The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-12-27
Progressives Are Hunting for
County Candidates.
And They Are Hard to Find in
Kansas.
They Are Coming Out Every
Day Now for Office.
Four Big Banquets for Early
in 1914.

Progressive party leaders In Kansas
will encounter dificulty in filling their
county districts next year according to
reports brought to Topeka from politi-
cal observers in the country districts.
And the plan Of the third party to put
a ticket in the field In every county
IN the state may prove the opening
wedge for a row among the new party
leaders.
When plans for a Progressive ticket
in the state were announced by White,
Stubbs Allen and other Bull Moose or
Tanizers they declared that full tickets
would be put In the field In every
county in Kansas. But In some OF the
counties, at least, this plan has struck
a rock. Not only are the Progressive
Republicans fighting the new plan. but
It is claimed that many OF the most
ardent Progressives are themselves OPP
posed to a three-cornered local cam
paign.
Can't Find Candidates.
There Is also a most apparent
scarcity of local Progressive candidates.
Strong men in the Progressive cause
refuse to sacrifice their political faces
in a tight in which there is admittedly
but little hopes to win. But that isn't
all. Even the Progressive leaders
most of whom have but recently left
the Republican party-refuse to turn
the court house Jobs over to the Demo-
Gratis. They realize that in a majority
of the counties the Democrats will win
easily in a three cornered scrap and
that for the occasional election of q Bull
Moose candidate, the Republicans and
Progressivcs would surrender to the
Democrats most Of the county jobs.
So the White-Stubbs-Allen ct al plan
for county tickets is not creating en-
course third party tickets will be NOM
mated in some Of the counties. But
in many instances the local Progress
sive workers are standing firm and
will probably refuse to surrender even
to the state leaders and thus play into
the hands of the Democrats for the
sake of making a showing in the 1914
election.
Another Democrat Announces.
Another ambitious Democrat has de-
clared his intentions for next year and
will be a candidate for state ONCE. H.
o. Caster, of Oberlin, draws entrance
ticket No. Al and il a full fledged and
avowed candidate for the Democratic
nomination for attorney general in the
Democratic primaries.
Caster is widely known in the Sixth
of Decatur county on sundry occasions
and in every campaign succeeded in
polling more than the regular Demo-
cratic strength in his district. In 1904
he was the Democratic nominee for
congress in the Sixth district, and OPP
posed w. A. Reeder for reelection. 1t
was in 1904 that Roosevelt swept the
state by $4,000. But that same year
Casters vote in the Sixth district coun-
ties was 60 to 1LJ per cent larger than
the regular party strength. Caster has
been active in the practice Of law in
Decatur county for a number OF years.
He is the first Democrat to officially
announce his candidacy for attorney
general
Plans for Political Banquets.
January and February will witness
at least four big state wide political
banquets. All of the dinners will be
brought to Topeka and the banquet
dates will be the signal for many inn
portant political announcements. Two
banquets will be held by the Demo-
Gratis. one by the Republicans and
one by the Progressives.
Monday night. January s. the big
Bryan dinner will be held in Topeka
the entertainment of 1000 men and
women. Probably 1920 people will
come to Topeka for this banquet. ac-
cording to announcement made by Of
ficers Of the Democratic club. Yet
the Bryan dinner will probably be of
less political significance than the
regular annual dinner to be held Feb
ruary %. At that time the Demo-
cratic state editorial association will
be in session. a special meeting of the
state committee will probably be held
and a new state chairman elected to
succeed w. III. L. Pepperill. Several
important political announcements will
doubtless be made by the leaders and
probable candidates on the date of the
banquet and plans for pre-primary
convention to draft a provisional plat
form will be discussed at the business
meeting.
February IL. the Progressives will
hold their banquet. A strong program
has been announced and the work OF
the coming campaign will be outlined
by the men and women who come to
Topeka to attend the business meeting
and sit at the banquet tables.
SDinearn to Speak ON Negro Question.