The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-10-20

Washington and returned to-Kansas
shocked, Mortified and chagrined be-
cause, as he saw it. an evil and cor
rupt lobby was robbing the govern
ment Bristow charged that Wash
ington officials were aiding or willing
tools in the loot of the national treas
ury. Later Bristow leaned to La
Toilette when the Wisconsin senator
was caught under the range of the
denounced the La Toilette tactics and
utterances in the senate.
Capper Has Sawed Wood.
All the time Governor Capper has
sawed wood. He has made more
speeches than both Scott and Bris-
tow He has swung from anti-pre-
paredness to preparedness and from
ment But in his speeches, Governor
Capper frankly and candidly admits
all these things. He regrets war could
not be avoided. Now that we are in
it. he tells his audiences, the United
States must and will win and there is
no halfway ground, no compromise
and no quarter until democracy reigns
supreme and autocracy is wiped from
the face of the world.
But Governor Capper doesn't de-
vote all of his time to the war. He is
brushing up some of the choice Sec
tions of his 1915 campaign speech,
is praising the work of the women in
the war, and in public and private
life. He never forgets to talk about
prohibition and in more than It's
speeches in the last campaign the
governor never failed to get a rise"
when he said the saloon is going out
the back door never to return.
Plays to Kids Too.
And there are the Riddles. Cover
nor Capper not only draws big crowds,
but he gets the biggest response from
the youngsters of any man who has
played the political game in Kansas
in years Almost without exception,
he devotes a portion of his speech to
the Kansas youngsters. His picnic,
his pig clubs and poultry organiza-
lions and corn growing campaigns
bring him right up close to the boys
and girls who can't vote-yet. But
United States senator is elected for
six years. And should Governor Cap
per win next year, he will probably
be back again in 1924. Any number
of pig club members just coming out
the knee pants age now, will be voting
in 1920. Nor will the poultry organi-
cations be seed entirely on barren soil
so far asst the women voters are con-
cerned. OF course it is improbable
that Governor Capper is boosting the
Kansas kiddies from purely selfish
motives. He naturally likes them.
But friendships and political ambi-
tons have been known to go in for
many long hand holding sessions.
Primaries Months Off.
The senatorial primaries are nine
months away 1t is slightly more than
a year until the 1918 election Many
things may happen in that time But
should Governor Capper Win-and inst
now the surface indications give him
something more than a fifty fifty
chaRe-he will have succeeded in
smashing some political records
Never in the history of the state has
governor succeeded to the United
States senatorship. ANY number of
governors have held the ambition. In
fact practically all of them have at
some time during their STAY in the
state mousse dreamed of power and in
fluence in Washington. But none has
ever landed. 1t has become political
tradition that a governor cannot on to
the senate from Kansas.
No native Kansan sat in the gov
ernor's. chair in Topeka until Gov
ernor Capper was elected.
"Ffrst to "Come Back"
NO man was ever beaten for gov
erHor OF Kansas and returned in the
next campaign to defeat his conuueror
of the previous election. That lie no
one ever did it, until Governor Gamer
fell before the Republican league
drive in 1912 and lost to Governor
Hodges, returning to defeat Hodges in
1914. Hodges himself nearly riyaIed
the record when he was beaten bv
Stubs in 1910 and won the governor
ship in his defeat of Go0arnor Gamer
in 1912.
NO governor ever called a speciaI
legislative session and held favor with
the voters. Just at this time a special
session of the legislature seems a
probable necessity. 1t has passed the
stage of possibility. Now il is a oues-
ton concerning the ability of the state
to conduct its official business. during
the next year without an extra session.
can Governor Capper call a special
session and retain his present power?
Can he win the senatorship and secure
title as the miracle man in Kansas
politics? Can he smash old traditions
and show the old timers in the polit-
zeal game that man can sit in the
governors chair and succeed to the
SenatOrShiD?