The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-01-25
ABSURD ON ITS FACE.
Wouldn't Go to Wichita to An
nOunce His Policy.
Published Statements an Invi-
tatiOn to Criminals.
City Attorney Spencer COrrobo-
rates Mayor Parker.

Every vestige of basis for the charges
made against Mayor Parker by the
morning paper have been swept away
by the emphatic denials of City Attor-
ney Chas. F. Spencer and Mayor Par
ker himself, who returned Friday at
ternoon from Wichita.
1t was charged by that paper Thurs =
day morning, and reiterated Friday
morning, that Mayor Parker had an
nounced while attending the meeting
of the Municipal league at Wichita,
that he would license saloons in To-
peka; that he had made a tour of all
the joints in Wichita, and was con-
WINGED that the license system was the
best plan.
This morning the paper receded from
its former position While it lacked
the courage to admit that it had
slandered the mayor of Topeka, and the
city itself, it abandoned all attempt to
substantiate its story, and printed
elaborate denials of everything 1t has
charged
However, it did not see fit to give
the same publicity to the truth as 1t
Gid to it's former unwarranted false
hoods Mr. Spencer's and Mr.. Parker's
denials appeared under a headline only
one column wide, instead of five col
uumns. This is the very highest form
of yellow Journalism
1t has kept the paper busy for the
past three days explaining in its edi-
torial columns the falsehOods which 1t
printed in its fake news department.
MAYOR PARKER'S STATEMENT.
Mayor Albert Parker this morning
made the following statement to a re-
porter for the State Journal:
The first I knew of this interview
was when the Wichita Beacon came
out Wednesday evening with a long
story purporting to tell what I had
said. 1 never saw a Beacon reporter,
~ n n n
anyone the things attributed to me by
the Beacon
In regard to the article, only have
to say that it was a falsehood from
start to finish. AS far as I an per-
sonally concerned. do not care to
deny what the morning paper has said.
It has always opposed me. and its at
tack is to be expected But I have
family and friends, and such things
naturally annoy them. For that rea-
son only would condescend to notice
the slanosr of that paper I have no
favors to ask of the morning paper, and
expect none
TT is an outrage on the city of To-
peka that a paper should print such
ISLANDERS What the Capital has printed
Is nothing more or less than invita-
ton to every saloon keeper and thug
TO come and locate in Topeka, because
Parker is mayor, and they will be given
a cordial welcome.
I refused to give statement to the
reporter yesterday because I knew that
! could not get fair eatment from that
paper If the paper had been disposed
to give me fair treatment it would have
respected my denial of the falsehood it
printed Thursday morning. Instead, it
went ahead and printed a still more
outrageous falsehood on Friday morn
ing. l told the State Journal the exact
facts for its Thursday afternoon edi-
ton
People who know me understand
that l would not go down to Wichita
ana there olazon forth a long statement
of what | expect to do concerning
joints in Topeka 1t was absurd on its
face. / have refused to make state
ment concerning my policy in such
matters because do not want to make
the MISTAKE which has been made re-
Gently in Topeka of promising a great
deal and performing little. I prefer to
let my acts speak for themselves. That
is why 1 have consistently refused to
policy. j expect to do my best to give
the city of Topeka a good administra-
ton. and it makes not a particle of diff
ference to me whether the Capital likes
1t or not.
II never saw this man Howes. upon
whom the Capital is trying to shift the
blame for printing its stories about me
Howes may be the Capital correspond
emit I don't know. I never saw him or
talked to him refused TO talk to any
newspaper man in Wichita. Anything
printed as coming from me was false
Mr.. Howes, nor anyone else, ever even
overheard a conversation in which 1
made the statements attributed to me-
because no such conversation took
place.
Il did not investigate the Wichita
system of licensing joints. 1 did not go
into a joint while in Wichita In com
pany with nine or ten of the Topeka
delegation, and member of the Wich-
ita police force, we went through a cou-
pie of Wichita gambling houses We
were in each one probably five min
utes. I did not talk to any of the pro-
prietors. I did nothing that 1 was
ashamed Of, and nothing 1 have to