The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-03-01
HUDSON'S SIDE.
State Printer Contest Again in
the Supreme Court Tomorrow.
Shows Attorneys Paid Out of
Governors Contingent Fund.
Major Goes For His Persecu-
tors With His Old Time Vigor.

A reporter of the Journal asked Ma
| jor Hudson the status of the case to
Gust him and put in Snow as state
printer. To this he replied:
THE quo warranto proceedings come
up in the supreme court tomorrow
morning. This case was brought by
Attorney General Boyle at the instance
of Governor Leedy to GUST me from the
office of state printer and recognize
Snow The contest on the part of
Snow to secure recognition has been
before the courts for nearly two years
Every phase of the questions involved
has been fully and carefully argued in
the district court in two trials and in
the supreme court in three cases. In
all these five actions the decisions have
been against Snow. The members of
the legislature in the house and senate
and general caucus of Mr.. Shows party
refused to elect a state printer to fill
my unexpired term In the Populist
caucus to nominate a state printer Mr.
Snow received two votes. He and his
claims and grievances have been re-
puGiated in the courts and by his party.
He has not a shadow of right or title
to the Office, morally, legally or politi
cally.
II have been recognized by the dis
trict court, the supreme court, the Leg
islature and the former Republican and
present Popuist state printing boards
as the legal state printer of Kansas.
My term expires June so, and nOtWith-
standing the harrassment and costs
forced upon me during the past two
years to maintain my right to this Of
flee, to which 1 was elected by a ma
jOrity of all the members of the legiSla-
ture of 1895, I am again confronted by
a new trial, apparently under the or
ders of Governor Leedy. Attorney
General Boyle, after giving the POpu-
list caucus an opinion that there was a
vacancy in the Office of state printer
now comes forward with q, statement in
his petition to the supreme court alleg-
ing that Snow is state printer and that
L ought to be ousted.
1T is something new in Kansas for
the attorney general to come to the de-
Tense of a man who has been turned
down in both the district and supreme
courts and seek to have the courts re-
verse their decisions in his favor. 1t is
still more extraordinary to have the
governor take so active a part, where
the courts have made their final de-
cisiOns, as to pay attorneys fees out of
his contingent fund, as he did in the
case just decided in the district court
and for the case coming up tomorrow.
On February II a bill was filed in the
auditors office drawing 5000 from the
contingent fund of the governor in IA
vor of G.. c. Clemens. The purpose is
expressly stated in the voucher thus:
Retainer as counsel employed by the
governor to assist the attorney general
in case OF State ex rel Attorney Cen
eral VS.. ]. K. Hudson in the supreme
court and action for injunction by j. K.
Hudson against secretary OF state and
others in district court of Shawnee
county, $780, This was certified to by
the governor and filed in the auditors
office February IL. No. 11,457 and paid
by the treasurer on the same day. on
February 20 another voucher was filed
by David Overmyer in which the same
reasons were given for his employment
by the governor and 5000 more drawn
from the state treasury. This voucher
was paid February 25, 1897. There is
not q fair minded citizen in any party
in Kansas who Will not denOunce this
expenditure of the states money in
the employment of attorneys to give
the decisions of the supreme court, as
unwarranted and unjustified in law or
justice or decency. L have no right to
lind fault with any man who seeks his
legal rights in the courts, but have
right to protest against the state au
thOrity and the state treasury being put
behind Mr.. Snow to secure for him
what has been denied him by his party,
by the legislature and by the courts.
The legal wolves are simply fighting for
fees past due and those to be won if he
succeeds, and it is q long way beneath
the dignity of the governor to assist
them even to the extent of employing
them at the expense of the taxpayers
of Kansas The whole case of Snow
now before the supreme court rests for
in the members of the court, and to
bring a suit upon such a hope is an
outrage upon the court and an insult to
it's members