The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-10-24
Would Have Been Glad to Have
Found Kelly All Right.
WHERE FAULT RESTS.
"Upon Those Who Had Charge
of State Treasury"
"During Time Shortages and
EmbezZlements."
Says Accountant Checked Up
Many State Offices.

Many State Ofhces.
Governor Bailey today gave out the
following statement relative to the
state treasury investigation:
"The persistent effort that is being
made to make it appear that the in
vestigation of the state treasury that is
now going on is prompted by revenge
and for the purpose of defeating the
Republican state ticket is so unfair
and untrue that 1 am prompted to
make this statement.
when the state accountant was
at work checking up the various state
institutions which he has done and
when he checked up the bank COM
missioner's office, which he has done,
/ never heard of any complaint of per-
secution. either for political or per
sonal reasons, but from the time he
commenced to check up the state
treasurer's office the claim of perse-
cution of Mr.. Kelly has been constant
ly made.
"The investigation of the treasurer's
Office was commenced in obedience to
a demand of a large number of people
of the state and a number of the lead
ing newspapers of the state. A great
many who believed that the charges
against Mr.. Kelly were false said an
examination of the treasury should be
made and thus silence the charges of
dishonesty that were being made by
his political enemies.
About the time the accountant went
into his office 1 bad talk with Mr..
Kelly and he assured me we would find
nothing wrong unless 1t might be some
little mistake in bookkeeping OF which
y. l~V7 had
proven to be the case, Who would have
given Mr.. Kelly the best campaign
document posSible2 All agree that it
would have been the report of the state
accountant that the records of his
office were correct and ali right. And
I say to the people of Kansas. 1 would
more gladly have published that fact
than the one 1 am compelled to publish.
THE fault doeS/not rest with the state
accountant or with his assistant, neith-
er can it be honestly charged against
the governor who ordered the inveSti-
cation. The fault rests alone upon
those who have had charge of the state
treasury during the time the shortag geS
and embezzlements have taken place.
Mr. RoWett. the state accountant,
and his assistant, Mr.. Buckingham, are
competent and honest men with a life
time reputation back of them. Mr..
buckingham is a member of the E. F.
MOxey Audit company. They have done
and are doing their duty fearleSsly and
they can be diSproven in a day by any
competent accountant. I feel absolute
ly sure the shortages they have reported
are true, and no shortages will be re-
ported in the future until positive proof
of their existence is had. It seems to
me that Mr.. Kelly could explain at once
his connection with the Garden City
matter by naming the man of whom he
received the coupons which he sent to
New York for collection and to whom
he paid the money he received for the
same. Until he does do this, he cannot
blame the people of Kansas for believ-
ing he has violated his trust and that
he is guilty of embezzlement as shown
by the record.
wv. ]. BAILEY
Resignation in escrow is fast be-
coming a byword in Kansas. The ac-
ton of T. 7. Kelly in resigning some
thing he has not got but wants to get
Is looked upon as a farce. Its main
service is to give his friends some ex-
cuse for asking for his reelection
Re-elect Kelly" they say in sub
stance, and if we can't whitewash
him he will resign and we will have
Hoch appoint some one to succeed
him"
Lawyers say that KeIly's resignation
"in escrow is no resignation at all
legally. 1t would not bind Kelly in the
least after his election. Even his
friends admit this.
1T must be admitted that Mr.. Kel-
ley's resignation does not amount to
anything legally, said T. E. Dewey
supreme court reporter, when asked
about the matter. THE carrying out
OF resignation of that kind would be
SIMPLY a matter of personal honor-it
does not bind Mr.. Kelly legally pre-
sumo am prejudiced in Kelly's favor.
but as legal proposition it must be
admitted that this resignation in
escrow would finally be simply a mat
ter of personal honor"
Mr.. Dewey has always been a friend
OF j. r. Burton and hence has not
been unfriendly to Burton's associates
This shows that Kelly's resignation
in escrow" means nothing at all SUP
pose he is reelected and 1T is a matter
of personal honor for him to re-
sign-his resignation in escrow
would not bind him in the least. He
would first have to be convicted in the
courts. and then no resignation would
be necessary.
In case he cannot be whitewashed
after an investigation of several
months under HOch's administration
it is the plan to have Mr. Hoch an
point his successor. instead of allowing
the people to elect a man in Kellv's
place, as they now have chance to
do. Kelly's friends. D. w. Mulvane
and others, believe they could probably
control the appointment The same
crowd would still be in control of the
state treasury. 1t has already been
controlled by the Burton crowd for six
years without a change. The man who
course. ask for a nomination two