The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-10-29
TO HEAR GIBSON.
Wyandotte County Attorney
Will Appear Before Bailey.
Doesn't Want ANY Help in
Doodle Investigations.
EXPECTED TOMORROW
Rival Delegations Will Appear
at Governors Office.
Investigation Is Attracting a
Great Deal of Attention.

There will be no action today on the
application to Governor Bailey of the
Wyandotte county Doodle investigation
committee for the appointment of an
assistant attorney general. or instruc-
tons to Attorney General Coleman to
take charge of the grand jury investi-
cation The Wyandotte people who
We're scheduled to appear before the
governor today failed to appear this
morning, and at noon the governor had
to leave for Usage City to speak at a
reunion He will be back tonight The
hearing on the application will prob
ably be held tomorrow morning or Sat
urdav
Judge Fischer. of the Wyandotte
county district court. has ordered the
calling of the grand jury, and it will
be drawn within the next two weeks
1t will not sit until the December term
of the district court. which opens on
December Z.
The man to whom Governor Bailey is
granting a hearing in the matter is
County Attorney James Gibson. Sew
eral days ago the governor received a
petition signed by a considerable num-
Der OF representative citizens asking
that the attorney general be instructed
TO take hold of the investigation and
NO1AQANl Liz DeIOTe the grand
jury. 1t is asserted that the county at
torney Will be interested in SURPRISING
the Iacts. Gibson asked the governor
10 give him hearing before granting
the request, and the governor consent
ed 10 co so Gibson has been in the
south for a few days attending his sons
wedding, returning last night. Gov
ernor Bailey sent word to him to come
10 Iopeka today, but finding that he
had to be away this afternoon he tele-
phoned to Myron Waterman this
morning not to come unless they could
come early. Waterman is the leading
spirit in the investiea ton
/ Governor Bailey today received a
counter petition from citizens of Ar
nourda!e, expressing confidence IN Glib
sons ability and integrity, and he is
also receiving letters from Gibson'S
friends, demonstrating against the APP
polntment of an assistant attorney gem
eral. One man, too. who signed the
first petition, writes the governor not to
consider the signature on it. II signed
the petition he writes in substance,
| supposing it was movement TO GO
after the boodlers down here bur II de-
Velops that it is only a prohibition
movement"
It looks very much as though Gibson
is anxious to conduct the investigation
before the grand jury himself. % There
! will be great deal of hard work and
trouble about it and it seems peculiar
that the county attorney should be so
anxious to Go the work when many peo-
pie want him to be relieved of it. When
a similar charge was made against
! County Attorney Berry of Marshall
county a few weeks ago. Berry did not
! even wait fd4 the governor to make an
investigation, but on his own motion re-
quested the attorney general to take
charge of the prosecution. II Gibson
would do some such thing it would sim
plify the whole matter
/ The proposed investigation is attract
/ ing the attention of the entire state and
! L
cidents of Governor Bailey's admfnlsrr;.-
ton. William Allen White makes the
following editorial comment on the
matter in the Emporia Gazette:
| The people of Wyandotte county in
| their struggle for clean politics should
have the aid and encouragement of Gov
ernor Bailey. He should let no consid-
GRAFTON of situation Or of our fellows
or Of 'Henry's fight or anything on
| earth keep him from taking the side of
! the people who are trying to clean I'D
the county, More than that he should
! shoulder the responsibility and speak
out boldly. He should let the corrup-
tionists of whatever faction they NAV
be in that county know that Kansas
has governor who would send his best
friend to the penitentiary for boodling
If he were guilty. This is not the time
| to play politics. The situation calls for
| unmistakable action, and no fixing o.
| ironing The people are facing Il great
moral issue and they should have the
governor with them in voice as we'll as
in deed"
Governor Bailey does not believe IN
superseding official chosen by the
people unless there seems to be good and
sufficient reason for it. For this rea-
son he would like to bring the opposing
parties in the application together and
allow Gibson to make any explana tiol
he may have. The governor explains
his position in letter to Mr.. Waterman
in which he says:
Il want to do what is right and am in
absolute sympathy with the suppression
of vice and boodling in every form Mr..
Gibson, the county attorney, was here
some several days ago, and asked ME to
let him have hearing when the matter
comes I'D. He did not indicate to me
whether he was in favor or opposed to
the appointment of an attorney general
and I promised I would, and 1 will ask
him to appear here next Thursday and
shall be very glad to have you or some
one who represents you here at that
time. ] think that this matter should
be absolutely mutual between all con-
cerned, and the interest of justice and
law maintained"
The committee which is pushing the
investigation, however. does not intend
to send a representative to Topeka at
the time Gibson will be here, according
to Mr.. Waterman's reply. He says:
Il can see no reason why you should
not give Mr.. Gibson a hearing, but as
for the committee, it is agreed on rest