The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-03-06

Replies to Charge that He Imported
Mechanics.

| To the Editor of the State Journal:
1 do not care to go into the news
papers to discuss the merits of my adj
ministration as mayor. The people are
familiar with what has been done by
the mayor and council. 1t is for them
to say whether it is worthy of an in
dOrSement or not. consider it of more
Importance to be regarded as a worthy
citizen of Topeka than to be mayor. 1
have received generous treatment from
my fellow citizens in the past, and will
be satisfied with what they do in the
future. 1t has always been very graf
tifying to me to receive a cordial sup
port from the laboring man. I have
tried to repay it by being their friend.
have worked side by side with many
of them at the bench, and know they
have given me their support without
expectation of reward or favor, and it
is for that reason l address this COM
munication to you.
In Thursdays Journal you reported
Colonel A. B. Jetmore as having said
in a meeting that I was unworthy of the
support of the laboring man because
had brought outside mechanics in to
compete with those at home can
only give facts as known by many and
let the people judge as to what credence
ought to be given his statements.
When we (Fellows & Van SanD built
the St. Joe Grand Opera House, we
took SO mechanics from Topeka to St.
Joseph; when we built the Kansas
Worlds fair building we took 76 me-
chanics from Topeka to Chicago. We
took 80 mechanics to help build the
high school building at Chapman, Dick
inson county; So to Leavenworth to
work on the Catholic academy, 29 to
work on the Spooner library building
at Lawrence; 81 to work on the Santa
Fe hospital at Temple, Tex; % to work
on Campbell university building at
Holton. We have built depots for the
Santa Fe from Chicago to Galveston
and Albuquerque and have taken hun
dreds of mechanics from Topeka to as
sist in building them. In fact, we have
never taken an outside contract that
we have not used Topeka mechanics to
do the work, no matter how far it was
from this city or the expense of taking
them there. AS l said before, 1 have
tried to repay the kindness to me of
those representing the labor interests.
The only men we ever brought into To-
pka from the outside was when we had
a contract on the state house. Several
of the state officers said that, as it was
a state contract, they would like to
have me give employment to a few out
side men I gave employment to just
five outside men, and not one of them
was a mechanic. 1 have taken many
hundreds from Topeka to outside points
and have only brought five to the city
and given them three or four months
work.
Colonel Jetmore has a grievance. He
represents the eastern bOndholders that
own the remains of the East Side Cir
Gle railway. The road has not been
plants were made over the condition
of Ninth street where their track was
laid. The used the IT, rail, and as
they had not paid any attention to their
track for years the street became al |
most uncrossable and dangerous. The |
mayor and council ordered the street |
commissioner to lower the tracks and
cover them over with dirt. Five diff |
ferent delegations of Santa F'e train |
men called upon me and requested that
the viaduct over the tracks on Ninth |
street be removed or repaired on ac- |
count of it's dangerous condition The |
Santa Fe officials served notice on the |
city that they would be held liable for
any damages to their employees or prop |
erty by reason of the unsafe condition |
of the viaduct. The mayor and cOun- |
ell, believing they were doing right in |
protecting life and property, ordered |
that the viaduct be repaired or remov-
ed Mr. Jetmore became very angry |
and said that the removal would be |
hindrance to the sale of the road by its |
clients at some future time.
I told him the life of a Santa Fe en- |
ploye was of more Importance to me |
than few dollars to an eastern bond |
holder and the viaduct would be re-
paired or removed. He declared that |
he would defeat my reelection, but |
am not prepared to admit that he car |
ries the vote of the city of Topeka in |
his vest pocket. or any considerable |
portion of it. Yours truly,
c. A FELLOWS.