The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1905-02-03
A CAPITOL JOBBERY.
The Commission has Neglected
the State Interest Wholly in
the Interest of Politics.

on the evidences of jobbery in the
New York Capitol scheme. Mr.
Hays does not charge jobbery and j:
careful not to suggest motives fol
the majority of the Commission, but
he lays the record of the facts before
the people of the State for their in
formation and conclusions. From
his statement it appears that the
Capitol Commission has determined
to waste at last 1920, 900 of the pub
lie funds that it could have served.
E. Z. Myers, of Detroit, an architect
who has constructed some of the
greatest capitol buildings in the
world, offered to build the Kentucky
State House for that much less than
any other architect in competition.
Moreover, he offered to furnish ade-
quate bond for the performance of
his undertakings to the satisfaction
of the Commission and the General
Assembly.
Mr.. Mayors is the architect and
constructor of the State Capitol of
Texas and the Parliament building
of the Republic of Brazil, each of
which cost $s,OOO,00O, and besides
erected several other capitols in the
United States. He was evidently no
fake bidder, no Cheap architect.
against whom sneers have been Gre
ated by the majority of members of
the Kentucky Commission. He was
abundantly Endorsed and Iecom-
it seems, and offered to
give bond for personal liability for
the excellence of all the work and
to be put into the Kentucky
Capitol.
Not only was this proposition
turned down, but nobody in the State
has heretofore heard of it. Not on
" was it turned down, but the work
was handed over to an architect who
mas never constructed capitol, and
no bond was exacted of the favorite
.hus chosen! 1t is astonishing, but
Attorney General Hays makes the
and the facts ought to
De easy of ascertainment. The man.
her in which the architect was chos-
IN, as shown by the record of the
voting, will remain a mystery to
hose who are not familiar with the
methods of political caucuses. 1t
vas rumored in advance of the selec-
ion that the naming of the architect
vas the price of control of the State
Democrat Convention last summer.
So, it seems, the control of that po-
itical machine cost the taxpayers
800, 000-with much yet to be heard
from.
The selection of an architect is an
in hieroglyphics. Attorney
General Hays has given the public
the record of the vote. The Gener-
al Assembly might get an explana-
ton of it by means of an investi-
eating committee. 1t appears that
Mr.. Myers was never voted for. 1t
S not clear whether his proposition
was even considered. Attorney
Hays does not seem to have known
of the Myeres offer until
after the architect had been select
I'd. Mr.. Hays voted for Mr.. Mil
ourn. Mr.. Myers sent his PROPOSE
ion to Gov. Beckham, who turned
t over to the Secretary of the Com
There it lay unknown and
until Mr.. Myers asked
Mr.. Hays to get it. Yet it proposed
% save the State 1920. 900.
OF course, there are many more
Kings than this hidden under a pre-
iminary grab of $4,000. There
we're some forty architects in the
Some of them address
ID communications that were not
wen opened, as we are credibly in
ormed. The Commission seems to
lave neglected the interests of the
State wholly in the interests of
politics.
The General Assembly while invit-
ng persons to speak ought to ask
ir. Myers and other architects to
ak. Try and get at the fact and
top the graft that theaters under
ne present state of affairs.