The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-03-23
Dave MuIvane Staged a Beauti-
full Political Battle.
Won Out Through Storm of
"AntiS" in Press and Public.
HE BORE BRUNT OF ATTACKS
Did This Rather Than to Turn
Fire on Delegations.
When Dust Settled, Old Line
G. o. p. Won Every Point.


Not in years has Kansas seen
smarter game of politics than that
played in the recent contest for Re
publican national committeeman ana
delegates to the national convention.
1t was D. w. Mulvane of Topeka Who
drew and held the fire of progressive
| leaders through a six weeks lombard
ment- In the end and at just the
right moment Mulvane stepped from
under Then anti-MulVane factions
realized their attention had been dis
| tracted from the real issue and their
fight lost.
1t is a new idea in the manipula-
ton of politics that MulvaLe injected
into the recent fight. For nearly Two
months every progressive Republican
in Kansas saw red. He read on every
page of his newspaper the things at
would happen to the party if Mulvane
became national committeeman. He
heard from his neighbor the story OF
things the Mulvane machine planned
to do. He went to the county con-
ventions and voted for anti Mulvane
instructions to state and district dele
gates. The delegates, true to their in
structions, voted against Mulvane err
Sonally. But in their desire to beat
the Topeka man they compromised OF;
men Who-using a Walter Roscoe
Stubs eXpression-were mot IN
friendly to Mulvane and the policies
he desired.
Almost Immediately after the meet
| ing of the Republican state commit
| tee in Topeka, w. Y. Morgan OF
Hutchinson, lieutenant governor,
started the fight on Mulvane rule. 1t
was taken up by a Kansas City paper.
ALLEGATIONS owned by William Allen
White, Henry ]. Allen, Victor Muir
dock and progressives in all sections
| of the state took up the battle ~ry.
| Every day they warned Kansas of the
/ dire calamity that would befall the
state and the Republican party if
Dave Mulvane were elected.
| MuIvanc Sawed Wood.
| Most politicians would break under
the attack of a hostile press. But
Mulvane made no statements to the
newspapers. He sat quietly in his Of
| flee and wrote a few letters TO per-
sonal friends in the 105 counties of
| the state. He had not announced his
candidacy for committeeman. That
fact though. did not change the stu
alton. MulvGne merely sat tight. He
knew that if he rocked the boat, the
Opposition newspapers and campaign
orators would direct their attack on
| delegates Maybe they would go 50
| Dental possibilities. Mulvane knew
| that so Ions as he could hold top OF
column next to pure reading matter,
other issues were successfully side
| tracked.
'It was pretty rough treatment they
gave me-" Mulvane told some friends
after the state convention IN topeka
this week But didn't mind that
so much. 1 really wasn't a candidate
for committeeman, although it is
great honor to any man. What i
wanted. though, was real Republican
| DELEGATION from Kansas to the ma
ItlonaI convention. So long as the del
egation was composed of sound Re
publicans and elected good man
| committeeman, it was all right with
me-"
| heavy bombardment. The First dis
| trict elected delegates who would IA
vor his election if desired. A number
| of delegates warted resolutions IA
| vorab BILE to Mulvane. But the topeka
man was too smart for that. He knew
such action would raise an issue in
other districts 1t was too early in the
game to take chances.
Mulvane Merely Smiled.
| When returns came from the Sec
ond district. every anti-Muivane pa
per told of Mulvane defeat. But two
standpat Republicans had been elect
ed to go to Chicago and Mulvane
merely smiled. The Third district
elected a delegation friendly to Null
vane The Fourth forced candidates
to pledge their votes against the To-
pekan. The Fifth elected a friendly
|
ed two loyal friends of the Mulvane
crowd who were instructed for J. r.
Burrow. In the Seventh and Eighth
districts personal friends of Mulyane
won in the conventions and Mulvane
didn't say a word when the delegates
were instructed for Fred Stanley.
| Just before the state convention the
Mulvane issue was judiciously with
drawn. Four safe, sound, tried, true
and trusted delegates at large were
, elected to the national convention
MulVane had won. Kansas had elect
ed twenty good, loyal standpat Repub-
licans to represent the state. There
were no instructions. The delegates
were certain to support a man for ma
) tional committeeman who was friend
! lowing.
!. Won on Every Issue.
! Most politicians would have dodget
: the fire and bitter attacks to which
Mulvane was subject during the re
cent contest. But he was fighting fol-
an old line Republican delegation, Nc
instructions and a committeeman whC
was not unfriendly. On every issue
he won. Had he lodged the person
: al attacks, political leaders are con
: fident that Kansas would have divid
ed the delegation with former RooSe
! welt supporters and progressives. tn,
same energy that was used to defea
Mulvane and his imaginary candidac,
} would also have brought instruction
I, | for delegates and at least an anti
Mulvane committeeman, politica
: dopesteps believe.
Fred Stanley of Wichita will b.
elected to succeed himself as nationa
committeeman. He will be elected
| with the votes of the delegates friend
ly to Mulvane and his interests. On tn
delegation to Chicago there will b,
one man who supported Roosevelt il
4 1912-T. D. Smith of Hiawatha- Ans