The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-02-01
Short Grass Candidate for State
Treasurer Appears.
He Is a Banker and Stands Well
in District.
OPPOSITION TO KELLY.
With Mr.. Grasses Appearance
1t Assumes Definite Form.
Record of Present Officer Any
thing But Good.

There will evidently be a candidate
for state treasurer against the present
incumbent before the Republican state
convention. H w. Grasse, president of
the Farmers and Merchants bank of
Lacrosse, was endorsed for state treas
urer by the Rush county convention
Saturday A Lacrosse dispatch says:
1.-THE Republican county committee of
Rush county met today and called a
convention to select delegates to the
Seventh district congressional and state
conventions for February q Il w.
Grasse, president of the Farmers and
Merchants State bank of this place,
was strongly endorsed for state treas
urer. No other resolutions were pre-
sented."
Mr.. Grasse is recognized as one of the
strongest men in the Seventh congress
sional district He has repeatedly been
urged to run for state senator against
Fred Dumont Smith, but has declined to
do so. He is one of the most successful
bankers in western Kansas.
Nothing is known of Mr.. Grasse
candidacy in Topeka, other than that
announced in the dispatches. None OF
the Republican leaders seems to have
known that he was contemplating max
ing the race but the enthusiastic sup
mort given him by his county seems to
Indicate that he will develop great
deal of strength in that part of the
state, and that he is in the contest in
earnest.
There is. of course, a great deal of dis
satisfaction with the present treasurer,
T. T. Kelly. Thousands of Republicans
over the state accept the verdict OF the
county commissioners that he was
guilty of forgery and embezzlement
while county clerk of that county, and
they will not support him, even II there
is no other candidate
1t is also recognized that he stands
has
at work for weeks trying to organize
Miami county so that he can secure the
delegation from there to the state con
vention. but it is said that the only
hope he now has is in a bolt and con-
testing delegation. Captain Collins
custodian of the state house. whose
election Kelly secured and whose nome
is in Miami county said today that
there would be a cOntesting delegation
in Miami county. The reason he gave
for it was because the county central
committee had provided itself for the
judges Of the primaries IN that county
Kelly lost his county two years ago
in the election. although Governor
Bailey carried it by a large majority
Kelly ran nearly a thousand votes be-
hind Bailey. and he received large
Democratic vote.
Kelly is responsible for the defeat of
the Goebel bill to give the state the
interest on state deposits in the banks,
amounting it is estimated to somewhere
pOsits are now made contrary to law.
but it is impossible to enforce the law
because of a technicality, and it is gen
orally understood that the interest on
the deposits goes into the pockets of
the state treasurer. Therefore MI.
Kelly's anxiety to prevent any change.
In the same way Kelly prevented the
passage of the Francis amendment to
the tax bill last winter. The house
adopted it, but the senate, at Kelly
dictation, refused to do so, and this
killed the tax bill The Francis amend
ment would still have allowed the state
treasurer to manipulate all state moneys
except the general revenue fund for his
own good, but it allowed the state taxes
for the general revenue fund to remain
IN the hands Of the county treasurers,
where the counties received interest ON
them, until called for on estimates made
each month by the state auditor.
Kelly is also responsible, more than
anyone else, for the big increase in state
taxes. He had had four years exper-
fence in the state treasurer's office and
thereby was able to control the other
two members of the state board of
equalization, who had had no experience
of the kind before last summer. It was
Kelly who manipulated the raising of
the assessments in So counties approx
mately thirty million dollars, while the
railroads were left just the same. 1t
is believed that Kelly worked the state
tax levy so as to raise more money
than necessary, in order to have it to
deposit in the banks and thereby in
crease his rake-Off. Governor Bailey
was blamed for this by Mr.. Hocf's sup
porters
Kelly is also recognized as the leader
of the Burton faction in the state house.
His office is Burton headquarters and
he is tied up politically and personally
with the discredited senator. They are
of the same kind.
The candidacy of Mr.. Grasse comes as
a surprise, but it will probably have a
considerable following.