Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-10-11
BUYING THE BREWERS.
How the PopulIst Administration PROPOSED
To Protect an ILLEGAL TrnfHe.

Kansas L. D. Lewelling guaranteed
the brewing concerns and some Of thu
wholesale liquor houses owned and do
ing business in this city that in thu
event Of his election they should b,
protected in their business in thai
state. The price paid for this guaran
tee was se,O50 OF this sum the An
heuser-Busch Brewing association, o.
st. Louis, paid $500; William.J. LemE
Brewing Co., Of st. Louis, $500; Ferd
Helm Brewing Co., Of Kansas City
500; Sol Block, wholesale liquor dealer
OF Kansas City, $50; Pabst Brewing Co.,
Of Milwaukee, s7Oo.
This charge is the most direct Of the
many charges Of corruption yet made
against the populist administration. II
is made on the authority Of John s. ia.
cobs, Of Wichita, a member Of the
liquor firm Of ". A. Polk & Co. Of that
city. Jacobs was the man who negoti-
ated the deal and made some Of the
payments.
The guarantee Of protection was
made BY Gov. Lewelling direct. In a
majority Of cases the money was paid
to Col. II. L. Taylor, Of Wichita. Tay-
lor Is the man whom Gov. Lewelling
appointed state oil inspector, and who
has been his direct representative in
every combination to extort money
from violators Of the law.
W. W. Atkin, Of Kansas City, Kan,
Is the representative Of Gov Lewelling
in that city. In each Of the other first
class cities Of the state there Is o local
representative. But they are only
deputies. Taylor has charge Of the
state. Atkin and all the others report
to Taylor, and Taylor confers with
Gov. Lewelling.
There may have been, and probably
were, other contributions from the
brewing concerns and liquor dealers
to the Lewelling campaign fund un-
der this guarantee.
Only the sums named with the con-
Germs which paid them came under the
direct knowledge of Mr.. Jacobs, who
makes the charge A dispatch to the
Times from Wichita tells the whole
story Of Jacobs connection with the
deal Jacobs was democrat, and two
years ago was an enthusiastic supporter
Of Gov. Lewelling The firm OF W. A.
Polk & Co., OF which he Is member,
Is engaged in the wholesale liquor bust
ness, and is wholesale agent for the
Pabst Brewing Co.
Mr.. Jacobs was asked by the Times
correspondent at Wichita this question:
ibid your firm contribute to the pop.
ulist campaign fund.-"
To this question Jacobs replied:
Eyes, early in the fall of 1892, Gov.
Lewelling, then resident of this city,
and candidate for governor, called upon
Mr.. Polk and me at our office in this
city, and asked us II we could not assist
in raising fund from the liquor deal
ers and brewers ut Kansas City, Mo-,
and requested us to introduce Col. II.
L. Taylor, Of this city, now state oil
inspector, an appointee Of Gov. Level.
ling, to the brewers and liquor dealers
at Kansas City, Mo-, at the same time
authorizing us to say to the liquor
dealers and brewers that If he was
elected governor he would protect |
them In their business in Kansas"
"Did you afterward meet Col. Tay-
lor?'
"Yes; shortly after our interview with
Candidate Lewelling, Col. Taylor called
at our place Of business and arranged
for us to meet him ut Kansas City, Mo.
Some two weeks afterward Mr.. Polk
and ! by appointment met Col. Taylor
at the st. James hotel in Kansas City,
and us agreed upon introduced him to
brewers and delivered to them the mes
sage of Candidate Lewelling guaran-
teeing protection to liquor dealers If
elected governor
"Did you know the amount contrib
uted by the brewers and liquor dealers
at that time, or pursuant to the ar
ranements made by Col. Taylor, and by
whom paid and to whom?'
"Yes; 5000. OF this amount W. A.
Polk & Co., paid 5000 to Rufe Cone, now
chief of police in this city; Anheuser-
Busch Brewing association paid to Col
II. l.. Taylor $500; William j. Lemp
Brewing Co. paid $500 to Col. Taylor;
Ferd Helm Brewing Co. paid to Taylor
800; Sol Block, wholesale liquor deal.
er, Of Kansas City, Mo-, paid $50 TO
Taylor, and the Pabst Brewing Co,
s70O. The sum paid by
Pabst was not all paid at once, nor to
the same person, but through several
different hands. kansas City Times.