The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-05-13
Said to Be Just the Man fOI
Harmony.
HE HAS MANY FRIENDS
And Has Kept Hands Off in
Faction Row.
Might Unite on Senator, Too
That Is Talk.

The latest sensation in political
circles concerns the present harmony
movement. The question uppermost
in the minds of the promoters of the
movement has been to find cand1-
date for governor who will be salts
factory to both factions of the Repuo-
lican party. Obviously it would not ne
feasible to attempt to unite upon any
one who has been an active standpat-
ter. Neither would a plan to select
a man who has been prominent 1ls-
ure in the Progressive party
The solution of the problem may now
be in sight. The matter is a political
secret, but leaders in both factions
have been quietly conducting an IN
vestigation to get line upon pubic
sentiment and they say that their eX-
pectations have been more than real
lied and that if there is one man upon
whom the factions can unite IN tne
next gubernatorial campaign that man
is Charles H. Sessions, the present
secretary of state.
That Mr.. Sessions is immensely
popular with all classes is apparent
from a glimpse of the returns from
the late election. He received the
highest vote of any candidate on any
ticket, being the only Republican can
didate on the state ticket who had
more than 10000 votes. Even Attor-
ney General Dawson with all his per-
sonal following and popularity fell be-
low Mr.. Sessions.
An analysis of this vote has convinc-
ed the standpatters as well as Progress
sives that with Mr.. Sessions leading the
ticket at the next state election under
a harmony banner there would be no
doubt of the result.
Mr. Sessions has been active in poll
tics for several years but his activity
has been of the kind that made him
political friends rather than enemies
nj iS
in state politics in Kansas now who
has as few political enemies as Mr.. Ses-
sions. His popularity extends to the
newspaper men of the state as well as
to those who are active in politics. Only
a few years ago he was engaged in
newspa per work as a reporter and there
is not a newspaper man in Kansas who
has not a warm spot in his heart for
Mr.. Sessions. Some people may scoff
at the influence of the newspapers in
politics but it is a fact nevertheless that
no one can be defeated in the next state
election who has the country newspa-
pers of Kansas behind him and if there
is man in the state who can command
their support that man is Charles Ses-
sions.
The secretary of state is in a for
tunate position to lead the Republican
forces in the next election. He has
kept his hands off the factional fight.
He came out in the open in the recent
election and maze SpeeCneS 1Or DOtn
Governor Stubbs and Arthur Capper.
He made a gallant fight for the en-
tire state ticket. There was no hang
ing back so far as he was concerned.
No one can accuse him of knitting
anyone. This makes him especially
available as a candidate to lead the
harmony movement now.
Mr.. Sessions possesses another ad-
vantage. He is a young man and this
is the era of young men. He devoted
his attention to his newspaper work
and never was a candidate for any
office until he entered the race for
secretary of state three years ago. He
is not rich and cannot spend great
sums in a campaign, but this is rather
in his favor than otherwise for the
primary law makes the path of a man
with wide circle of friends and i'm
mense state wide popularity an easy
one.
These are some of the things that
have caused the leaders of both fac
tions who are in favor of harmony to
turn to Mr.. Sessions. He has not been
consulted. The movement is a spon-
taneouS one and there is every indica-
tion that it will meet with state wide.
favor.
There is talk that the movement
may include a union upon Senator
Bristow, also but that is a matter that
is still in the air. There is a dispo-
sition to get the governor matter out
done.