The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1904-03-17
GOVERNOR DOCKERY
ORDERS PRIMARY
INVESTIGATION
IF POLICEMEN ARE
FOUND GUILTY THEY
MUST BE DISMISSED

Does Not COuntenanCe Police
Intimidation.
Post Dispatch. l4th.
| Gov. Dockery this morning issued
the following order for meeting OF
the police board OF st. Louis to in
vestigate the charges OF interference
and negl lect OF duty by certain police
officers at the Democratic primary
Saturday;
"Hon. William &. Fry, president
Board OF Police Commissioners, St.
Louis, Mo-:
81 note in the columns OF the press
charges OF interference and williul neg
ttfeCt ON the part of certain officers at
the primaries last Saturday.
| Please convene yonr. board FORTH
with, investigate fully and impartial
ly each OF these charges, and II any
police officer is found guilty OF intim.
idating voters or williul neglect OF
duty. or violation OF duty, dismiss
him from the force at once. Kindly
report to me the result of your invss.
tigation at the earliest practical
moment. A. NJ. DOCKERY,
Governor.
Governor Dockery gives out the
following statement relative to the
, Kansas City and st. Louis prima-
ries:
"In spite OF my statement, made
early in this campaign, that | would
,, not take any part as between the
candidates for nominations in my
|, party, and in spite OF the further
fact that it is we'll known that | have
,. not taken any part whateverin in these
! contests, either for state or munich
, pal nominations, the Shannon con.
vention, which nominated Mr.. George
!, NJ. Shelley for Mayor oiKansas City,
Saturday, passed a resolution de-
claring me To be wholly responsible
! for "alleged" police outrages upon
, the rights of the people OF Kansas
\ City.
Personally, Icare nothing for this
! attack, but it is due my party and
the people of the state that | should
expose the absolute ialsity OF this
n unwarranted assault. For some
n days previous to the Kansas City
D primaries, one of the Republican pa
\ pers OF that city was charging that
/ there would be police interference
q with the rights OF voters.
"And this same paper, fully a week
, before the convention, was able in
some mysterious way to forecast at
! least one plank OF the platform,
D charging police interference.
D So often repeated were these publ
4 cations, determined, out OF abund'
ant caution, to leave nothing undone
D that would guarantee faithful and
, impartial enforcement of the law so
far as it rests with the police control
O OF that city.
! "To this end, on February 21,
, first called the attention of Police
Commissioners Stewart and Dean to
: the absolute Importance Of protect
! ing the rights OF every voter and the
necessity for police non-interference,
! except to maintain order and prevent
D violations of the law.
"This instruction was renewed on
D several occasions prior to the prima.
) ries, and directly urged upon the
! attention Of Chief of Police John
D Hayes during the day on which they
) were held.
If in the primaries held In Kansas
City or St. Louis there have been
( any misconduct or offensive inter
J ference on the part Of the police II
D has been in violation Of this express
D instruction, and in violation OF the
instructions of the commissioners
0 themselves.
oil a"The commissioners at Kansas
0 City took the precaution OF having
) the chief OF police specifically instruct
n the police force as to the necessity
for q strict and impartial enforce
|, msnt Of the law. This order was
\ made public prior to the primaries.
LAYS CHARGES TO REPUBLICANS.
0 m know nothing whatever as yet
OF alleged disturbance at Kansas
City or elsewhere except from news
5 paper renorts. However the Demo
0 cratic city convention at Kansas
0 CITY, which nominated Mr.. Kemper
8 for mayor, denounces the charge ol
3 police interference, in that city, e.
false, and asserts that such charges
0 are made by republican newspapers
0 and irresponsible efactional politicians
@ sor noIitical efiect only for the eole