The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-02-22
NO FIRE ESCAPE?
Apparent That BOurbOns See
No Way Out Now.
Lack of Former Convention
FerVOr Causes a Panic.
IT MAY Be GOOD POLITICS
Early Eruption Would Be Com
fort to Enemy.
Strange and Unusual Situation
in Topeka Today.
1T MAY Be GOOD POLITICS


Kansas Democracy is looking yainly
Tor rope.
DELEGATES who came early for the
state convention were yelling loudly
and hitting straight from the shoulder
Then great fear seemed to oYertake
them II was a horror of the after
effect Of their own initiative Ihe
Bat produced no more nightmare
than the lobby gossip. Three hours
before the convention opened today d
cdnside cradle number of delegates we're
running franucaliy from their own
shadows.
II is "a strange and unusual situa-
ton. Men who have been thru some
OF the worst rough and tumble po-
Iitlcal fights Kansas has seen in a
generation are today suffering from
an acute attack Of buck ague-
ftlcrable number of men who came
here ga answer TO the convention cali
want to make some speeches, adjourn
The convention was called TO defy
the statewide primary. II was calleu
i'm an effort to restore lost ieauershlp
for an almost hopeless minority parry
in state politics. Its purpose was 10
suggest a state ticket to the party
y9ters ina August and to outline more
than eight months in advance OF me
election the principles on when the
party would make its fight IN the cam
paign. To be sure, the conVehtlon
colItd not bind or control primary
election action. Neither could it force
down the party council which meets
nest August the policies it would oe-
fire But il did propose to get To-
.-ethcr and fortify for the battle
To he sure the party may go thru
with its plans under the convention
calf IT may propose uebet atu e.
write a platform. If so. a good many
DELEGATES i'm tho convention TO-DAY may
hr ON the verge OF apopleXy before
the meeting breaks up
Chance for Victory.
Suddenly the Democrat Leadership
fr Kansas appears to have seen
great light. Apparently the men Whu
dJlfIuch ~ the deep sea thinking lor
tine } arty orgauiaat on came TO town
and brought the sensational intCrrna-
ton that there is a chance for DEM
ocrat victory next fall
Sow the brave men Of yesterday
are TODAY running madly from any
thing that would in any wise resemble
"a DEFIANT stand. There. isn't much OF
that old time Democrat determine
lion today. The old courage that
bulldog face is lacking. To be sure
the desire is still there. ] ct there IS
also the feeling that some one might
gCt al chCwCd up.
TOCuy there IS the feeling n good
7-auy quarters that maybe the party
ought TO wait until after the primaries
before saying anything about the in
Gusfrial court law. There is bit OF
continent that maybe the party
shouldn't do anything that would
cau-e anyone 10 explain. There Is
algo that faith that the folks at home
are simply wild about the primary
election law. Hence the feeling
among "a good many delegates that
suggestions as 10 a ticket at this time
IN ght be resented and quite a few
people who might be induced to vote
Tor some Democrats in November
would change their minds and stay
right at home in the Republican
party.
Wise Men in Warning.
To be sure the convention may go
thru with its plan. But it won't be
without warning from many of the
wise men. They went to bed late last
night. They were up and around the
ho,el Hobbies early this morning with
"A warning that the party ought to play
safe. Defiance was such an easy mat
ter few months ago when it looked
ans tho the party would be licked any
way. Today. tho, with a feeling that
- cood many Republicans may not be
pleased with their party nominee for
governor, there is a growing tendency
To play safe and take no chances.
That was the situation less than
three hours before the gavel fell at
the call OF todays convention. The
perhaps. but none the less admiring
minority party in striking out for a
row political organization Today a