The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-03-17
BRISTOW IN RACE
Former Senator Wants to Join
the Big Four.
He Would Represent State at
Large at Chicago.
HAS ONE COUNTY BEHIND HIM
Douglas Has Accorded Him
Honor of Endorsement.
Support of His Own District Is
Not Apparent.

Joseph L. Bristow will next week
insist that the Republican party in
Kansas make further expression as to
just what it thinks of him After
falling to get an endorsement in his
own congressional district. Bristow
will next Tuesday go before the Re
publican state convention and ask
election as delegate at large to the
national convention in Chicago Brls-
tow has told friends of the logic of
his election as a harmony candidate
and viii insist that the delegates to
the state convention make some eX-
preston in the matter.
When Fifth district Republicans
met this week in Mania ttan. they
endorsed George w Hanna of Clay
Center as the districts choice for dele
gata at large to the national cOnven-
ton Hanna lives in the same con-
gressional district with Bristow- Yet
Republicans in the Manhattan con-
vention heard never a ripple concern
ing the advantages which would come
to the party through Bristow's cleo
ton The action of Fifth district Re
publicans will bind several delegations
to Hanna With Hanna in the race
the logic of a Bristow appeal is not
understood by political leaders.
In political circles today there is
a rumor that Bristow saved his an
nouncement until after the Manhat-
tan convention. An announcement
ten days ago might have placed the
former United States senator in an
even more embarrassing position, it is
urged Had the Manhattan conven-
ton been confronted with a BristoW
candidacy, they might have given the
Salina man an endorsement But
BrIstow, who doubtless knows well the
temper of his own people is said to
have feared something else.
Elements of Weakness.
Many OF the candidates before the
convention next week will come to To-
peka with endorsements from their
home districts. In fact political lead
ers fail to recognize the strength of
candidates who have been unable TO
land the support of their congressional
districts BristOW's lack of strength
viii probably be the more apparent in
view of the fact that he has for
months permitted the use of his name
and will 90 to the convention without
some word from his home district
convention. The latter may become
especially embarrassing in view of the
fact that the district endorsed a pro-
gressIve Republican and made no
mention of its high esteem for Bris-
tOw's warm personality and his magic
power of bringing together the fac
tons of the party
In the First district. T D. Smith of
Hiawatha was loudly endorsed In the
Third district Al F. Williams of CO.
lumbGs was accorded words of praise /
The second district, through a number
of county conventions. said kind things
of the candidacy of Charles +. Scott f
of lola The fact that Seventh distric.
Republicans have not endorsed W. Y {
Of Hutchinson is due only to
the fact that their convention has not I
been held Yet Morgan will come to F
Topeka with positive strength in every I
congressional district
Now Bristow will enter the conven-
ton with an endorsement from just I
one county-Dougias. The DougIa /
was given last Saturday f
three days in advance Of the Fifth .
district convention. But it didn't /
seem to affect delegates to the Man
haitian convention and they gave
Hanna an endorsement that may pur /
him in the race in advance of the for
1ner United States senator and will at
least split the Fifth district
Efforts are now being made to Sc
cure the election of w J. Bailey of .
Atchison as a member of the Big
Four But BaIley's situation paraI- F
lels that of Bristow. The First dis I
trict has endorsed T. D. Smith. Be I
cause of banking associations Bailey +
IS for J. r BurrOw for national com +
So the same interests that
put BristOw in the running NAV urge
the election of the former governor in .
an effort to split the First and Fifth +
a rF-Ts- leTe