The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-02-23
WHO OWNS IT?
The Official State Paper Shrub
ed in Mystry.
This Fact Comes Out in the
Doodle Inquiry.
THEY HAD NO FACTS.
Stories of COrruptiOnApparently
Without Foundation.
Nav Be Trouble Over the Salary
Bill.
THEY HAD NO FACTS.

i. mo boodle,'' is the verdict of the
committee appointed to investigate the
charge made by the official state paper
that Standard Oil lobbyists were trying
to fix the state legislature.
In the report of the committee flled
Wednesday afternoon with the house Of
Representatives. a peculiar state of at
fairs IS disclosed by the stenographic
report of the testimony Of J. F. farrell,
city editor of the official state organ.
Tt seems to be a dark and unpenetra-
BILE mystery who is the owner and pub
Usher of this newspaper. Mr.. FARRELL
admitted that he didn't know. The
changes in management had been too
swift for him. After Mr.. FARRELL had
been sworn, w. p. Hackney conducted
an examination after this fashion:
@. What are your duties? A. have a
miscellaneous job lot of duties; Just
now I am reporting the house
Q. Who is the owner and publisher OF
that paper? A. don't know.
O. Who do you get your directions
from2 A. Arthur Capper.
Q. Who is editor in chief of that pa
per? A. Mr. Capper. I would say. He
is the boss around there.
Q. Who else? A. Mr.. Chase is the
o. Who else is connected with it? A
DO you want the names Of everybody
around the office?
8. Who is the business manager? A.
I can't answer that question 1t would
simply be my opinion about it. 1 VIII
say that there have been some changes
in the ownership and management OF
the paper since the Legislature conVen-
ed with which I am not fas1llaf
Q. What do you know about any at
temut of the Standard to buy the SEN
ate? A. don't know anything.
O. What do you know abou- any at
tempt of the Standard to buy the SEN
of the house in this matter \ con
know anything about IL.
O. Have you any information OF any
kind tending to show that any member
of the house or senate has been engag-
ed in boOdling2 A. L have not
Q. And you didn't have any sucn IN
formation at the tina this article vas
written? A No Information tnat
BY Judge A. R. Clark:
Q.-What do you mean in the arti.
Gle by saying: The air is full OF
Al meant that for the last week
or ten days there have been rumors
in the hotel Hobbies and in the state
house fnsinuatiOns and innuendoeS
here with doodle. and thatsmoney had
been shipped here; all sorts of wildcat
stories that have been floating about
the state house and hotel lObbies.
The documents filed in evidence
showed that Mr.. Capper, Mr. Chase
and Mr.. Robey, all of whom are sup
posed to have some connection with
the official state paper, were sub
poenaed to give testimony before the
committee, but for some reason. their
testimony was not taken.
The committee reported unanimous
" that it had been unable to find
anything to justify the publication of
the Doodle charges in the officia ii state
paper. The report is as follows:
Mr.. Speaker: The undersigned,
your special committee, appointed to
Investigate the Doodle charges con-
tanned in the Topeka Daily Capital in
its issue of February 10. 1905, have
taken some testimony, which is here
with submitted, attached hereto and
made a part of this report. In addi-
ton to all of which each member of
your special committee for himself
has made such inquiry and investiga-
ton as he could concerning such
charges. from all of which the under
signed submit:
'First-That the grave charges COM
planned of are we'll calculated to
prejudice the public mind against
members of the legislature, individual
" as we'll as collectively. That any
reflection of the character complained
of is detrimental to the orderly, intel
lgent administration of the duties of
the members of this house. and 1t is
injurious alike to the legislature and
the state of Kansas.
Second-We have discovered no
evidence to justify the publication Of
the article referred to or any similar
article by any paper.
'Third-From what we can learn (
the Standard Oil company. in said
article referred to. has at no time used
any money or other valuable thing
around or about this legislature for
the purpose of influencing legislation
inimical to it or otherwise
Nv. P. HACKNEY.
ANSEIs r. CLARK
"a. W. BENSON
SIS. S. GLASSCOCK.
wv Y. MORGAN"
Drafting Salary Bill.
It is now up to the committee on fees
and salaries to report a bill making |
provision for the salaries of all neces- |
sary state officers. The committee viii I
act under the terms of the following |
HAD TO HIDE 1T