The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-08-09
POLITICAL GOSSIP
d. Il. Anthony Turns Guns on
A. X. Rodgers.
Charges Him With Violating
Civil Service Laws.
HE CRIES ISLANDER,
Rodgers Says He Isn't an officer
of Curtis COMMITTEES.
Republican Papers Continue Op'
position to T. T. Kelly.

D. R. Anthony has started fight in
the Leavenworth Times on A K. Rodg-
ers, of Topeka, who is assistant post
Office. He charges Rodgers with being
treasurer of the Curtis comnitte and
of devoting his time to managing the
Curtis campaign. Editorially the Times
saws:
"A. K. Rodgers. assistant postmaster
of Topeka, is openly violating the fed
eral civil service laws and the authori-
ties in Washington should remove him
from office without delay. During. the
time he has drawn the salary of assist
ant pos ostmaster in Topeka Rodgers has
paid scarcely any attention to the du-
ties of the position, but has put IN
nearly all the time travelling over the
state stirring up strife among Repub-
ncans and meddling in the affairs of
counties away from his hone. The
Topeka DostOffice was turned into a
Curtis headquarters and government
property used for private purpose in
a shameful manner.
"At the present time Rodgers is the
treasurer of The Curtis Republican
club ]. G. Slonecker, a little two by
four politician, is president and John
Dudley, the Topeka agent of Curtis who
brought money to Leavenworth in April
to purchase the vote of this county
man, the Topeka prohibition candidate
for governor, is secretary of the club.
The scheme in having Rodgers
treasurer is to hold up postmasters and
other federal officials wherever possible
by the magic influence of his name, and
make. them give money to carry on
Curtis senatorial campaign.
1.-The sole object in having Rodgers as
treasurer of the Curtis senatorial
campaign club is to force federal Office
holders to take a ;.int.
'.All the Curtis senatorial can paign
correspondence is conducted on the sta
tionery of this club where the name
of Rodgers appears prominently as the
present in sending letters into Leaven-
worth county attempting to dictate to
Leavenworth people about legislative
and other matters and using his club
paper.
THE federal law especially prohibits
postmasters, assistant postmasters and
government officials from acting as
treasurers of clubs and campaign COM
mfttees. Federal Office holders have
been removed from their positions and
prosecuted in a number of places for
this offense.
TT was bad enough when Rodgers
drew a large salary and did nothing for
it and turned the Topeka postoff1ce into
a political rendezvous, but this latest
effort on his part to engineer the pay
ment of money into the Curtis corrup-
tion fund from federal officials is too
n UGH.
The moral influence of Rodgers, the
senatorial manager of Congressman
Curtis as treasurer of the or1aniza-
district postmasters. The moral force
will make the boys come up with the
stuff.
A reporter for the State Journal first
called Mr.. Rodgers attention to the
TT is a SANDER Mr.. Rodgers de-
clared II am not the treasurer of the
Curtis club. 1 have never handled a
dollar and will not have anything to do
with the treasurership during the cam
paign. 1t is true I was elected treasurer
of the Curtis congressional committee
at the time of his nomination at Hol
ton, but was not present at the meet
ing and my election was unbeknown to
me. I have not acted as treasurer. and
will not do so hereafter"
Asked if it was true that he was
working in the campaign in the interest
of Congressman Curtis senatorial
boom, Mr. Rodgers replied that it was
true to a certain extent. What little
1 have DONE" he said, has not occupied
sufficient time to interfere or even con-
flict with my duties at the Office"
A dispatch from Leavenworth says:
Congressman Chester 1. Long will visit
Leavenworth August 19. Mr.. Long was
invited to visit Leavenworth by citizens
interested in the in Improvements of Fort
Leavenworth and the Soldiers home.
LeavenwOrth citizens are anxious to Sc
cure the department of the Missouri
headquarters for Fort Leavenworth
again, and if Mr.. Long can be enlisted
to use his influence in favor of Fort
Leavenworth it will be a powerful fac
tor. His standing with President
Roosevelt and Secretary of War Elihu
Root will enable him to be of great
assistance. Mr.. Long has expressed
himself as ready to help. Mr.. Long de-
sires to inspect the new federal Deni-
tentiary, and will be afforded an oppor-
fy n nf In
nected with the government institu-
tons
Lincoln Republican: 1t is claimed
that the main issue in the Miami
county primaries last Saturday was T.
T. Kelly, and the anti-Kelly element
won a decided victory. Mr.. Kelly's
friends out this way have claimed that
county
Ewing Herbert has purchased the
Brown County Republican of Calnan
Brothers. The Republican was started
a year ago The Calnan brothers will
ship the plant to Purcell. I. T., and
start paper.
Elk County Citizen: Tom Kelly. the
Republican candidate for state treas
urer, was repudiated in his home coun-
ty last week. Not single Republican
paper in the county is supporting him.
Leavenworth Times: The Wichita
Beacon is worked up because it thinks
Cy Leland may break into the senator
ial race before it is finished Stranger
things than that have happened but II
is not at all likely to happen this year.
Your Uncle Cy has other fish to fry and
he is simply getting the skillet hot
There will be sizzling sound In Tope-
ka sometime in January that can be no.
ticed all over the state.
Up in Cloud county the Republicans
are having a merry time and there is a
| ssnon-committaT candidate in the per-