The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-04
THE HocH MovEMRNr.

The Sublfmity, the humOr, the pecu-
liarity, the high moral purpose, the
struggle after graft. the apparent pres
sure upon Mr.. Hoch to sacrifice his
personal interests for the good of the
state. the childlike simplicity with
which he Is permitting one of the two
Kansas machines to daily with his rem
utation, to play upon his susceptibilities
to compliment, are all jumbled up into
picturesque mixture of politics and
the playing for position.
The State Journal. occupying the
unique position it does as a spectator
upon fence which is located on the
line of the political parades, is in a Do
sition to take these various movements
with more or less indifference, but with
thorough appreciation of the hu1nor
and the grotesqueness of the real situa-
ton.
The reader may know that this paper
has neither asked nor received from
any state administration any emolu-
ments or remuneration of any kind and
is not a candidate, present or pros
pective, for anything in the gift of the
politicians, except their subscriptions;
and for these we hope they get value
received, for this is the largest daily
in Kansas and the regular price is ac-
knowledged to be reasonable and mod
crate.
In the Hoch incident the State Journal
sees a struggle of one machine to mas
ter another. There has been a great
deal said about the extravaganza of
the last legislature. This is all charged
by the Burton-Hoch machine to Cover
nor Bailey and his friends. Those who
read the State Journal. and they are
favored with much news which appears
in no other medium. will remember in
it's report of the legislative doings early
in the year that the attention of the
ways and means committees and of
others was called to the unnecessary
employees that were gathered about to
open and shut the doors and windows
of the house and senate. While but
little resulting notice was paid to these
things, the paper published the facts
and both machines went on cutting
their swaths.
1t should be remembered that Cover
nor Bailey had just been inaugurated
and was somewhat new to the customs
and methods of the Kansas legislature
which had changed more or less since
he had been on it's roll call, and which
he never before viewed from the COVER
nor's chair To him was not given to
run the legislature, but the governors
office and it was to be presumed that
in his early experience he would give
credit to the august bodies for more or
less sense and ability to manage their
affairs. The people had elected them
as we'll as him.
To be sure with his experience at
present should he be again chosen it
is altogether likely that he might see
fit in his second message to suggest
certain economies in the matter of door
pushers, window boosters, and legisla-
tive care takers generally. We all learn
by experience and the governor is
doubtless no exception.
But isn't it a little strange that Rep
resentative Stubs of Lawrence should
now complain about these things and
become sponsor along with Senator
Buttons friends for the Hoch boom,
which is but an effort to limit the adj
ministratien to one term, and to help
the "outs' in, and the "ins" out, and
Just now may be to create a standing
influence and prestige which Senator
Burton and his friends do not have and
which they certainly cannot reach, even
with the assistance of so good and pure
a man as E. w. Hoch?
This representative from Douglas coun-
ty Mr.. Stubs. who is today posing as
a great reformer in legislative matters,
and is lifting on the heavy end of the
Hoch boom, seems to think that the
people of Kansas have forgotten that
he himself was on the ways and means
committee of this house which has been
accused of being so extravagant. 1t
should be borne in mind that had Mr..
Stubs been given his way, the appro-
priations would have been larger than
they were. Being on the most inf1uen-
tia1 committee in the house, he was in
a better and certainly more natural
position than Governor Bailey to cur
tail the numbers of men and the num-
bers of dollars that were being appro-
priated from the treasury of the state.
In some respects Mr.. Stubs was
wild in his efforts to appropriate
money. compared with the efforts of
Mr.. Leland, who was on the same COM
mittee. This is not theory, but
condition. One act upon the part of
Mr. Stubs last January and February
would be worth two talks from the
same source Just now.
In looking over the list of gentlemen
who are nursing Mr.. Hoch's candidacy
for governor in Topeka this week. it
is a somewhat remarkable coincidence
that most of the synpathizers are
those who are allied with Senator Bur
toms political fortunes. Mr.. Hoch said
to a reporter for this paper on Thurs
day: 81 have not the least ambition to
run for governor, or even be governor,
but 1 am receiving a great lot of let
tiers demanding that 1 run. 1 will say
frankly that / am against legislative
grating and the custom of trafficking
in public offices. I have never been
candidate for but one office; that was
state printer. I wanted the Office and