The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-06-29
FIGHT STRAUSS
False Reports Circulated on the
Streets Today
In an Effort to Defeat the Ad-
miniStratiOn's Choice
FOR CITY MARSHAL.
Investigation Shows the New
Marshal
To Be a Man Who Does His
Duty
Without Fear or FavOr-May
Prove Boomerang.

A strong effort has been made upon
the streets today to prejudice the pub
lie and especially the mayor and coun-
cilmen, against the appointment of /
A. Strauss, who was unanimously Sc
lected by Mayor Fellows and the entire
council as the most available and cap
able man, all things considered, for city
marshal.
1t was charged by the enemies of
Strauss who circulated the reports this
morning that several councilmen, well
known to be good and prompt pay,were
classed in the rating book as slow and
poor pay, and that cash should be re-
quired of them.
Investigation this afternoon proves
that these charges were wholly without
foundation and that the councilmen in
the case, as they surely ought to be,
were actually quoted in the book with
prompt and good credit ratings. So
much for that.
Mr. Strauss gets out this book in
good faith. He does not make these
ratings himself. He has hundreds of
customers among business men in the
city. These business men report to
him, as their duty requires, whether
their customers are prompt slow or
medium pay. or whether cash should be
itimate, just as BradStreet'S and Dunn'S
reports are and are necessary to bust
ness community.
OF course, there are people who must
be reported as poor pay.
Nearly every merchant has them on
his books. Sometimes these people are
poor pay for dishonesty, apd sometimes
from circumstances which they cannot
help. But this does not convict Mr..
Strauss of injustice reflect on his
ability or capacity to make a good mar
shall. In fact, an the investigation the
Journal has made today goes to show
that these charges against Mr.. Strauss
only go to confirm the judgment of the
mayor and council in the selection they
have made.
Many of these merchants have had
business with Mr.. Strauss for seven or
eight years and if any one of these gen
tlemen has anything against him, we
do not know who he is. They keep on
patronizing his book and it is more and
more accurate and valuable as Mr.
Strauss gives it his added experience
OF course it is not pleasant, for one
who knows he cannot pay his bills to
have other merchants know of it, but
there is no help for such thing and
the only recourse such a man has is TO
do his level best to pay his bills
promptly and secure "A good rating.
Instances have come under the Jour-
nails notice this afternoon showing
that Mr.. Strauss has been exceptionally
careful to correct ratings in cases where
some have received unfair treatment
on the part Oh the D1eTcudnlS VINO IIldue
the reports.
All things considered the Journal GER
tainly has no information which would
lead it to say that the mayor and coun-
ell should do anything to change their
unanimous action of a few evenings
ago. We have not discussed the mat
/ ter with Mr.. Strauss nor he with US,
This is simply said as a matter of fair
ness.
Mr. Strauss appears to be man who
VIII do his duty without fear or favor
and we are inclined to the belief from
researches today, that if the editor OF
this paper the mayor of the city
don't pay their bills promptly, the mer-
chants will so report and Mr.. Strauss
will so record-withOut fear or favor
and that's the kind of stuff we want a
city marshal made of. That's the kind
of q man the mayor and council have
been looking for and it appears they
have found him.
The mayor and council have taken
the utmost pains to secure good police
officials: They urged citizens to make
suggestions. They went about the
matter carefully and with the single
purpose of getting the best men.
AS soon as they manifest this spirit
and the men they select do their du-
ties, the people can be depended on for
their support.
Mr.Strauss has charge of the Topeka
office of a credit rating bureau. Blanks
are sent to merchants upon which they
enter the names of the persons who
have received credit at the stores and
who has them compiled. After the
name of each person who has secured
credit is placed his rating as received
from the various business men. Thus
A. Jones may have printed after his
name in the book that three merchants
report him prompt pay, five may re-
port him slow, indicated by an s. one
/ may report him medium or m two
may report him that cash should
be required to indicate by an r.
Many people who have examined the
| book and find that their rating is not
first-class are now after Mr.. Strauss
Some claim that they are unjustly ra-
ted but it should be remembered that
! in these cases the merchants are to
blame rather than Mr.. Strauss.
Mr.. Strauss has been engaged in
! handling this rate book in Topeka for
| several years and they are in the hands
J of nearly every merchant in the city,
! being used extensively.
Mayor Fellows said today that he
| thought it advisable to call a meeting to
| consider the matter. lie said that he
! feared that if Mr.. Strauss name is
| formally presented to the council at the
| next meeting without any explanation
| before that he might fail of confirm
! alton. He also says that every MEM
| Der of the council voted for him in the
! executive meeting.
| He further says that he has investi-
| gated certain charges made against
| Strauss in connection with the rate book
and found the charges false and mis-
| lea ding.
Capt A. NJ. Fuller. who was chief of
| police while Mr. Strauss was on the
| force, congratulated Mayor Fellows on
| the appointment He said in speaking
! of the appointment that Mr.. Strauss
! made an excellent record as patrol
! man and would make a good chief OF
| police.
The question of who will be appoint
/ ed if Mr.. Strauss is turned down at the
| Mayor Fellows and the members of the