The Topeka state journal., 1902-08-20
DRIVEN TO WALL.
I. T. Kelly Promises to Make
Another Statement.
An Effort to Stop Stampede of
Republicans.
WON'T SUPPORT HIM.
Reputation by Miami Conven.
tiOn the Last Straw.
John S.Gilmore, Veteran Editor,
Makes Pertinent Suggestions.

T. T. Kelly, the Republican nominee
for state treasurer, has announced that
next week he will make a statement
concerning the shortages discovered
since he left the Office Of county clerk
in Miami county.
The announcement that he would is
sue a statement regarding the charges
against him was in letter written to
State Treasurer Frank Grimes. Since
the Republican county convention in
Miami county repudiated Kelly by
majority of 180 to 20, STAMPEDE has
started among the Republican papers.
The Wellington News, one of the larg-
est Republican papers in southern Kan
sas, took Kelly's name down from the
top of the page. The Ottawa Herald,
Henry Aliens paper, asked that some
light be thrown on the situation by
Kelly and John Gilmore's Wilson Coun-
ty Citizen has requested some of the in
f1uential Republicans who are talking
in favor of Kelly to come out with
statement substantiating their asser-
tons.
At least one nominee of the Republi-
can state ticket is alarmed at the situ-
alton and he fears that the SHtire tick
ct will suffer if Kelly's name is allowed
to remain on the ticket. MANY who
heretofore have s believed that Kelly
would not be removed as candidate for
state treasurer are now prophesylng that
he will be forced off the ticket before
november MI. nelly ~ III d Ad1coS
City hospital where he underwent an
operation for a disease of the nose.
The Wilson County Citizen of the is
sue of August Is asks the managers OF
TIE Republican party to issue a state
ment that will offset or refute the
charges made against T. T. Kelly, the
Republican nominee for state treasurer.
TIE Wilson County Citizen, edited by
John s. Gilmore at Fredonia, is one
OF the oldest Republican newspapers in
Kansas and one of the strongest pa
pers in the southeastern part OF the
state. 1t was founded in 1870. Ed
itor Gilmore'S editorial asking for i'll
form alton is as follows:
WHAT ABOUT THE KELLY BUSI-
NESS?
Men and brethren of the Republican
rarty, what about the nominee for state
treasurer? Does the state organiza-
ton propose to take notice of the un-
pleasant and damaging position the par
ty is placed in by the candidacy Of
= T.. Kelly? Has Mr.. Kelly any
defense or explanation to make respect
ing the charges brought against him
by the Miami Republican, printed in
his county, which were in the main
explicitly sustained by three comn,s-
siOners of Miami county, comprising
two Republicans and one Democrat, af-
ter they had form ally investigated the
records of that county during the pc
riod when Mr.. Kelly was county clerk
T huS far he has been silent and his sup
porters are bolstering up the theory
that while he may lose a good many
votes the Republican majority will be
sufficiently large to pull him through.
The Citizen has kept still since the
Wichita convention nominated Mr.. Ke1-
ly--that is. it has not discussed what
some papers style the charges" against
him, but which are instead. as the sit
uation now stands findings against him.
We have been qufescent in the expecra-
ton that some sort of defense Or eX-
planation would be given out in Kelly's
behalf and have sought to avoid preju :
dicing his case in advance of his state
ment or showing. But it does not come.
though nearly three months have
elapsed since the nomination. Nor has
| a single Republican paper in the state,
| to our knowledge, undertaken, by meet
| ing the specific findings of the commits
| sioners of Miami county, to break their
| force and put the Republican candidate
| for state treasurer before the people
| in a satisfactory or at least more ia
| vorable light However, almost every
Republican paper, seven or eight weeks
ago. copied an article that was a gen
! eral eulogy and excuse for said candi-
| date. The article was written by e.
| j. Sheridan, printed in his Democratic
Paola Spirit, and while fervent in
friendship for Kelly, it i'll concealed
| a sentiment of animosity for the old
| Republican paper in Paola. which had
| aided in the investigation of Kelly and
! opposed his nomination. Thus has been
| witnessed in Kansas the anomaly of a
Democratic paper taking the side of a
Republican candidate in matters touch
| ing his integrity, while the papers OF
! the candidates party have practically
nothing to say for him editorially on
their own account. Which is why the
| inquiry becomes tenSely pertinent, what
| about the Kelly business?
| Suppose the Republican party could
| elect its candidate for state treasurer
under the circumstances-by tacitly
| Drawing the records in Miami county
! does it want to do so?
| If the Republican party in Indiana
! Ohio or any of those Northern states
| were to run a man for state treasurer
! under the peculiar conditions described
| and existing in Kansas, he would moi
! only stand no show of election but the
| party ticket as a whole would be Sc
riously jeopardized and the party prob
| ably sustain fatal losses.
| The Citizen has tried to be a consist
ent and faithful Republican paper ans
| hopes not to impair it's record. Its
| editor does not want to be categoriec
as a reformer, political purist OF
goody- -goody, an impracticable, an ideal
| ist or as more honest and particular
than the average Republican publisher.
but he would like to have Mr.. Kelly
or the Republican state organiZa ton
crowd, or the recognized Republican pa
pers at Topeka. or the Topeka banks
(Which get the state moneys as deposits
pay no interest thereon to the state
and may have keen interest in cleo
ton results)-any or all of them, OF
| anybody else. to forward this paper fol
publication something or other that will
| offset or refute the things contained il
| the report of the commissioners of Nj
| ami county rejecting upon the officia
reS Stitude and devotion of the Repub
icap nominee for state treasurer
| 1t is getting about time for the pro
t'@"ted calm to hate &c metninE don,
| to il
The Ottawa Herald says: The Re.
publicans of Miami county in their con
| vention Saturday took sensational
| course in reference to Thomas T. Kelly
of that county, who is candidate fol-