The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-07-11


shortages-he certainly acted to the
best interests Of Kelly and against the
best interests of the state.
Coleman charges that the state
Journal SANDERS the name and
character of another and then sells
the SANDER for a price, This again.
needs a diagram. The State Journal
attempts to give its readers the news.
and it sells this news for cash, and
does not resort to any piano schemes
or count-the-dot contests to do SO.
When any dishonest, incompetent or
derelict officials try to keep the State
Journal from securing the news, as
was done in the Comanche county
bond case, the State Journal does its
duty by its readers and the public
by securing the news the best it can.
The newspaper that fails to do less
fails in its duty to the public and de-
frauds its subscribers. Is this what
Mr.. Coleman means by selling its
SANDER for price,? If not here may
be ground for a $4,000 libel suit as
an offest.
| Mr.. Coleman is to be congratulated
that he is so easily satisfied with his
record. It is certainly record to be
proud Off you don't know anything
about it.
In the first place, right in the be-
ginning of his term Mr.. Coleman gave
a written opinion that the executive
council had no power or authority to
elect railroad commissioner to sue
coed J. n. Fike. Yet he had so little
respect for and confidence in his own
Iopinion that two minutes later he
took part in an election ignoring and
overriding that opinion. If Mr..
Coleman has so little respect for his
own opinions he should not blame
others for a similar lack of respect
and confidence.
Then there was the Kansas City
Doodle inquiry. With a great flourish
of trumpets Mr.. Coleman took per-
lsonal charge of that investigation and
spent six weeks at it. And the only
result was a few minor indictments.
Four of these were carried to the SUI
preme court where Mr.. Coleman got
the worst of it on all of them. The
only result of all that prosecution has
been the conviction of q member of
the board of education of Kansas City,
Kan, and that case has not yet reached
the supreme court for reversal.
The outcome of the Dewey murder
cases is recent matter. These were
of such great importance that the at
torney general took charge of the
prosecution. Three murders were
committed and an outraged public de-
manded that the murderers be discov-
cred and punished. Either Chauncey
Dewey or some of the men who ac-
companied him committed them. We're
the murderers convicted? OF course
not The attorney general had charge
of the prosecution.
Mr.. Coleman's opinion with regard to
Governor BaiIey's use of his mainten-
ance fund is well remembered. Before
drawing on the fund for the use fol
which it was appropriated Governor
Bailey asked Attorney General Coleman,
as the legal adviser of the governor. il
it was legal to do so. Mr.. Coleman said
verbally that it was. Assistant Auditor
Nation checked the same question up to
Coleman before paying the bills, and re-
4 ceived the same reply. 1t was on the
strength of that opinion from Coleman
that Governor Bailey used his nlainten-
ance fund as he did. Later when the
question came up Coleman rendered
written opinion along the same line, but
the supreme court reversed him.
The outcome of the oil refinery case
is so recent that it needs no explana-
ton here Coleman again was on the
losing side
A detailed examination will doubt
less show that the litigation il which
. the state has been a successful party
has nearly always been conducted by
. some assistant to the attorney general
and not by Coleman himself. There
have been three big cases of the states
. decided by the United States supreme
court. In the American Book COM
pany case C. C. Clemens was en-
ployed by Governor Bailey to go to
Washington and argue it for the state
He won The Smiley antitrust law
case, one of the most important that
| has been before the United States SUI
preme court in years, was won fol-
Kansas by D. R. Hite. The only one
of the three in which Mr.. Coleman
REPRESENTED the state was the eight
| hour case.
In the ansas-Colorado litigation
Mr.. Coleman has had comparatively
little part. The state employs three
other attorneys in that case, and they
have done practically all of the work
The minor litigation of the attor-
lney generals Office has usually beer
left to ]. F. Close the assistant attor-
ney general, and this is how Mr.
Coleman has made the record fol
success to which he refers.
And now Governor Hoch employs
Attorney Gleed.