The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-04-08
HODGES SPIKES
ENEMY'S Guns
Former Governor Declines to
Permit Use of His Name
In Race for Delegate at Large
to st. Louis.
MEAN TRnIIRI + EnR THnMpSnN
MEAN TROUBLE FOR THOMPSON
Senator Is Deprived of One Ex-
cuse for Running.
Governors Action May Affect
Fortunes of J. w. Orr.

George H. Hodges, former governor,
will not permit his name to go before
the Democratic state convention as a
candidate for delegate at large to the
national convention. By his action,
Hodges escapes an embarrassing stu
alton and checks the next move in the
state convention fight to William H.
Thompson, United States senator.
Hodges's action, which was announced
today from his home in Olathe, is by
far the most important move in the
pre-convention fight.
With Hodges out of the race as a
candidate for a place on the Big Four,
Senator Thompson's friends are to-
day in an embarrassing position. They
will be handicapped in their efforts to
put the United States senator on the
delegation at large and their fight for
]. w. Orr for national committeeman
will be less easy to explain. With
Hodges in the running, the Thompson
crowd found easy access to a strong
defense in the declaration that they
were merely protecting their interests
pirant for Thompson's place in the
senate. Now Hodges will not be a
candidate for delegate.
In statement today, Hodges does
not mention Thompson or Neeley. He
merely states that some of the men
who have been staying at home should
go to the national convention. He will
use his efforts in securing that result.
He will not permit his own name to
go before the convention.
New Vein of Trouble.
It is quite probable that the Hodges
move may precipitate a new brand
of trouble before the state convention.
The action of the former governor will
scarcely be taken as a move purely
for patriotic purposes and most strict
fidelity to party. Hodges and his
friends realize the role in which his
announcement will leave the Thomp-
son forces. 1t means the Democratic
senator's friends will be unable to pro-
vide a sound reason why Thompson
should go to the national convention
as a delegate.
For some time it has been known
that the Thompson following would
not seriously oppose HodgeS'S candi-
dacy. While many persons and some
newspapers have doped a Hodges
Thompson fight, there has really been
no effort on the part of Senator
Thompson's close friends to keep
Hodges off the delegation to st. Louis.
In fact, the selection of Hodges was
recognized as strengthening of
Thompson's position. Such action was
to Thompson's support in the conven-
ton. 1t was not that the Hodges
and Thompson workers loved each
other more than in the campaign of
1914. 1t was the realization of
Thompson's friends of the value of a
little extra strength in the convention.
Must Begin Over.
Now things must be done all over
again. Hodges is going to Hutchin-
son to help put some new blood in the
delegation to the national convention.
He may kick up a lot of trouble while
in the Salt town. Even in advance of
the convention he has placed tEe
Thompson crowd in a hole from which
it will be difficult to climb.
81 have received numerous letters
and personal solicitations to become
one of the delegates at large to the
Democratic national convention
Hodges stated today. 81 shall decline
to permit my name to be used. A
Democrat should give his services to
the party without expecting reward.
1t will be a decided honor to be one
of the delegates at large to the con-
vention that will nominate. the next
president of the United States. There
are thousands of loyal, hard working
Democrats who have unstintingly CIV
en- their services to the party. l feel
the Hutchinson convention has an OPP
portunity to reward and recognize
some of these men and shall use my
endeaVOrS to that end"