The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-02

ed at so much per plate. or, provided on
the side. All the hotel keepers. restaur-
ants and clubs of the city, where these
banquets have been held, have been
violators of the nuisance law.
Now for a little history of the police
board of Topeka, and I sincerely trust
you will be kind enough to print what
I have to say
When the present board was first ap-
pointed. Mr.. Wil<erson was elected
chief of police. / protested against this
appointment as strongly as 1 could, but
it went just the same. What was the
result? AT the end of the year, after
a most bitter and determined effort on
the part of Mr.. Wilkerson to enforce
the prohibitory law to the very letter,
he resigned with almost 100000 in dam
age suits hanging over his head.
When President Bonebrake resigned
(about the same time as Mr.. Wilker-
SOM and Frank Foster was appointed
president of the board, a new chief of
police had to be elected
AS is we'll known, / was not in favor
of Mr.. Gardiner. Neither was DR. Nc
Cabe. believe Mr.. Gardiner to be as
much too slow as Wilkerson was too
radical. But the Journal took up Mr..
Gardeners cause, lauded him to the
skies and made it appear that it would
be high crime and a misdemeanor for
the board not to appoint him chief of
police. The result was that so much
pressure was brought to bear upon
good DR.. McCabe that he was con-
strained to vote for Mr.. Gardiner, and
he was elected.
Mr.. Foster as president of the board
desired a most rigid enforcement of the
prohibitory law, and to secure the same
wanted special patrolmen, or spoilers,
appointed. I absolutely refused as far
as my vote was concerned, to permit
the employment of such beasts and
DR.. McCabe stood by me. We had had
enough of that sort of business under
the Wilkerson regime, where the result
nit as to the convictions, but
oceans of cost to the city
Mr.. Foster went ahead, however, till
influential Republicans became alarmed
and his decapitatiOn was secured.
Mr. Rodgers was thereupon appointed
president of the board. With the history
law permitting arrest upon suspicion de-
clared unconstitutional. with public opin-
ion overwhelmingly against the employ
ment of spoilers, and coming in, he
did, at the tail end of an administration
Mr.. Rodgers has necessarily gone slow as
to his policy Under the circumstances.
ne could not have done otherwise. Then
came the Fall Festival ''interregnum,' .
and the fan campaign These affairs had
a tendency to relax matters somewhat
but on the whole. the record of the city.
| cerned. is way above the average.
Now as to the police board. It meets
according to law once a week. 1t ap-
| points the police officers of the city as
| the mayor and city council would appoint.
| forcement of the law If they do not en-
| force the law, new officers should be ap~
] plain every little violation of the law, but
| it is for the chief of police to look after
such matters 1t would not require much
| effort, a little energy would do it.
/ know am a very Insignificant men,
/ ber of the board of police commissioners.
| A sort of a fifth wheel to a wagon, as it
| were, but were I chief of police of To-
| peka- l would try to make the penalty
| fit the crime. and whenever a gentleman
| like Mr.. Chiles sent me an Invitation to
! attend a grand opening and partake of
| beer and wine. I would be around and see
what it all meant.
But am not chief of police. I am not
| the police board. / am only a minority
member, whose views concerning the
| chief executive officer of the police force
have been twice overridden and do not
| propose to openly. or quietly. accept the
1 acts of such executive officers as mine,
Thanking you for your courtesy in
1 printing these few lines, I remain, yours
| respectfully.
CHAS. K. HOLIDAY, JR.,
| Democratic Member Police Board of To-
| peka-