The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-07-12

lily STATE JOURNAL
came to Topeka for a quiet confer
, ence. In an interview at that time
he stated that he expected to be
candidate for reelection. But he flat
ly declined to say whether he would
run as a Republican or a Progressive.
| Then came the conference.
Harmony Was Theirs.
| After the conference Bristow started
a hip-hip-hooray for Republicanism.
| Harmony in letters of red and gold
and as big as a church steeple was
| the watch word. Br1stow literally
bathed in harmony He was as pro-
| gressive as the most progressive and
a stand pat as the worst standpa+ter.
| Charles Curtis of Topeka, who had
| been defeated by w. r. Stubs in a
senatorial primary but two years earl
/ Ter, was in the running against Bris-
| tow. Curtis wanted to regain his toga
| and nothing short OF prusic acid
| cleansed his expressions and senti-
| mentS for Bristow. But BriStow pc
| came so harmonious things looked
| dubious.
! Capper ran IN a clear field. Har-
mony rose up to greet him at every
| turn. In fact some OF the ardent Cap
| perities wanted to revise the spelling
of the word that it might begin with
a capital c., in recognition of the ac-
cepted choice Of a reunited party.
! When the harmonizlng at the pri-
mary was all over, Bristow was repu-
| dated by his own party-or at east
| by the party which he called his own
Harmony didn't hold the charms
which drew Bristow to love all man.
| kind before the primary vote. In tact,
| Bristow didn't hesitate to tell his
| friends that Governor Capper ha d
given him a round cornered square
deal. Bristow said fatty that the sup
port he expected wasn't there when
! he looked for it.
| For six weeks BriStow stayed in his
tent and muttered dire and dread
things. But man who is walking
out of high office into nothing much
| except private life and a frosty re-
ception at home, is inclined to he
| more or less reasonable about some
| things. So when the state committee
| suggested to Bristow that possibly the
end of the world was not yet, Bristow
sat up and observed Further -sug-
! gestions put Bristow into the CAM
| paign for the party with both feet
altho he spoke more or less dispar-
ingly of the governors end of the
agreement when talking in confidence
| with friends. But Bristow wasn't go
/ ing entirely back to private life at
one step if he could help it So he
| returned to the state and talked Re-
| publicanism while he looked over the
list of available state jobs.
Gave Him Pest Job.
| When the governor took his oath,
he sent Bristow's name to the senate
as . member of the utilities commits
sion 1t was the best job in the state
house and quite to BristOw's liking
| since he was finally and entirely re-
moved from the environment of Wash
ington society and his West Virginia
peanut farm But Bristow didn't in
tend to be a subordinate and he talk
ed to the governor about it. All of
which resulted in Bristow being placed
/ at the head of the commission.
Since going to the commission. Rris-
tow has at all times been regarded
as a candidate for the senate in 1918.
| But not until his anti-War statements
! did he define an issue. Hundreds of
! kanSanS have demanded that Cover
nor Capper remove Hrfstow from his
Job. But the governor did not act.
Removal of Bristow might create a
| head. In any event-so Bristow SEEM
ingly reasoned-it would not hurt
Bristow. So he kept right on. .G4r
He May Fight Capper.
Recently Bristow's paper has crit
icised editorials in the governors pa
per concerning the freight and passen-
ser rate cases. 1t is viewed in politics
as direct turn on the state admins
tration. 1t may seem that Bristow in
tends not only to fight the war pro-
gram. but also the governors admin
istration of which Bristow has him
self been a part. The present criti-
cisms have been directed against edi-
torials appearing in the governors pa
Per relative to freight and passenger
| rate increases.
Bristow's term on the commission
expires next January. In political
circles there is a belief that Bristow
is seeking martyr role by forcing
the governor to remove him from Of
flee. The same martyr role would
apply if Bristow We're permitted to
serve the balance of his term and were
denied appointment. If the gov
ernor retained Bristow and reap
pointed him, hundreds of people who
have demanded Bristow's removal
might exercise their wrath at the
polls But to reappoint or retain
Bristow would merely furnish him a
soft job, railroad passes and an easy
vantage point from which to fight the
governor for the senatorial nomina.
ton. There is little doubt but that
the governor understands and appre
c1ates these things. All of which will
add much interest to the moves in the
Capper-Bristow senatorial fight