The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-10-15
DOCS Not Clear Kelly.

How They Look at It.
Miami Republican: The Topeka
State Journal appeared in district
court in Topeka Monday ready for
trial in the libel suits entered against
it by MesSrS. BurrOw, Coleman and
Dayhoff, state officers and members
of the school fund commission, be-
cause of allegations of fraud made by
that paper in the purchase of the
bonds of Comanche county. The
plaintiffs refused to go to trial. how
ever, because the Journal wanted all
three of the cases tried together. This
contention of these gentlemen will be
taken as evidence to the people of
Kansas that they dare not face this
trial before the election. 1t is a prac-
teal admission that they are guilty
as charged and are unworthy of the
trust reposed in them.
Don't Want Trial.
Seneca Tribune: The Topeka Jour-
nal filed its answer in the libel SUIT
of w-Coleman-Dayhof on time.
Now comes both parties into court on
Monday morning last, and the Journal
asked that trial be had next Monday,
the 10th, and for convenience the
cases be consolidated. The judge IA
vored such action, stating it was his
understanding all parties wished the
cases put on record before election
He asked that an agreemeWt to thar
effect be signed; but the attorneys for
lation, asking that the cases be tried
separately. The judge said this was
impossible on account of time. All OF
which seems to the Tribune that the
school fund commissioners do not
want immediate trial.
Use $1,000; Used $123, 900.
Emporia Gazette: If Tom Kelly
can have the use of seven thousand
dollars of the state funds and return
them when he finds the accountant
is onto him-keeping four thousand
which went out when he was deputy
treasurer. and was, as his friends
claimed at the time, lin full charge
of the treasurer's off1ce"-if that is
the law Attorney General Coleman
may be trusted to give the people of
the state the straight of it.
$1,000 Short; $1,000 Returned.
Emporia Gazette: When the state
treasurer lends a bond dealer $123,-
600 of the states cash for two weeks,
without interest, to accommodate the
bond dealer making $4,000 commits
sion, who couldn't swing the deal at
any bank on those terms, that is plain
EN- bezzle ment. When the state treas
urer who boasts that he has had full
charge of his office for four years as
deputy, and a year and a half as
treasurer, lets the Office get seven
thousand dollars short, sneaking in
three thousand when he finds they
employer to hold the sack for four
thousand dollars worth of shorta ge-
that is EMBEZZLEMENT. And when
that same treasurer cuts out pages of
the records of his Office to hide his
crime and justifies his own crime by
showing equally reprehenSible pecu-
lations of others, which he has known
about for years in silence that is clear
isher after it. The Gazette trusts that
it has made itself absolutely clear to
the esteemed Capital.
Comanche's Dugout Court House.
Emporia Gazette: Since the Co
county bond affair has been
noised abroad the reports have been
printed trying to show how easily CO.
manche county could pay off those
bonds and how perfectly good the
bonds are and how prosperous Co.
manche is.
Will Higgins. of the law firm of
Lambert & Huggins, and ]: NJ. Pyle
had occasion to travel over the greater
part of Comanche county about
year ago, and their account is rather
different from the optimistic reports
about what Garden of Eden the
county is. Bill Higgins idea of the
value of Comanche county land is
that if the whole county were sold by
the acre it wouldn't bring enough to
pay off the $123,OO0 Comanche bonds
The story the Emporia men learned
of the bonds was that they were is
sued when there were but two people
living in Comanche county, but show
ing was made that there were a great
many taxpayers in the county and
for that reason the bonds would be
good. The story on the grounds where
it all happened is that some of the
original bonds were issued to build
$4,000 court house, and the $50, 1000
court house was dugout and a few
logs for a front.
The graft in the Comanche county
bonds started at home. When the
Emporia men were there they drove
over the county for ten miles at a
stretch without running across a hui
man being, or anything that looked
like house. Mr. Higgins and Mr..
Pyle were looking up some mortgaged
cattle.
Troy Chief: Ed Hoch said in his
If you don't intend to vote the
straight ticket, get out of the party"
II Hoch knew when he made that
crack that Tom Kelly was a thief,
to endorse him? But Hoch can't read
a man out of the party. He is not
yet supreme boss of the Republicans
of Kansas and there are good Repub-
llcans who will not vote for Kelly be-
cause Hoch commands them to. Kelly
is a thief. The charge has been made
and proven. The evidence is complete.
Kelly admits it himself and brazenly
asks, What are you going to do about
it?" Kelly is not only a thief but ap-
pears to be an habitual thief 1t looks
as though when he puts his hand in
the money drawer some of the states
money sticks to his fingers. Yet we're
told to vote for him or get out of the
party.
Here is one who don't intend to vote
for thief or get out of the party
either. There is no precept taught by
the Republican catechism which says,
support a thief if he is on the tick
ct"
1t is up to Hoch to ask the state Re
publican committee to remove Kelly
from the ticket and put an honest man |
in his place. Hoch claims to be a |
clean man. He has been conceded to
be a clean man, and for the sake of
his own reputation he cannot afford to