The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-09-17
COUNTY POLITICS
Situation Between Candidates
and Two Committees.
Both Committees Want That
Assessment Money.
CANDIDATES MAKE OWN FIGHT
Cannot Afford to Recognize
Either Faction.
All Republican Candidates May
Have Opposition.

The Republican county candidates
are not happy. Saturday the regular
committee with some show of feeling
turned down the request of the candi-
dates that they be permitted to con-
duct their own campaign. At the sam e
time the committee voted to authorize
the executive committee to levy an
assessment against the county candi-
dates. Now the dissenting Republican
county committee has also voted to
dates to be permitted to conduct their
own campaign and have also decided
to levy an assessment.
The candidates have not yet been
officially notified of these assessments
and as soon as they are they will have
to meet the situation. Their plans to
conduct their own campaigns are ac-
cordingly awaiting developments and
nothing further has been done.
Meanwhile the Democrats arc at
tempting to profit by the situation.
There is movement on foot to find
candidates to place in the field against
the Republicans who have no opposi-
ton. They would have to go in the
independent column but that does not
matter as the only thing desired is
to have a complete list of candidates
around whom they can rally their
forces. Following this plan an effort
is now being made to place candidates
in the field against A. w Dana, Judge
of the district court, Robert Carver.
judge of the city court, Fred VOiland,
candidate for representative on the
North side, ]. F. Eby. county supcrin-
tendent, A. Bartell, candidate for clerk
of the city court and others. No one
has yet been found to offer them
selves as victims on the altar but no
doubt some may be obtained The cnly
effect will be to further to harass the
candidates on the Republican ticket.
Best of a Bad Job.
The county candidates who have op-
position are not losing any sleep. They
will make the best of bad job and
tie reason to believe that any of them
will be defeated. Nearly all the can
didates conducted vigorous and ex-
pensive campaigns for the nomination
Their burdens. have been heavy
enough and with two more assess
ments staring them in the face they
feel that the lot of candidate is hard
indeed.
1T is not the amount of any assess
ment that might be made" one can
didate explained his attitude this
morning. 1T is merely the fact that
can not be controverted that we will
lose votes if we recognize either com
mittee. I do not think it is either
fair or wise for the committee to
have taken the action it did. If the
committee. whom most of us are per-
fectly willing to acknowledge as the
real committee, insists upon an as
sessment it will compel us to recog
nize it, and thereby bring down the
wrath of the rump committee on our
heads.
1t Works Both Ways.
1.-The committeeman say they are
for the ticket. But just at present
it hardly looks that way, and I don't
like the attitude of a committeeman
who is willing to say he will oppose
and work against any candidate who
does not pay the assessment. 1t is
true he was elected by the same Vot-
ers who nominated US. But the re-
verse is true-we were nominated by
the same voters who elected him.
These voters certainly would not want
disadvantage of the candidates"
Two Sides to the Question
There are two sides to the ques-
Der of the committee, this morning.
-On the one side the committee feels
hat it has been elected to act, and
f it follows out the expressed wishes
IF the candidates it nullifies itself At
he same time I appreciate that it will
work a hardship on the candidates to
compel them to pay an assessment, or
20 refuse to do so.'
The trouble has all arisen from a
meeting of the committee held late
Saturday afternoon when a resolution
-eleasing all Republican county can
1idateS from paying aSSeSSm meT1tS was
after its reading had been
greeted with a storm of protest. And
ater the committee by a vote decid-
I'd to levy assessments against the
county candidates, and some of the
intimated that the can
lidates had better pay the assessments |
f they expect to be supported at all