The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-02-13
CURTIS FOR THAT CONVENTION
He Takes Stand Opposite to
Superintendent Ross.
Democrats to. Hold Banquet at
Emporia Saturday.


addressed to Democratic members of
the last legislature. His announce
ment is largely an appeal for support
regardless Of the boundaries of the Sew
enth district, within which one senator
is at present a resident. g.
In his announcement Brown points
| to the fact that PETER and Martin,
both residents of Topeka, were in the
senate at the same time and that later
Baker and Harris. both residents OF
kLeavenworth, served in the senate. He
also calls attention to the fact that UNI
| til the election of Senator Bristow,
every United States senator from Kan
sas had been elected from the eastern
| third of the state.
If elected, Brown says. he Will sup
port the Wilson national administra-
| ton Just as he supported the Hodges
state administration in the recent leg
! islative session.
The announcement Of Major Brown
| is in part as follows:
Browns Announcement.
"As you no doubt are aware. am
a candidate for United States senator
subject to the will Of the Democratic
party expressed at the August primar-
les.
1T is unnecessary for me to go into
detail explaining what I stand for or
what my course would be should be
i SUCCESSFUL. OuI ClOSS ICidSAOA1SAA1R d4A>A
cooperative work during the session
Of the legislature conveys to you the
necessary knowledge.
IF 1 am your senator, shall stay
as closely to our great president and
the Democratic platform as I did to
Governor Hodges and our state plat
form during the last session.
Friends of other candidates are
claiming that my location is against
me, as Senator Thompson also comes
from the big Seventh. Allow me to
assert that If you will consult your
Kansas map you will find that my
home is in the eastern half Of the
home to that Of Senator Thompson, at
Garden City is greater than from my
home to any other candidate of any
party which has yet announced.
aside from this, let me call your
attention that once in the state history
Topeka had both United States sena-
tors, PETER and Martin and later Leav-
enworth county, Baker and Harris.
Further, until Joe Bristow was elect
| ed, all the United States senators had
been elected from the eastern one
third Of the state. I submit and leave
you to be the judges whether as speak
er Of the house was broad enough to
| recognize all sections Of the state and
give every member a square deal
| whether his home was in eastern, west
ern or central Kansas. II this is true
believe you ill have enough conf
dence in me to know as senator from
Kansas I should know no east. west.
! north or south. but devote my whole
| time for the interests of all the people
of the state
Curtis Wants . Convention.
Charles Curtis Of Topeka, former
United States senator from Kansas
and candidate for the Republican SEN
atorial nomination in August, is an
advocate OF the pre-primary conven-
ton and tentative platform idea
Voters are entitled to know the plat
before entering the primaries. Curtis
urges, and the candidates should
define their policies before and not
after their nomination.
The Curtis stand is in harmony
with the plan advanced by Charles F.
Scott of lola and the former senator
Will urge the writing of q tentative
platform when the state committee
comes to Topeka next month to call a
convention to ratify the action of the
national committee.
kansas Republicans should write a
all means" said Senator Curtis. mot
only are the voters entitled to know
the platform policies Of the several
parties before voting in the primaries,
but the candidates themselves should
take a, definite stand either for or
against certain principles before and
not after their nomination II the
platform policies do not suit a voter,
he need not enter the primaries of
that party. II they do not suit some
particular candidate, that candidate
need not run. It is only fair and lust
to write platform before the pri-
maries and am strongly in favor of
the plan"
Mr.. Ross Stand.
The other day w. D. Ross, state
superintendent of public instruction,
took a stand against the pre-primary
platform plan. 1t was the first time
since his election in 1912 that Ross
had spoken right out loud where ev-
cry one could hear him and took a
definite stand on a public question.
Ross was really quite alarmed over
the reactionary. stand-pat, gag rule
plan of electing delegates to a state
convention in open primaries and re-
garded such a policy as a step back
| ward as compared with the modern
reform idea of allowing the candi-
dates to write the platforms them
selves after they are nominated and
looking for sweet BOUNDING policies
that will please the voters
Mr.. Ross Indignation over the plan
| OF q few party leaders to throw the po-
litical machinery Of the state in the
junk heap, occasioned the following
editorial in the Salina Daily Union:
Nv. D. Ross, state superintendent Of
public instruction and candidate for re-
election as a Republican, Is much OPP
posed to a convention made platform.
Ross In common with other candidates
is afraid that a convention. taking its
instructions from the people, will
make real Republican platform re-
gardless Of the interests or the opin-
| ions OF the men who may run for Of
| flee this fall. The party council
composed wholly Of candidates for Of