
/ will be proud indeed if after an in
veStiga ton of my record the people Of
Kansas feel that my work has war
ranted their confidence and votes"
William Jennings Bryan, the Com
moner, spent a couple of hours in To-
peka Sunday morning, leaving on an
early train for Horton. where he will
speak today. Most of Bryan's To-
peka visit this time was spent in a
room in the National hotel 1t was
Sunday and the Nebraskan declined
to discuss political affairs and when
ne went to his room, his one request
was lHdI ne De not disturbed. And
the hotel clerk observed every word
of the request.
Bryan arrived in Topeka shortly
after o'clock Sunday morning over
the Rock Island. He was taken at
once to the National hotel, where he
was assigned to a room.
Il am tired and want to catch a
little Sleep" the silver tongued one
told the hotel clerk. please don't
disturb me-"
At o'clock Bryan was back in the ;
lobby. He smiled a benediction on
the hotel clerk who had permitted
him to collect two hours of rest. Then !
he paid his bill and mbered to the
street car tracks, dragging a big black
suit case that looked weary and over
loaded.
kansas is progressive without a
doubt, ventured the Commoner, as
he beamed a God-bless-you-m y-son
would rather not talk politics today
it's Sunday you know-and say, this
Kansas heat is awful Then Bryan
and the big suit case continued their
man who upset the Champ Clark
beans in the Baltimore convention
waved back his brightest Sunday
morning farewell. He is filling LED
tu=e dates in western Kansas this
week.
While Isaac A Rigby. of Concordia
was attending the Republican national
convention in Chicago. his friends clrcu-
lated petitions for his nomination as rep |
resentative from Cloud county. Now
Rigby is making a campaign for the
nomination and election. The Concordia
man is regular in large letters. He Is |
for Curtis, strong. He SCOTS at the
Roosevelt ismS. But that isn't all. Rigby
fur1ps on the inheritance tax law the
county assessors job, the fat app pria- |
lions and the juicy contingent FUNDS with
both feet. He takes slap at the Stubbs
administration and concludes his declara-
ton Of principles with firm stand for {