The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-08-05
Shawnee Will Witness Hard
Fights for Nomination.
Many Close and Bitter Contests
for County Offices.
The SITUATION is UNUSUAL
Old Timers Cautious About
Making Predictions.
Kiene's Great Campaign for Of
flee of Sheriff.

] With the primaries only few hours
| away the wise heads among Topeka
politicians are willing to admit that the
situation is so unusual that they are
upable even to hazard a guess at the
outcome in several of the admittedly
| closely contested fights. The thing that
| is worrying many local politicians IS
the extent of the Billiard vote, and it IS
admitted that the Topeka mayor viii
draw several hundred votes that. on
| former occasions, went into the Repub-
lican prims. les. The result, of course,
will be to cut that many votes off of
| some Republican candidates. The dope
varies as to which Republican candi-
dates will be hit the hardest.
Among the admittedly closely con-
| tested fights for county Offices is that
OF Probate Judge w. F. Schoch, whose
opponent is Hugh MacFarland, County
Clerk Samuel G. Zimmerman, who is
running against o. K. Swayze, and
County Commissioner E. L. O'Neil, who
is making the race against F. E. NippS,
agent for the Missouri Pacific. The
men who are opposing the incumbentS
for all these offices have made hard
fights, some of them having made some
of the hardest campaigns known here.
The officers themselves. as a rule, have
been too busy with their official duties
paign, and have depended for the most
part upon newspaper advertising.
Interest also centers around the fight
for nomination for sheriff in which L.
l.. kfene is trying to block a third term
to Sheriff Jonathan D. Norton Kiene's
friends are claiming the victory by a
good majority, but Norton insists that
ne Will be re-nominated and elected
and is claiming that he will be eligible
to hold the third term in defiance of the
opinion of some of the best legal talent
in the state that he is ineligible under
the constitution.
1t is generally conceded that Kiene
Will win tomorrow. He is one of the
most popular and able men who ever
sought a Shawnee county office. Kiene
used the names of a half dozen leading
attorneys who declared Norton is in
eIlgible- Norton claimed to have legal
ADVICE that he was eligible, but it is
well known that several ATTORNEYS who
looked up the matter for him de-
cIared that he is not the attorney
generals assist, Senator Brewster,
among them. Norton has never given
the names of any lawyers who had de-
cIared positively that he is eligible.
With the situation as it is there are
Few who have any ''cinch'' on the NOM
nation Former District Clerk r. L.
Ihomas has been making hard cam
pa:gn against Charles w Bower. who
was appointed clerk April l. last. and
VINO Is asking for an elective term.
Both sides are claiming the nomination,
and the political prophets are shaking
their heads and declining to hazard \
guess. James c.. Sinner. county com
missioner from the Third district is on
posed by John SLtherin, ST., and there
are many who believe Mr. Sutherin will
be the Republican nominee.
In the contests for nomination ~
Two Two OF the three offices of representa-
tive in Shawnee county. and in the
state senatorial contest there are mn
merous candidates and. in some of the
contests there has been marked hitter
ness. n. +. Burge, candidate for state
senator, has made his campaign on
MS loyalty to Senator Charles Curtis
as opposed to Governor Stubbs He
has openly advertised both his support
OF curtis, and that he will vote for
StuDbs Tor nothing, and has written
several open letters to the governor
and others. The other candidates are
+. q. Dreaming, former city attorney.
and James A. Trout1nan former IiaE
tenant governor of Kansas.
In both of the Representatives die
.rlcts IN winch there are contests there
is doubt as to the outcome, particuIar-
~ IN tne Tnirty-fourth, the city dis
trlct, where the wise heads say it may !
require the counting of the last baIIot
TO determine the nominee |
1naSmuch as the interest is intense |
on both sides, both Democrats and Re |
puDl1cans are expected to turn ont 10
morrow as they never have done he
fore, polling the largest vote ever noII-
sd at a Kansas primary. And the fac |
tor of so large vote also will c,1+ a
decided figure in the final results |
compelling successful candidates to se
cure more votes than usually is neces-
Sary, and still farther making the
uncertain.
IL VIII probably take a long time to
count the ballots. as the votes for the
lS presidential electcr candidates will |,
1ne. inc W