The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-03-02
War Fails To Keep Down Pre-.
vaiIing Interest in Kansas.
New Moves on CheckerbOard
Are Being Made Daily.
FOR GOVERNOR AND SENATOR
Main Fight Is Made Around
These Big Contests.
Several Candidates To Open
Headquarters Soon.

World war with it's horrors and
sacrifice and suffering won't keep the
spotlight off the political battle in
Kansas. A political war is the states
biennial heritage. Kansas is loyal and
patriotic in the war crisis. But she
won't surrender a birthright-even to
think only of war. So Kansas poiti-
clans are lying awake nights and
dreaming of the moves on the poItlcal
checker board in the coming prl-
maries.
Thsre are two battles that will keep
Republican enthusiasm at hlgh
mitch this summer. One is the sena-
torship. Til. other is the guberna-
torial contest. To be sure, the Demo
Gratis may trail along with a bttle
senatorial fight of their own. But the
real primary show will be under tne
Republican tent with stars of many
previous campaigns as top line at
fractions
Several candidates will open head
quarters in Topeka in a few days. II
is the preliminary move in organizing
the state in the senatorial ana COVER
norship fights. 1t is also the early
spring drive which will increase the
Topeka postal receipts.
Fight Around Capper.
Looking at the senatorship as the
issues are shaping at this time, the
fight will be made around Governor
Capper It is the organization OF
movement to beat Capper which VIII
give life and color to the senatorship
in Kansas next August. 1t was this
movement which brought Walter Ros-
coe Stubs into the r-nning. 1t is the
effort of Stubbs and Charles F. scott
to corral the anti-Capper vote which
now threatens to split the Capper OPP
position. Of course, Joseph L. Bris-
fnx v1JiIl hn in
surface. at least, he is not considered
a real factor
Governor Capper with his multiple
city of publications and his state pat
ronage following is unquestionably
the man with whom the opposition
must reckon. Yet the Capper opposi-
ton have sat in the hotel lobby seats
in the last few weeks and rubbed
their hands in childish glee. They had
brought to Topeka the word that Cap
per was slipping. So the warriors put
a new hitch in their belts and went to
look for more recruits.
Charles F. Scott has been in the
senatorial race more than a year.
Whether SCOTS strength would have
developed to sufficient proportions to
have finished neck and neck with
Capper in the primaries is problemati-
cal. The fight seemed to be up in the
air. Then Stubs came into the race.
The Scott followers have commended
Capper. The Capper forces have
urged that Stubs has split the Capper
opposition. Stubs friends have con-
tended that he has drawn sufficiently
from both Capper and Scott to have
given him the ground plan of an or
ganization which can win in August.
Stubbs a Favorite.
In Wichita this week Stubs was
without doubt the favorite before the
cattIemen's convention. Stubs was
president of the organization. 1t was
the red fox's big show. It was his OPP
portunity to shower red fire. And his
friends made the most of the oppor-
tunity. In the meantime Scott is out
working. Bristow is busy with that
silent element which is opposed to the
war program and which may mean
much or nothing in the primaries. AS
for Capper his 81 varieties of publica-
tions never forget to mention the gov
ernor. The cogs in the state machin-
cry are working quite smoothly. The
poultry clubs and sthe pig clubs are
busy. And there you are.
Lack of Publicity.
One element of power in a state
wide primary may cripple Stubs and