The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-02-10
OUT ON A HUNT.
House Names Committee to Look
Into Doodle Stories.
The Official State Paper IsCaIled
Down.
TO COVER WIDE FIELD.
May Look Into Railroad Pass
Question.
Bill Hackney Leads the Inves-
tigatiOn Movement.
70 COVER WIDE FIELD.

At o'clock this afternoon, the
house of representatives will begin a
search for Standard Oil Doodle. I'm
/ der the terms of a resolution offered
this morning by W. P. Hackney of
Cowley, the following smelling COM
mittee was appointed this morning:
w. P. Hackney of Cowley, chair
man; A. W. Benson of Franklin. A.
r. Clark of Rice, S. S. GIasscock of
Wyandotte. w. Y. Morgan of Reno.
1t is the official state paper which
is under investigation for a story
printed this morning stating that the
Standard Oil lobby is trying to buy
up the members of the house. The
editors and reporters of this paper
have been subpoenaed to appear be-
fore the committee this afternoon and
tell what they know.
The committee will also subpoena
Judge Barker, the private advisor to
Speaker Stubbs, ]. G. Slonecker of
Topeka. local attorney for the Stan
dard Oil, several other attorneys sup
posed to be interested in various cor
porations, a lot of the railroad attor-
neys who have been active around the
legislature.
1t is said that every member of the
house of Representatives will also be
called up and asked to state, under
oath, how many railroad passes he has
received for himself or his constituents
during the present session The rail-
road attorneys may be called upon to
produce their pass books, showing
what passes have been issued.
Speaker Stubbs says: This resolu-
tion is broad enough to reach all kinds
of Doodle and all species of lobbyists:
1t is not limited to Standard Oil. II
any evidence can be found to besmirch
any member, I am in favor of throwing
him out of the house instanter. 1 am
in favor of hauling up these attorneys,
men who are under the pay OF corpof-
atiOnS. That is what was the matter
with Burton; he got into his trouble
because he was trying to be an attor-
ney for some of these concerns Bring
them all up. I don't care who they
subpoena. Call on Judge Barker.
have no objections. If the committee
/ finds that any attorney is lobbying on
the floor for the passage of bills, he
should be disbarred from the house.
There are about 20 attorneys in the
house of representatives as members
They will probably be hauled up be-
fore the committee to tell whether or
not they are receiving pay from any
corporation. This might be very un-
pleasant for some of them.
Hackney's resolution, after copying
the general charges and insinuations
made in the official state paper. says:
whereas, in that article it is
charged that Doodle is being used by
a corrupt lobby with members of this
/ legislature and that several members
are already under suspicion; therefore
be it
Resolved, That a committee Of five
on the part of the house be and they
are hereby appointed to make a full
/ and thorough investigation of and
concerning the matters referred to in
said article, and for that purpose they
may employ a stenographer and send
1 for persons and papers and are en-
! powered to administer oaths, to the
/ end that the truth may be ascertained,
and that they report to the two houses
their findings and conclusions relative
thereto at the earliest date possible.
And that said committee likewise in
I vestigate and report whether or not
any other interests have a lobby here,
and whether or not such interests are
using money in any way to further
their interests, either by the purchase
of newspapers or otherwise
1t Is All Rumor.
/ 1t is considered extremely unlikely
that this smelling" committee will un-
earth anything The members who
/ know-if there are any-will not tell.
! The rumors which have been printed
are the only things which the commit
/ tee can find to investigate and thew are
i very vapOry, like most Doodle rumors
/ There is no doubt that the Standard
Oil lobby wants the state refinery bill
beaten There is no doubt that it has
! been working in a quiet way to accom-
plish this. Whether there has been any
handling of money is another question.
People are not likely to tell about such
things, even to the newspapers.
The probability is that the "inves-
| tigation" was devised and fathered by
the administration" crowd to create a
| diversion from the fight on the Stand
ard Oil company. They want to in
vestigate" and find nothing. and then
set uD the claim that the members of
| the legislature are being allowed to
| follow their own convictions, and are
not being seen" by the proprietors of
the Standard Oil barrel"
The committee which Speaker
/ Stubs appointed under the terms of
| the Hackney resolution held a meet
| ing at noon today, and decided to sub
/ pOena the reporter who wrote the
Doodle" story, and several others, for
| the meeting to be held at 4 o'clock
/ this afternoon.