The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-09-09
LIST Is GROWING.
More Republican Papers Refuse
to Support Kelly.
His Name Is a Menace to the
Ticket.
sen. SIMON'S PAPER.
He Tells Why Kelly Should Be
Defeated.
Demand for Honest Men Becom-
ing General.
SEN. SIMON'S PAPER.

The list OF leading Republican news
papers of Kansas that are withdrawing
their support from T. T. Kelly for state
treasurer is growing rapidly. There are
now more of what are known as prom
inent' Republican papers opposing
Kelly than are actively defending him.
A great many are passively waiting a
while longer before declaring them
selves.
The Caldwell News is edited by r. T.
Simons, state senator and member of
the Kansas Worlds fair commission. In
the last issue Senator SimonS says:
Our readers are. doubtless, pretty
well conversant with the controversy
that has been going on in the papers
all over the state with reference to the
charges made against T. T. Kelly, Re-
publican candidate for state treasurer
The charges are that Mr.. Kelly while
county clerk of Miami county was
guilty of embezzlement and forgery.
County commissioners made an investi-
cation and found Mr.. Kelly short about
81, 800 which he paid into the county
treasury. In resolution adopted by a
convention of Republicans in Miami
county, the action of the county COM
missioners was upheld, and Mr.. Kelly
replies with statement that he never
took cent of the public money wrong
fully and is the injured and not the
wronging party. Some Republican news
papers have taken Mr.. Kellys name
down from the list of state candidates,
and it is fair to presume he will run
far behind the ticket or perhaps be de-
feated at the polls. There is no reason
for the Republican party to be in such
muddle as this and if the party suffers
because of the dissension prevailing and
spreading, it can blame no influence
outside of it's own. These charges were
made at the time of the convention, but
the friends of Mr.. Kelly overwhelmed
the delegates and nominated him. From
reading both sides of the case we are
compelled to admit that it looks dark
for Mr.. Kelly and still we are not fully
prepared to pass upon his guilt or in
| nocence. The facts are, however, that
no party, much less the Republican,
ought to nominate any man for re-
| sponsible financial position who has a
cloud resting upon his official integrity
| The party is full of honest. capable men
| who would add strength and not weak
ness to the ticket. The voter may be
| honest even if politicians. are not and at
| the polls he may fehl1ke the mistakes
| of a convention. We must have clean
men and clean ticket to make a clean
record"
| The charge has been made that 1t Is
| only the anti-Burton papers that are
| fighting Kelly and that they are fight
| ing him because he is a friend of Rur-
ton and because Burton's influence had
much to do in NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Burton was extremely anxious to keeI
him in the state treasury. The Scandia
4 Journal is a Burton paper It's editor
ton faction in all political fights fol
months. 1t supported Kelly at the time
| of the state convention. believing, as
many others who did not know the facts
did, that he would make a satisfactory
| explanation. Here is what the Scandfa
Journal says in it's last issue:
Tom Kelly's long promised and much
delayed explanation of his shortages
or alleged shortages while clerk Of MI
ami county appeared in the daily pa.
pers last week 1t contained nothing
| new nor was there anything showing
| his innocence other than his denial thai
he had ever taken dollar that did moi
| belong to him, and his good record 9th
erwise. Kansas Republicans have 6
| right to demand more than this from
Mr. Kelly. He is a candidate for the
| most responsible Office in the state. HI
| is charged with serious crime. If ht
is, innocent the men who are 'perSecut
ing him should be in the penitentiary
and Mr.. Kelly owes it to clean polite.
and to the people of Kansas to do hi!
share toward. putting them there. Tha
he does not do so must be taken as evi
dence of weakness If not positive guilt
and under the circumstances the Jour
nal does not see how any man who i!
honest and who is a Republican be
cause he believes the Republican part.
is the best party, can cOnscientiousl'
support him and vote for him. There il
| every evidence, that hundreds of tn
best Republicans of this county are no
going to vote for him and they are tn
men who pay taxes and who have in
fuence in the community. The Journa
confesses that at the time Mr.. Kell.
was nominated it believed he could sat
isfactorily account for the attacks mad
upon him, but it seems that he canno
or at least he does not. And until b
does he has no moral right to ask Re
publicans of Kansas to give him thei
suffrages.''
The Scandia Journal also refuses t
support c. H. Luling for superintendent
of insurance because of his escapade a