Letter: Political history
Letter To Editor:
I was very interested in the article by Tom Isern about Dr. John R. Brinkley. He stated that Brinkley was nearly elected governor in 1930.
When I came to Marion in 1949, my law partner was Braden Johnston. Braden had been very active in Republican politics in Kansas in the 20s and 30s. He told me many tales about Kansas' politics in that period. Among such stories was the election of the Kansas Governor in 1930.
I cannot recall the name of the Republican candidate for Governor, but Harry Woodring was the Democratic candidate, and John R. Brinkley was an Independent "write-in" candidate. Brinkley had a knack for getting his name in the news, he conducted a vigorous campaign, and he had plenty of money for his campaign.
The leaders of both parties agreed that Kansas did not need a goat gland specialist as governor of the great state of Kansas.
Workers at the election boards were selected by the Republican and Democrat parties and were recommended by them to the County Clerk who made the actual appointment.
The word went out from both parties that the judges in counting the votes were to be very strict in counting write-in ballots. As a result, a very large number of Brinkley votes were thrown out, since they did not technically follow the letter of the law (then K.S.A. 25-416). Had all of the Brinkley votes been counted, he would have won by a landslide.
Harry Woodring was declared to be governor. He served a single two-year term and was defeated by Alf Landon in 1932.
The biggest reward that a defeated Democrat candidate for a major office in Kansas could hope for was an appointment to a federal office, if there happened to be a Democrat in the White House. FDR appointed Woodring Secretary of War, even though he was hardly qualified for the office. When the possibility of war became apparent in the late 30s/early 40s, Roosevelt appointed Frank Knox, a Republican, to be Secretary of War.
After WWII, I re-enrolled at Wichita University in the fall of 1946, and I was taking a Constitutional Law class from Harry Corbin. Harry Woodring had decided to make another run for governor that fall. He was scheduled to have a rally at the W.U. Commons on a morning that our class met. I persuaded Professor Corbin to hold our class at the Commons to hear what Woodring had to say. I didn't know what Corbin's politics were, but he knew that the W.U. President, Bill Jardine was a strong Republican, and Corbin was afraid Jardine would find out if we went, so he was reluctant to move the class. We assured Corbin that Jardine would never find out, and we moved to the Commons.
There was a big crowd there, for a Democrat rally in Kansas, including reporters from the Eagle and the Beacon (separate papers at the time). The afternoon Beacon came out with a front page story on the rally, with a picture of Corbin saying he had adjourned his class to the Commons area to hear Woodring.
Harry Corbin was not too thrilled with me the next time our class met.
Edward J. Costello
Marion
