The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-08-28
HE'S after HOCH.
Topeka Old Soldier Begins an
Anti Campaign.
Claims the Governor Violated
Old Soldier Law.
APPLIED FOR A PLACE.
He Wanted the Position of State
Accountant.
Gives Out Letters Concerning
the appointment.
FOR A PLACE.

|
accountant by Governor Hoch, is or
ganizing campaign against the gov
ernor in the ranks of the old soldiers
of the state, and hopes to start a
revolution IN the G. A. r. ranks which
will bring about the defeat of Hoch
for a second term. Dienst is an old
soldier, and claimed the job under
the preference law.
| Dienst is sore because he was not
appointed, and does not deny it. He
wanted to bring proceedings against
Governor Hoch in the Shawnee coun-
ty district court, and try to oust him
from office, but the committee ap
pointed by Department Commander
P. H. Coney seemed to be friendly to
/ Hoch, and they sidetracked this part
of Mr.. Dienst's programme on the
| ground that there were technical flaws
! in his case. Other cases, however.
with exactly the same flaws" are be-
| ing prosecuted.
| ''They tell me,'' said Mr.. Dienst to-
day to State Journal reporter, that
[ cannot make case against Gov
| ernor Hoch under the old soldier pref
! erence law because 1 did not set
| forth in my application that had
| been honorably discharged, and did
not give my company and regiment.
! I shall therefore start my fight on
Hoch in other ways. I propose to go
| before the old soldiers of this state
and present the case on its merits,
and show how Hoch has been giving
the old soldiers the worst of it. am
not the only one who has a complaint.
Hoch can not dodge the real issue in
my case by saying that he did not
know 1 was an old soldier; 1 distinctly
stated that in my first application.
| Mr.. DienSt is a member of Lincoln
post in this city. He was formerly
the general agent of the Cosmopol-
itan Insurance company, local con-
Germ having for its business form
of insurance for miners and railroad
men, who are not accepted as risks
by ordinary life companies. Charles
]. Devlin was largely interested in the
company, and when Devlin collapsed
:. the company suffered. Mr.. Dienst is
now representing another insurance
concern
1t was while travelling around in the
interests of the Devlin insurance COM
pany that Mr.. Dienst made his applica-
tion for the job of accountant. His let
ter of application, written from Pitts
burg, Kan, was in part as follows:
"Pittsburg, Kan. Dec. 3, 1904.
Hon. Ed Hoch Marion, Kan.
Dear Sir:-Will you kindly consider
this as my application for the position
of state accountant l have had large
experience in this line of work. Was
deputy county treasurer of Ford county,
Kan, for three years Am an ex-Union
soldier. served all during. the civil war.
: My residence is at Topeka where it has
; been for 20 years
Mr. Dienst in this letter gave the gov
: ernor a number of references to people
as to his ability and character
: This letter, however, was not answer
: ed by the governor and on February
: Mr. Dienst again wrote to the governor
| in which letter he said:
Il named some references and can give
as many more as you may wish. II !
, were not confident of my ability to fill
r-<al1
not ask for it. Although as 1 stated
before I served during the whole of the
civil war, am not old and decrepit.
am as well preserved and active as
most men at 35. 1 expect to return to
Topeka in a few days, when I shall call
and see you.
In reply to this letter Governor Hoch
replied on February 8, acknowledging
receipt of Mr.. D1enStS letter ana say
ing in part:
Before making up my mind in regard
: to this appointment I shall certainly
give your application the consideration
: it deserves"
Mr.. Dienst says: 1.-THE next thing ]
heard was that Gafford had been ap-
pointed the only reason for the ap-
pointment being that he was one OF
another letter to Governor Hoch, calling
his attention to the fact that he had
violated the old soldier preference law
| In reply Hoch sent me one of the most
insulting letters 1 ever received; an in
suit not only to me, but to every ole
soldier in the state
The. letter of which Mr.. Dienst COM
plains was in part as follows:
June 20, 1905.
Mr. A. Dienst:
My Dear Sir-I have your letter
complaining of your failure to be ap-
tpointed state accountant.
= selected an accountant in the person
v of a gentleman 1 have known fol
r years and who was not a candidate
S for the place. 1 believe that is idea
r politics, and that the men who want
office most are by no means best quail
:, fed to fill them. want to confess
0 frankly to you that I do not have the
K greatest amount of patience with this
i honored many old soldiers and expect
e to honor many more. They have nc
E. w. HoCH
Then Mr.. pienst decided to lay his
case before the state G. A. r. He
wrote to Thos. A. Grisham of Cotton
wood Falls, the judge advocate genera
of the G.. A. R., and asked for advice
Mr.. Grisham, who is one of the lead
ing Democrats of the state, advised
him to go after the governor Gr1shan
said in part:
= Il don't see any way to bring this
: matter to a focus only for you to make
e a test case of it and go before the
t county attorney of Shawnee county
and make an affidavit and have the
n county attorney file an Information
a against him charging him with the
e wilful violation of the soldiers prefer
ence law and we will just fight it ou
on that line if it takes all summer and
fall"
: ing the old soldier preference law il
g charge got together, there seemed tt
: be a dffferennt sentiment prevalent