The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-07-26
THAT .FARcE >,

While I don't want to belittle any
of the laws on the statute books, this
one concerning the examination OF the
treasury is about as useless as any. It
county treasury-a farce which
amounts to nothing. I have several
times served on the board which ex-
aInined the county treasury, and
know what a useless piece of business
# is.-Governor E. w. Hoch in State
Journal interview on July 5.
The above is from the interview with
Governor Hoch as published in the
State Journal on July 5. It is exactly
what the governor said. In an inter-
view published this morning Governor
FIoch says:
II never said the law was a farce.
What did say, and what I repeat. is
that the examinations under 1t have
been a farce, and everybody who knows
anything about it knows that this is
true. The purpose and intent OF the
law is good, but it imposes such physi-
cal impossibilities upon the governor
particularly that its pretended per-
Torrance is almost Of necessity
farce
A careful reading of Governor Hoch's
statement on July shows that his
language can refer to either the law or
the examination. But what is the diff
ference? Strictly speaking no law is
tarce-it is the enforcement of it that
is the farce. Nobody claims that the
prohibitory law is a farce-the derelict
county attorneys simply claim that the
attempts to enforce it result in the
farce.
There is just as good logic in what
the delinquent county attorneys say as
~
ernor says the examinations OF the
treasury have always been a farce;
that they do no good. The county at
torneys of Leavenworth, Wyandotte,
Sedgwiclx and other counties say the
same concerning the attempts to en-
force prohibition in those counties. Gov
ernor Hoch attempts to justify his
course by saying that his predecessors
made only a few examinations of the
treasury. Doubtless the county attor-
neys referred to can show that their
predecessors made no attempts what
ever to enforce certain laws.
OF course all officials should do their
best to enforce all laws, just as they
swear they will do. The State Journal
is not defending any derelict county at
torneys-it is simply pointing out the
result of any county official picking out
what particular laws he will enforce.
1t may be that Governor Hoch could
not make an examination that would
disclose all the secrets of the treasury.
He says physical impossibilities prevent
it. County attorneys also say that it is
impossible to enforce prohibition be-
cause men will lie about it and juries
will fail to convict in spite of evidence.
An examination of the state treasury
by Governor Hoch would have revealed
in ten minutes the fact that T. 7. Kelly
was carrying more than half a million
dollars on deposit in the First National
bank of Topeka, besides nearly two
hundred thousand dollars in banks out
side of Topeka, in absolute defiance of
the law, and without any protection
whatever. There can be no doubt that
Governor Hoch could have discovered
this much. Would that have been
farce?
The State Journal would not for
anything detract public attention from
Tom Kelly's crimes. 1t believes that
Kelly is a thief; that he has repeatedly
violated the laws of Kansas, and that
| he should be sent to the penitentiary
for his crimes. 1t believes that Gov
ernor Hoch is a man of strict personal
integrity, and that he has not inten-
tionally been negligent But the fact
remains that he has been negligent,
both regarding the treasury examina-
| ton and in not bringing Kelly to JUS
tice long ago. He should now retrieve
! himself by doing 50 as speedily as
| possible.