The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-04-17
Politicians With Old Wounds
Are Not Eligible.
HODGES-NEELEY ROW HURTS.
ThOmpsOn's Fight, Too, May
Be Felt in 1915 Campaign.
L. Nj. Penwen of Topeka Men,
toned for Governor.


harmony candidate for governor in
1916. There are a dozen guberna-
torlal possibilities, but against almost
all of them are stains of former fac
tionaI rows that make their success
impossible or vague and uncertain in
the judgment of leaders.
Among the warriors in the Demo-
cratic trenches, the wounds of the
1914 battle have been slow TO heal.
There are few of the candidates and
leaders of the last campaign VINO nave
entirely forgotten the breach in their
own party and there are few who are
willing to forgive and forget-unless
the balance of forgiveness is in their
favor. 1t is the old HodgeS-Neeley
row that still rankles in the hearts OF
the Democrats and with Thompson in
the senate, it is quite likely TO be as
evident in 1916 in 1914.
Leaving out of the question the is
sue as to whether the Hodges-Neeley
troubles were justifiable or silly the
situation is unchanged. The result Is
the same. Both the Hodges followers
and the Medley contingent, backed by
most of the Thompson support, want
a gubernatoriaI candidate in 1915
who is friendly to their interests. In
the minds of Hodges friends is the
memory that Neeley's friends dumped
Hodges by the wayside and that
Thompson subsequently drove $1O,-
600 job away from Kansas when he
on the federal trades commission. On
the other hand, Neeley's friends re-
member that Hodges kicked back
when the fight started and they dig
from their letter files a few singing
remarks that the former governor sent
by mail in discussing candidates and
issues.
Rank of Faithful.
From the ranks of faithfuls, such
men as Senator Harry Mcmillan of
in oil a II n
Concordia and even ]. w. Orr of
Atchison have been mentioned. But
against each is an objection that car
ries a party division. Mcmillan and
Carney both have troubles in the
Fifth district and Carney's guberna-
torial ambition has been temporarily
displaced by virtue of his appoint
ment as postmaster AS for Orr, he
would start in the fight with the Bale
Waggoner opposition and the opposi-
ton of the Hodges crowd. who re-
member the AtchisoE mans friendship
with the Neeley-ThompSon interests
Senator Harry Gray of Luray has
admitted that he would accept the
governorship. But no one has made
q strong effort to push the office on
the senator from the Thirty-fourth
district Gray's one chip in the game
IS a rural following, handicapped by
q lack of acquaintance in the state.
PenweII Is Mentioned.
Then a Topekan is a possibility. He
IS L. M. Penwell, undertaken, lodge
man and politician with a real follow
ing. Penwen served on Governor
Hodges official staff with such dignity
that he was retained by Governor Cap
per. OF course a few unkind politi-
clans mentioned that Governor Capper
played good politics in retaining Pen
well. But the politicians are always
cruel and show remarkable lack of
charity.
Still Penwen is a possibility, even
ar-fOIN hi ~ 10 tn CT
clear of factional trouble in 1914. He
was busy with his undertaking bust
ness when there was a political row
brewing. His lodge duties demanded
his attention when a factional in
surrection was impending. He con-
tributed regularly to the party uplift
and has fewer battle scars than most
of the men on the firing line. Besides.
he lives in Topeka, the home of Gov
ernor Capper. And that is regarded
a point in his favor next year. Be
sides, Penwell was in the thick of the
fight for Jay E. House in the mayor
atty campaign when Houses employ
er was fighting him. Maybe that is
an element in the reckoning, too.
Green Is a Conner.
Looking still further, the Democrats
are keeping an eye on Mayor Green
of Kansas City, Kansas. Green swept
the field in the recent mayoralty con-
test. His positive strength in his home
town is regarded as a matter of i'm
portance- Another thing. Green has
few embarrassing political entangle-
ments that will cause him to carry a
handicap
So if Democratic harmony next year
is really possible, if the leaders of
1914 can be induced to sit on the side
line and if Thompson will not mess up
the situation in the interests of his
own troubles in 1918, Penwell and
Green may be strong possibilities.
There may be others. There doubtless
will be. But before a Democrat can
enter the fight in 1916 and win the
united support of his party, a half
dozen inspection committees are quite
certain to probe his political record
and ask embarrassing questions.