The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-10-16

VOTE FOR cAPPHR, SWAT COP,
II Played the Fool and Swal-
lowed Their HARMONY

That q secret crganization among
Republicans who wish to remain In
the party and still keep it progressive
has been formed to fight Curtis and
vote for Medley. Il the statement OF
r. A. Willis Of Manhattan. once an
ardent advocate Of harmony. Willis.
who Ia q prominent Riley county
farmer, was asked to pass the word
down the line" to bolt Curtis and sup
port Medley in the hopes that Capper
may be elected and the Republican
party in Kansas heralded AZ . pro-
gressive organization.
With tho secret night on Curtis.
goes a suggestion for the throwing
OF the eight sO-called stand-pat con-
gressional candidates. "Vote for Cap
per and swat the standpats." IL the
instruction which Farmer Willis re-
ceived and which he has refused to
carry out. Willis Is, or was, pro-
gressive Republican. He was for
Bristow, Capper and Kimban in the
primaries. He was willing to stay
with the ticket, believing some sort
Of practical political salvation could
be worked out. But when the secre-
tary Of the Republican committee
asked Willis to enter a combination to
about q progressive organization
through the support OF Democrats.
Willis baked.
Writes Lively Letter.
In a letter to J. E. Taylor Of Man
haitian, Willis tells of the duplicity OF
some Of the progressive Republican
leaders who seek to secure the election
Of Capper and at the same time send
Curtis and Calderhead and Campbell
and Anthony and the old crowd to the
scrap heap for ever none. Willis says:
Here are some reasons why I played
the fool last spring when I swallowed
their old harmony and here are some
more reasons why quit playing the
fool" Mr.. Willis was quoted last spring
by the harmony papers all over the
state as saying that Republican, could
iron out their differences inside the
party. He was for Bristow and Capper
and thought that Capper was going to
help nominate Bristow. He then is
sued q public statement Of his belief.
But now he says he has run into q
secret boiling organization among Mr..
Capper' friends to knife Curtis. elect
Medley. defeat Murdoch and make the
Republican party progressive He de-
clares that he will not stay in the party
and fight the old fight Of boiling to
get what lie can get without boiling
in the Progressive party.
In his statetnehtk Mr.. Willis says:
was lulleds to sleep by that harmony
song of the standpat Office seeker. I
was for the harmony movement. was
one of those smart fellows who knew
the Republican party was progressive.
I knew how we. beat Chester I. Long
and Tom Wagstan and tried to forget
how Curtis turned out and boited us
every time. 1 tried to forget how the
Taft Republican league threw up their
hats when Hodges was gaining on Cap
per right after election. I went to the
primary with five other members Of my
family, took Republican harmony
ballot and voted for Bristow and Cap
per and Kimball; then the standpats
won; beat Bristow. beat Kimball, the
progressive Republican. and beat all the
progressive Republicans in all the dis
tricts. Since the primary I've talked to
a lot of these progressive Republicans
and there's not one Of them that's going
to vote for Curtis or Calderhead."