The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-04-29
Price Raid Claims Again to Be
Rejuveuated.
Appointment Of a Commissioner
and His Duties.
HE WILL BE PAID So, 200
Work to Cover Period From
April 9O3 to Sept. 1904.
Wm.AlIen White Discusses Pres
ident Roosevelt's Speeches.

The apopintment Of Senator James l..
Allen of Doniphan county as eommis-
sioner to pass on union military
script" usually known as Price raid
commissioner, under the law passed by
the recent legislature. comes as some
thing Of a surprise 10 the politicians. Il
was generally supposed that Represent
ative John Francis Of Allen county was
slated 1or this job. Governor Bailey says,
however. that there were no other ap-
plcants for the place except Senator
Allen.
The Price raid claims have been out
standing since the war. They are claims
against the government for dana ges re-
sulting from the destruction of property
ana driving away horses and stock by
the Price raiders. At one time script
was issued on the claims, and the na-
tional government made an appropria-
tion TO reimburse the state for the pay
ment Of the claims, but the original
claims have become so mixed up and
there are SO many fraudulent claims
among them that the state has never
paid them Most of the claims are now
in the hands of spectators who have
purchased them for a few cents on the
dollar In every legislature for the past
twenty years there has been a lobby
working for an appropriation to pay the
Price raid claims. The last legislature
passed a law providing for the appoint
ment of commissioner by the governor
to investigate all the claims presented
and TO report on their validity. An ap-
propriatiOn of 81, 200 was made to pay
the commissioner, and the time for the
work runs from April 1903, to Septem-
Der, 1904, which makes the salary Sl25
month
statement that President Roosevelt is
not much of a speaker. Moreover lie
reiterates more strongly than ever his
allegation, made several years ago, that
Mckinley was not a scholar and that
he never had an original idea concern
ing economies. 1t was this statement
which caused many Republicans to
hold UP their hands in horror at the
audaCity Of the idea
Mr.. White is frequently referred to as
one of the most important members OF
President Roosevelt's Kitchen caD-
met" and it is doubtless true that he
is on more intimate terms with the
chief executive of the nation than any
other man in the west. but he speaks
out his mind with regard to the presi-
dents public utterances. He says that
Roosevelt has not said important
thing on his western trip In an editor
ial on the subject of the president s
speeches the Emporia editor says:
THE Lawrence JehersOnian which
abused the Gazette last year for say
ing Mckinley couldn't make a speech
is now saying the same thing about
Roosevelt and viii not be abused for
it. For Roosevelt is a man about whom
one can tell the truth without offending
people, though why the same thing ism {
true about Mckinley Heaven only
knows Neither Roosevelt nor Nc
Kinley are orators. Mckinley WASH
a scholar and had no original idea in
economies; Roosevelt is a scholar but
1-s
great men-doers not sayers of things
But the truth is that the popular idea
of a great man is that he is built on d
big plan, that he can do everything bet
ter than his fellows
some way people think because =.
man is a president that he must be able
to run faster. jump higher. eat more.
see more. think better and live differ
emily from common folk. The truth
about great men is this. They are the
ordinary everyday common tWO-legged
man. plus some one great virtue Nc
Kinley was mediocre in intellect. me
diocre i'm courage, mediocre in many
important things. but in tact which is
the essence of l-in6 IS, Mckinley was
giant. He wa. IAN Of heart; the
great things he did were wisdom of the
heart and not of the head The Span
ish war was d war Of sympathy. the
acquisition Of the Philippines was q
conquest out Of sympathy for th'
heather, as Mckinley himself said, be-
cause il was our duty before God te
help them The campaign for Cubai
reciprocity which Mckinley was about
10 take up when he was killed was a
sympathetic campaign. Mckinley was
a Great Heart.
Roosevelt has more education than
Mckinley-more book learning an.
hence is more familiar with economic:
than Mckinley. but it doesn't seem tt
do him much good. Roosevelt is moi
brain. neither is heart. as McKinles
was. Roosevelt is sane nerve-intellf.
O. IS y T,a
kinley was, his speeches are great onIy
when they are brave McEinley's
speeches were =reat only when thes
We're from the heart, as was the cOnfei.
crate soldier speech at Atlanta and his
childless man speech at San Francisco
But Roosevelt has said no important
thing on this trip. Hundreds of men In
this country, and probably with years
preparation scores of men in Kansas
could do as we'll as Roosevelt is doine
He is not great as an advocate: he
speaks as well as Mckinley, who ha.
never written line that viii live-ever
fer an hour. Mckinley had a style like
legal document: Roosevelt talks like 2
man saving wood. Yet both are greai
men-that is. very ordinary men plus
one great virtue.
IF Governor Bailey desires to recall
ms a,nner invitation to the Gazette. II
is stin time"
Captain Clad Hamilton will retire
from the attorney generals office to-
morrow He expected to make his
resignation effective April I, but Attor-
ney General Coleman persuaded him tc
remain with the department until MAY
J. The place which ne has filled is
known as special assistant attorney
general. and up to July it paws 81 500
but the recent legislature cut down the
salary To 81 500. 1t has not yet been an
nounced who his successor will be. ano
Attorney General Coleman is now il
Washington.
Captain Hamilton has formed a law
partnership with George H. Whitcomt