The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-01-11
In State Politics
into OPEN SWITCH
Governors Advisers Give Him
Wrong Dope.
Biggest Fight Was For Speaker
ship of Senate
MULvAhE ISSUE IS RAISED
1t Was Beautiful Fight to the
Finish.
Fighting Line Probably Will
Stand During Session.
MULvANE ISSUE is RAISED
BY A. L. SHULTZ.

governor Alien ADVISERS have
seemingly run him into an open switch
on the legislative organization. The
kitchen cabinet forced the issues, de-
fined them. heralded them to the pub
lie and drew a fight. Then they lost
every chip.
\ Two years ago the state administra-
ton started the session with friendly
speaker and control of the house or
ganization. In the senate the admin
istration secured more than an even
break on new committee assignments.
The trouble which came to the gov
ernor after the first few weeks of the
1919 session was started after the two
houses got under way. In the present
session the administration has SEEM
ingly lost the prestige of control of the
big committees and is in a bad strate-
gic position for the red hot session
which may well be expected.
Several weeks ago Fred Trigg con-
fidentially told his friends that 1.-THE
house had gone to help when he gave
up the fight that had been started on
w. w. Harvey's speakership candi-
dacy. The fight was made in the
governor sanctioned and approved
such proceedings or not. Not only
did Harvey win the speakership fight,
but he eliminated a big field and the
\
reclamation.
The Most Important Fight.
Probably the biggest and most i'm
portant fight was for the secretary
ship of the senate. The Mulvane is
sue, which had been raised in the fight
on Harvey, was transferred to Walter
e. johnson when it became clear that
defeat of Harvey was impossible In
the johnson fight the Mulvane forces
accepted the challenge only after it
had been dropped at their door
1t was beautiful fight in which the
old story of strange bedfellows in poll
tics was much in evidence. Against
Johnson was Sid Knapp of Concordia,
who for many years was a Leland
Mulvane-Albaugh cohort in the Fifth
district. Knapp is one of the keenest
and most adroit workers in his section
of the state. And with the benefits of
his years of training in the camps of
the old machine forces, was the kitch-
en- cabinet propaganda that he was
making the race against the candi-
date of the interests and the Mulvane
crowd. johnson who won over Knapp
won with the sMulvane support. But
Johnson's alignments were with Sena-
tor Capper and other progressives in
the party before he entered this race.
Battle to the Finish.
The fight on johnson was the one
chance to show the state that MuIvane
had been overthrow and repudiated.
Since he had been made an issue in
the fight, Dave Mulvane entered the
contest in fine spirit and abandon. He
stayed around the hotel Hobbies several
nights helping organize the johnson
forces. It was to be battle to the
finish.
In the fighting the issue of the state
and federal forces was raised. 1t only
made the fighting more bitter Back
OF the johnson organization was the
evidence of influences in Washington.
1t countered the handiwork of the adj
ministration managers who kept a per-
feet set of books as to state appointees
and department attaches who might be
able to reach some senator and deliver
a vote for Knapp. Thru influences in
the industrial court and other state
departments. pressure was brought to
There wasn't the least bit Of uncer-
tainty as to the final issue or the ulti-
mate purpose of both sides.
Used Every Ounce of Strength.
Had Knapp won, the state would
have been promptly advised that Null
vane and the federal patronage crowd
had been whipped. Knapp lost. He
lost after every ounce of strength and
energy of the governors advisers had
seemingly been thrown into the con-
test.
The state administration may not
be-eut of harmony with the house or
ganization. 1t is quite reasonable to
assume that Speaker Harvey will
make fair and equitable distribution
of committee assignments. He will
doubtless listen to suggestions and re-
quests from the administration. But
after the clean cut issue which was
cut out for him last summer by the
governors managers, it is hardly rea-
sonable to assume that he will be lad
vised" as to the course to pursue.
May Stand During Session.
In the senate johnson won after
every administration senator had been
delivered to Knapp in the fiercest
drive for votes in senate organiza-
ton fight in many years. The result
didn't mean merely the election of
johnson or the defeat OF Knapp. 1t
meant the drawing of a fighting line
which is likely to stand during the re-
mainder of the session. The twenty
defiants who stood out in spite of free
use of the lash, have in their hands
the veto power of the upper house
alignment with the ants would con-
stitute a clean cut majority in oppo-
sition to any policy which the adj
ministration might force.
OF course This is merely the first day
of the session. Governor Allen and
this support But today the admins
tration is seemingly without power to
dictate either in the house or the
senate. And history of legislative ses-
sions in Kansas has been that state
administrations seldom developed
strength after the formal organization
was out of the way.
The dope sheets on committee as
s:enrnents do not indicate that selec-
tons are being made entirely in accord
with the wishes Of the governor and
his managers. OF course the admin
istration will not be ignored. That
would be the poorest OF poor politics.
The anti-Allen crowd doesn't play the
game that way. To be sure the adj
will be recognized But
the administration was seemingly at
high tide when house and senate Re
publicans went into their caucuses
Monday afternoon.