The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-28
IT WAKES WARM.
Clark. Davies Controversy Grows
in Intensity.
State Printer Charges Editor
With Many Misdeeds.
IN THE OLD DAYS.
Says COncOrdia Man Has Sold
Out Before.
Davies inquiries How Clark Has
Saved Money.
IN THE OLD DAYS.

The newspaper war in Concordia
which was started over the statement
made by State Chairman Albaugh that
Conner Davies tried to sell out the in
huence of his paper for $1,000 to the Re
publican party last year. agreeing TO
nop from the Populist to the Republi-
can party for this sum. is waxing hotter
than ever. State Printer George A.
Clark took the matter up and has been
going after Davies record. and Davies
10 fighting back
Clark is publishing a series of signed
statements about Davies in the Blade, in
which Clark owns part interest In
recent issue Clark says:
TN the Blade and Empire of Septem-
Der II, 1 gave a detailed account or Mr..
Davies attempt to sell himself and his
paper to the Republican state central
committee. Since publishing that ar
tfcle I have been looking up Corners
history and find him to be a CRATER
from Grafterville. 1t appears from the
records that he began grating about
the time he first appeared on earth as
newspaper man. Away back in 1883 ne
got in his first public work on one
Thos Reilly. who was the Republican
candidate for sheriff in Republic county.
OF this transaction the Belleville Tele-
scope says:
when Tom Reilly was the regular
nominee for sheriff in 1888 Davies de-
manded $50 for his support. Rely
thought that was too much, and offered
SIS: Davies refused and got $35 out of
Bob Swain, the independent candidate
Conner was cheap in those days and
considered $50 from an independent can
didate better than SIS from the regular
nominee. But he was not swelled to the
monumental proportions I found him
enjoying the day I published his $500
transaction with the Republican state
committee and the Leland letter and
dispatch to cinch it. But he is a pro-
gressive cuss, financially. as viii be seen
from the following from the Telescope:
4" In 1887 he bled d. w. Hamilton.
then candidate for nomination for
second term as register OF deeds. ana
this IS the way it was done; Dawes;
by some political fine work. induced
Eph Haney to become a candidate for
register of deeds. He was formally an
nounced as a candidate. and received
more than usual formal notice of an
nOuncement. In a short time after this
he Conner Davies) came down to Belle
Vile and suggested to Hamilton that
Eph Haney was candidate. that the
second term plan had PLAYED out, that
Haney had offered him 800 for the in
huence of the Republic City News
(CiOmer Davies paDer) and that If he,
Hamilton would dough up" a similar
amount he Conner Davies would drop
Hauey and support him. Mr.. Hamilton,
Ike a sucker. was caught by the willy
anglers bait Mr. Hamilton at that
time knew nothing of the tricks and
schemes that scoundrels and bunco
men use TO inveigle the unsophisti-
Gated. Hamilton Is wiser by expert
enee.
Il find Corners Republic county rec
ord a progressive one. and he seems
to have landed every time, Just as he
would have done with the Republican
state committee had I not entered my
objections. He did a land Office BUSH
ness on a small capital But listen to
this from the same paper:
" And we might further refer to the
S25 paid the editor of the News (Gomer-s
paper) by Sam Thompson to suppress
the write up of the regular nominee for
register Of deeds. DR.. White. We could
go on and state that this same holier
than thou (Gomerl bled Studley, bled
poor old Judge Booth
Here we have his victims in flocks.
Conner is indeed a very progressive
cuss. The sacredness Of the judiciary
Is no barrier to his financial need and
greed. Listen to this from the Tele-
scope:
we could go on and state the facI
that he wrote an editorial favoring the
election Of Hutchinson for judge of this
district, which was suppressed, but
rather than EXPOSE the two gentlemen
who knew so little Of a political hog and
paid $50 to suppress it. we pass
But Corners penchant for Doodle led
him not only into fields occupied by
lndie Candidates. Out also INTO the green
and fertile valleys where dwelt the fe-
male candidate. Conner evidently was
after the stuff and the sex of his VIC
Tins was immaterial to him. Listen
again TO what the Telescope said:
o. Now, Davies. when you were inter
rogated as TO why you supported Miss
Pollard in preference to Bullen, you re-
piled: i eXnect my bread and butter
out OF that" And you bled Miss Pol
lard. the Democratic candidate in op-
position to Eullen. the Republican can
didate. simply for the reason YOU could
take advantage of an unsophisticated
maiden and make her believe that your
influence would bring her victory. She
was not elected. You knew she
wouldn't be elected. hence. character
isttc OF your nature, YOU bled the girl
for all you could get out Of her in cold
hard cash to "bu- bread and butter
From the number OF Corners VIC
tins IN Republic county alone l do not
understand Why he confined his diet
to bread and butter He could easily
have added beefsteak. pork chops, po-
tatOes, Rocky Ford cantaloupes straw
berries and rie without financial en-
barrassnnent Tut here is a deal which
shows Conner up in his true light The
same Daner saws.
We could mention the fact that he
hired the use of his paper to defeat Eli
Wagner. the Republican candidate for
county treasurer in 1889 And the man
ner Of the fight he made on Wagner
was far the meanest that has ever been
made upon any candidate that ever ran
for office in the county. While permit
ting Wagener's name to stand in his
paper as the Republican candidate. he
at the same time was "knihng him"
And how was it done? Simply by pub