Kansas City daily journal., 1896-12-18
A DOSE OF The LAW.
is BEING PREPARED FOR TWO IN
COMING GANG OFFICIALS.
ARRANGING TO PROSECUTE.
THEY WILL BE CHARGED WITH
PROMISING APPOINTMENTS.
This Is Violation of the Corrupt
Practices Act and They May Be
Kept Out of Office and
Fined and Sentenced
to Prison. -
ARRANGING TO PROSECUTE.
Another row has broken out in the Dem

| Ocratic family that threatens to produce
dire results for at least two of the men
returned as elected to offices in November
and may prevent both from taking those
offices. The two men are Robert L. Stone
| sheriff-elect. and Samuel H. Chiles, the
incoming county marshal. If the fight now
! being made on them is successful, it means
! that William H. Sloan will serve Jackson
county as marshal and Ed Eylar will per-
| form the duties of sheriff for the next two
| years.
Men who were promised positions during
the campaign and not given them have
made revelations of the ante-election prom
ises and attorneys who mean business
are said to have collected numerous affi-
davits proving the promises conclusively
and are now completing preparations for
/ proceedings against both Stone and Chiles
under the corrupt practices act of 1898 to
| prevent them from taking the offices on
the opening of the new year. Stone knows
! of the fight that is to be made on him, and
to some of his friends he has expressed
| fear that the enemies who are after him
may make him plenty of trouble if they
really push the fight. That he is deeply
worried over the matter is known to his
| friends, and was freely talked of yester-
| day all over the city. The same state of
facts substantially appears in the move
ment against Sam Chiles, and his friends
in the city are alarmed at the prospect of
| having their gang methods of campaign
preparation inquired into in court of
| justice, where an honest effort would be
| made to sift out the truth.
| Nearly all of the party workers we're dis
| cussing the matter yesterday and 1t was
f1l.l. l,,4I hnHN
| secured and were to be used as the basis
| for the actions were in the hands of At
| torney ]. NJ. Callahan, of Independence,
| and from the best information obtainable
| by the gang managers the statement was
| made that they appeared to be very con-
elusive that certain deputyships and minor
positions had been promised during the
campaign for the purpose of cementing a
certain alliance of elements through which
| Stone secured the election and which also
carried Chiles through safely. 1t was told
openly during the campaign that promises
were being made freely and that official re-
| ward was being offered for influence and
| votes and it is fact generally accepted
| by these who know of the practical
| methods of gang politics that the reports
were wholly true and would be suscepd-
| bic of proof without much, trouble.
| 1t is also a fact that after the election
| the newly elected Democrats were called
| together for counsel and to listen to the
plan the gang boss had arranged for the
| distribution of deputyships. There were
deputies appointed for certain offices that
| were never thought of by the officers them
| selves, and were not wanted either, but
| were taken because the bosses had prom
ised positions and the promises had to be
| fulfilled. The only man who fought the
gang division and apportionment of depu-
| ties was Charles ]. Bower, the assessor,
who told the gang he owed it nothing and
| had nothing to pay, and proposed to ap-
| point such deputies as he chose. He said
| he would not allow the gang to name a
| single man for his office. He even went
| farther, and told the gang to go to Hal
| flax or any other place congenial, and
| left the room in a rage. 1t left the gang
| in tangle, as it had promises out that
| could not be fulfilled, and the understand
| ing is the trouble grew out of that fight
| The gang had given more promises than
it had positions, and the trouble has been
| brewing since that time, and finally when
| the positions were apportioned and certain
workers of long years standing were thrust
| aside to make places for representatives of
| a faction of recent conversion there arose
| a mighty howl and the fight was on from
| that moment.
No matter whether the promise made Is
| fulfilled not. the law makes the promise
the offense, and every promise is a separate
| offense and there is liability for each one.
| If any man made promise for himself or
| allowed any man who represented him to
| make any promises or use any other hope
! of reward or profit, direct understood
| he violated the act and cannot hold the
| office to which he was elected. The law
| was framed to stop that sort of work and
| it is direct and plain in its provisions and
| sweeping in its scope. The penalties are
| severe and if the proof of the charges be
made plain there would be hard nut for
the gang lawyers to crack to keep their
| men from serious trouble.
| It is said that both men mentioned, as
| well as others. used more money during
| the campaign than was legal, and that
| phase of the trouble may also be added to
| the other and make double dose for them
| The penalty for using too much money is
| forfeiture of the office and ante-election
| promises are listed as bribery and punished
| accordingly with fine and Imprisonment.
Whether or not the proof of the charges
| can be brought forth remains to be seen
| but the fact that the alleged affidavits We're
| in the possession of we'll known fighting
| Democrat from Independence caused much
| trouble among the gangsters of the city
yesterday and they held many secret eau
| cuses to hunt for way out.
| The law provides that if a man charged
| with either of these offenses be prevented
| by legal proceedings from taking the office
| IL goes to the man who received the next
| highest vote, which, in the two cases.
would mean that Ed Eylar would succeed
| John P. O'NeiIl as sheriff and William NJ
Sloan would take the office of marshal
Sloan was once fairly elected to this office
but fraud and forgery of returns prevented
him possessing it.