The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-06-05

named made this pledge just before go
ing into the committee meeting. Moore
never did vote for Clay Center. Mr.
Wright voted a number of times for
Clay Center and then went to Parsons.
WHY DID MR.. MOORE CHANGE
The question is: Why did Mr.. Moore
change his mind so suddenly and de-
sert his own congressional district?
Another: Why did Mr.. Wright desert
the western part of the state and vote
for a town which has no claim to the
asylum, WIN he was put on the COM
mittee to work to get the institution
somewhere in the western part of the
state?
Then there is another question: Why
did Senator John Fulton break his
pledge to Cy Leland and Dell Valentine
to vote for Clay Center?
OF course these are small matters,
but the people of the state are asking
these questions. and since they are fur
nishing the money to build this asylum
they have a right to know. There is
something else the people of the state
would like to know, and they have
right to know it. 1t is:
Why did Senator thinner of Wyan-
dotte county, as soon as the ballot To-
eating the asylum at Parsons had been
counted and the result announced
seize the ballots and tear them into
small pieces and throw them into a Gus
pidor?
When thinner grabbed up the slips
of paper which served as ballots, Frank
Reeder exclaimed, jumping from his
chair:
Here. don't tear those up!"
What in - is the difference?" re-
torted thinner, tearing the ballots into
small bits.
D you. say stop that!" shouted
Reeder.
What's it to you?" said thinner
Il move that those ballots be filed
with the secretary of state" said
Reeder, but the chairman of the COM
mittee ignored the motion.
MR.. zIMMER TEARS UP BALLOTS.
Then thinner coolly threw the slips,
torn into a thousand pieces, into the
cuspidor. Now there is no evidence
of the ballot except the record kept by
the secretary and this does not show
the individual vote. 1t shows totals
only
Reeder, Anderson and Bigham when
casting their votes held them while
passing them into the box so that each
could see how the rest voted. This was
done as a measure of protection to
themselves because the three men were
not satisfied with the conditions under
which they seemed to be laboring They
voted openly and have this evidence tc
which either one or all of them will
swear, placing the other men in an em-
barrassing position since they approved
of the destruction of the ballots which
might, in case of a law suit, be iden-
titled.
There is still another feature with
reference to Mr.. Moore which is re
garded as a strong link in the chain of
evidence by the Clay Center people.
Senator George Hanna says: Mr..
Moore left Clay Center saying he would
go home to Oketo. He went to Kansas
City instead and there met Pete Foley
Had Mr.. Moore said he was going to
Kansas City matters might have SEEM
ed different. He represented to US that
he was going home but he didn't. So
if we suspicion Mr.. Moore it is not our
fault"
Major Tom Anderson has a mortgage
on his home which will soon be due
When he was approached with an offer
to vote for Parsons his financial friend
said:
Major, vote for Parsons and Wen
give you $1,000 in cash. That will
able you to pay off the mortgage on
your home and make the remainder of
your life easy
III sleep in the streets and see my
wife and baby in the poor house before
I'll sell my manhood, integrity and
honor I'm too old a man. said the
major as tears came to his eyes, Ito
now sell myself body and soul, to Par
sons or any other town 1 am for Clay
Center. I voted for Clay Center in the
legislature and I'm going to the last
ditch with that town my ballot
Then the committee went to Parsons.
The entertainment committee repre-
senting the Parsons Commercial club
left Major Anderson out of the crowd
which enjoyed the food and wine
spread for the legislature. He was ig-
nored on all sides; practically snubbed,
all because he would not sell out
SENATOR FULTON EXPLAINS.
This was done by the representatives
of a town which has sold to the state