The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-04-03
TROUBLE AT HOME
Kansas Democratic Congress-
men Begin to See the Light.
Participation in Fight for Ma
tiOnaI Committeeman.
FALL SHORT or A MAJORITY
Must Hold Democrats and Even
Progressive Break.
Undoubtedly Much unfinished
Business" at Washington.

Kansas Democratic congressman
are beginning to see the light. Par
ticipation in the fight for national
committeeman means trouble at home.
None of the six congressman won in
1914 with straight majority in their
home districts. In fact the six Dem
ocrats in Washington lacked 30,0S5 of
majority. SO they will stay on the
job and forget the row in their nome
state, lest they ALLEVIATE the affections
of at least a faction of their constitu-
ents and party voters
The word is said to have gone to
the six Democratic congressman that
their influences are not needed in set
Ting the Sapp-Orr fight. In fact the
cold and undisputed returns of the last
election have been called into use to
convince the six Democrats that they
are needed in Washington. AS a re-
suit of this line of argument, it is prob
able that the six members of the ma
tional house will refuse to help Will
liam H. Thompson, United States SEN
ator, in his fight to secure the election
of James w. Orr of Atchison.
Work on Taggart.
Just now the influence is working
on Congressman Joseph Taggart of the
Second district. Taggart won in 1914
L. C. Crider, Republican. But Tag
CART was also 1851 otes short of a
majority. Orders vote was 24,732,
that of ]. L. Brady, Progressive, was
1921; or a total of 37,OO3. Taggart
polled 2S,412 votes. Using this as a
basis, Taggart needs all of the votes
he can land in 1916 if he expects to
play a return engagement in Washing
ton.
In the Fourth district. Congressman
Dudley Doolittle is seemingly in better
shape. But Doolittle has sent home
word that he is not looking for trou-
BILE. He wants Democratic harmony
and is willing to make a few sacrifices
to get it. A few months ago it was
Doolittle who started the movement
which resulted in statements from the
congressman that they would not be
candidates for places on the national
delegation.
Looking at the figures of two years
ago, Doolittle was 2,O64 votes short
of a ma ority. Howard Martindale.
Republican, received 1881 votes; y
D. Welty, Progressive, 6,626 votes, and
Doolittle, 23,S94 votes.
Sorrow for HeIvering.
Trouble over the national commit
teemanship might mean much sorrow
for Congressman Guy T. Helvering in
the Fifth. In fact there is every indi-
cation that Helvering sees the sit
uation-even so far from home as
Washington. Helvering two years ago
fell 4,697 votes short of a majority
in his district. His vote was 25,142 as
against 22,756 for w. A. Calderhead.
Republican. and 1888 for Loring
Trott, Progressive.
Congressman Connelly's run away
race in the Sixth almost gave him
majority. Still he was S41 votes short
of a majority over both John B. Dykes
and Eva Morley Murphy. Connellys
vote was 27,359 as against 1853 for
Dykes, Republican; and 6,S47 for Mrs.
Murphy, Progressive.
Shouse Olive Branches.
Out in the Seventh district Con-
gresham Jouett Shouse and his
friends are willing to provide a car
load of olive branches for the Demo-
cratic state convention. Shouse was
1O'978 votes short of a majority in his
district in 1914 and he sees no reason
why he should start trouble at this
stage of the game-especially when it
merely aids in the further organiza-
ton of the Thompson machine
In the fight two years ago Shouse
received 27,740 votes against 261Sl
for John Simmons, Republican,: and
1887 for o. w. Dawson, Progressive.
In short ShOuse received 2774O votes
with 38,71S against him
The Eighth district also failed to
give Congressman Ayres a majority
His vote of 1,512 was 1915 short of
the combined vote for Ezra Branine,
Republican. and Charles Davidson,
progressive. Branine received 1152G
votes and Davidson 1907, or a com
bined vote of 2S.427 against 21 ,512 for
Ayres.
Short of Majority.
1t does not require a technical APP
plication of the rules of arithmetic to
convince the six Democratic congress-
r1en in Washington that someone at
home is in the act of throwing a
switch. They realize quite we'll that
they fell short of a majority and that
the fight this year will be n two
cornered game. To win they must hold
together the Democrats and get at
least an even break with the Progress
sive vote of two years ago.
Now the Democratic members in
Washington face a situation as Sc
rious as that which confronted the
Republicans in the recent fight on d.
W. Mulvane. Too much activity on
the part of the congressional delega-
ton means dissatisfaction at home.
And dissatisfaction at home spells
trnIble in November. All of which
means that the Democrats will find
much unfinished business in Washing
ton next month and stay right on tho
job and pray that no one starts a
new row in the state convention.