The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-08-09
Name of Dryden Left Off Ballot
in Five Counties.
Criminal Proceedings ii "Mis-
take" Was Intentional.
NEAR CERTAINTY OF A CONTEST
Matter Would Go Before State
Canvassing Board.
Chance That There May Have
Been Transmission Error.

Chances for a state primary scandal
doomed large in Topeka today as the
result of suspicious that the name of
w. ]. Dryden, Republican candidate
for state superintendent of insurance,
had been dropped from the ballot IN
a number of counties Friends of Bry-
den are investigating reports that the
candidates name may have been left
eff the ballot in not less than five
counties.
Bryden's name is known to have
been left off the ballot in Douglas
county. Telegraph reports from Ne
maha, Republic, Pottawatomie and
E.iley counties failed to mention Bry-
den in the tabulated returns. No rec
ord of a vote for the actuary in the
state department has been received
from any of the four counties.
There is a belief that Bryden's name
may have been dropped in several
counties. So far as known, names of
ali other candidates appeared proper
ly on ballots in the statewide primary
May End in Contest.
Should the suspicion held by a
number of Bryden's friends be con-
firmed, it is quite certain that the
Republican fight for the nomination
for state superintendent of insurance
will result in contest. 1t is almost
certain that the state canvassing board
viii be asked to refuse to certify
nominee for the office. Contest pro-
ceedings will also be brought In the
supreme court, it is asserted. At this
time friends of Dryden are not in a
position to state the course they will
take in alleging election irregularities
or corruption.
DOuplas county raporta5 S,,,f-o
Tuesdays voting that Bryden's name
had not been printed on the official
Republican ballot in@that county. Tt
was stated that new ballots were
being supplied in number of pre-
cincts, but many voters marked bal
lots which did not carry the candi-
late's name.
Certainty of Contest
Should it be shown that voters In
counties outside Douglas were de-
priyed of an opportunity to vote for
Dryden. there is practical certainty
of a contest. If investigation confirms
suspicious held by several people,
Bryden's friends do not hesitate to
state that they will take more drastic
action than mere contest proceedings.
They do not hesitate to state that a
final showing that Bryden's name was
eliminated in various counties, will re-
suit in investigations looking to GRIM
inal proceedings.
Travis Leads Field.
On the face of available returns,
Frank l.. Travis, of lola, lieutenant
colonel of the Kansas Ammunition
train in France. is nominated. Dryden
and Charles W. Dfngman, of Clay
Center. are disputins second place on
the face Of returns received in To-
peka.
In Douglas county Bryden's name
would have appeared first. It was the
largest county in the state IN which
Dryden had been assigned first place
on the list of candidates, under the
eertification of J. T. Botkin, secre-
tary of state Dingman headed the
list, under Botkin's certification, in
Nemaha, Pottawatomie. Riley and Re-
public counties.
Should grounds for contest be es-
tablished, the vote of the five counties
might be eliminate rom the official
returns SO far as Il office of insur-
ance superintendent is concerned OF
course there is a possibility that omis-
sion of Bryden's name from returns
from some of the counties may have
been an error in Transmission. None
the less Bryden's friends are looking
up records in all of the counties