The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-04-21

had control of the party. He did not
say he. himself. was personally in con-
| troll He did say Mr.. Hughes could not
| take the control away from those In.
| whom it was invested.
/ .Aftef my return from Africa 1 had
correspondence with Mr.. Barnes over
rule by the bosses 1t (the CORE
spondencel was also on the subject of
| Letter From Barnes.
A letter from Mr. Barnes to Mr..
Roosevelt was offered in evidence. 1t
was dated from the Albany Journal
office and said, in part:
Ever since he has been governor
Mr.. Hughes has endeavored through
his speeches and his attitude, to
arouse resentment in every locality
against the men who have been doing
1.-THE political work of the Republican
party Some of these men are the
| best and most unselfish of men. Some
| of them are the meanest and most
selfish of men.
1T was a gauge of battle thrown
down which it was my duty to resist
because if 1 am to remain in the lead
Iersh1p OF this county, the leadership
must be satisfactory to the Rcpubli-
can people of the county. / cannot
pc exploited as a machine made poll
ltlc1an or patronage broker without
resisting the charge to the best of my
strength.
Il never could subscribe to the doc
trine advanced by the governor. which
was this: Disagreement with him
stamped a. man as rascal. What 1
am most deeply interested in is this
IsubJect OF direct nomination, which, If
ever adopted by this state, will lead
to untold evils in public life and place
therein the cheapest of citizens.
"Of course, the newspapers will
urge you to make an effort to. have
the state convention adopt a direct
rssnna ion plank plank OF course, you
proposal in principle will be COM
PEELED to contest it,
1.-The men with whom L have been
cooperating will never relinquish
their fight against the principle of di-
rect nominations, but will favor every
possible reform to our primary system
so that people will be encoura ged to
go to primaries for a fair shake there.
Pro-Hughes Sentiment.
1.-THE so-called sentiment for direct
primaries does not exist. 1t is purely
pro-Hughes sentiment and has moth
ing to do with the merits of the pro-
posa1. Governor Hughes advocated
the plan he did purely to make an
issue, not believing that we had the
courage or the political strength to
back up our opinions.
Direct nominations are an invita-
ton to party discord, but their evil
could be minimized by the holding of
unofficial primaries and unofficial
conventions, which would unquestion-
ably be done.
L
is absurd, so long as you have party
government.
81 sincerely hope and trust you Will
not become committed in such a way
that it will force an issue at the Sara
ltoga convention this question. We
should have a primary plank of the
strongest possible kind to protect
voters and give them every opportun-
lily to express themselves in conven-
ItioDS.
when nominations are made they
should be final. If the people do not
like them, they can beat them at the
polls, but the members of n party
Should have a chance prior to the nri-
mary and conventions to exercise their
Judgment and express their will
Voted as He Was Told to Do.
Despite the early ruling of the court,
Justice Andrews allowed Colonel
Roosevelt to tell of conversations with
|somei senator's, Human, Davenport,
Newcomb and others, about race track
and other legislation. Some of these
men told him that Mr.. Barnes at first
had no opposition to race track 1egis-
lation but that later opposition devel-
oped. ss -
that time IearDed Seua-