Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1920-03-09
VIM, ALLEN WHITE MUzHES' PAPER,
 RUNS F0R OFFICE
EmpOria Editor Announces Candidacy for Con-
 ventiOn

Emporia, Kan, March S.-Somc.
 thing epochal has happened in the life of Emporia of Kansas, of Kan
 can party, and of the world of Etera-
 can party, and of the wordl of Htera-
 ture. It is doubtless an extraor-
 dinary event which would seriously
 affect such divergent groups, schools
 of thought and streams of life.
 It is this-William Allen White.
 known to Empofians as editor of the
 hmporla Gazette; to Kansans as
 intimate of Henry J. Allen and as
 one of the states chief press agents
 through his famous novels, and to
 the world in general as author of A Certain Rich Man." Henry and
 Me" and others-William Allen White is out for a political office
 What the office is, is of course secondary matter to the people of Kansas. As q matter of fact. White IS candidate for delegate to the re-
 publican national convention. His announcing as candidate is of more interest than the office, how ever. to Kansans, who look upon
 White as power in literature, poli- tics and journalism. Of course, he has always been in politics, more or less, but in the more than a quarter of century that he has been in public notice, he has never sought a political office.
 Truly characteristic White has announced his candidacy in a humorous, interesting statement, en- titled, Heavy, Heavy Hangs" stat ing that for the time being he has kissed liberty good-by and muzzled the press. He sets forth partly as follows:
 "Heavy, heavy hangs over our head The white light that beats upon candidate gleams upon the minority report of hair that shelters our thought works in our declining years. We are candidate for dele gate to the republican national con-, vention from this congressional dis trict and with that candidacy, liberty of the press is throttled in the Gazette.
 "For 25 years, under monastic vows against office-seeking, we have said in the columns of this paper whatever we pleased. If betimes itt delighted us to be complete, 1OI v"l"mes. "alf-bnnnd idiot. we went at the job free and untrammeled, and put on the trimmings with a glad hand. If we desires to use the ax on man, a cause or an institu- tion, whack went the aX and in she { went to the handle, and we tromped on the top of what we cared to. The Emporia Gazette was a free news i paper, hampered only by the limita- tions of a steadily growing payroll and circulation thereto appertain- | ing. l
 But with this candidacy to the | national convention, we have given hostages to fortune. We are hamstrung and hobbled. Every line we write has to be considered in view of it's effect upon lot of luna- tic radicals who will think we have deserted them, or mossback stand- patters who will see us flying the party coop every time we indicate that Moses did not write the Payne Aldrich tariff upon the tablets of stone."
 Candidacy Not Explained.
 At this point one is moved to in, auire White's plans, what he stands for in his candidacy, and what he intends to do. The underlying cause is lacking in the statements issued thus far. The astute- may have un- earthed something in Whites friend ship with Governor Allen to explain the candidacy. It will be remember ed that short time since. White launched boom for Allen for president. Although the gogvgernor promptly denied that he was can iidate and stated he desired re-elec- ,ion as governor the boom assumed proportions.