The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-02-09
STUBS HITS HARD
Makes Vicious Charges Against
Henry Allen.
Saws He Uses Position to Build
Political Machine.
HE TALKS OF FRAUD.
Says Paper SOled Shoes Were
Sold to State.
Notorious Drunkard Kept in
State Institution.
JUDGEBENSON'S REPLY
Allen Is Attacked Unjustly, He
Asserts.
Leland Seconds the Charges
Made by Speaker.
Mr.AIIen Demands Investigation
by the Governor.
JUDGEBENSON'S REPLY
Mr.AIIen Demands Investigation
by the Governor.


Speaker Stubbs on the floor of the
house yesterday afternoon charged the
present state board of charities with
corruption; admitted in substance that
the proposed board of control bill
was drawn up for the chief purpose
of throwing Henry Allen out of his
job. He charged Allen with using his
position to build up a political ma
chine; with offering jobs to people for
political purposes; with neglecting his
duties to be in Topeka to lobby against
the board of control bill; with being
a party to a fraudulent transaction by
which paper-soled shoes were sold to
che state institutions.
And what's more" said Mr. Stubbs.
81 know tits a fact that this man has
kept in the position of assistant sup
erintendent of a state institution hardly
a stones throw from this state house.
a notorious drunkard. in spite of the
protests of the superintendent of that
institution"
Judge A w Benson, chairman of
the house judiciary committee, a resi-
dent of Franklin county, came to the
defense of Henry Allen. He said:
This man has been condemned
here in black colors. He can not ap-
pear on this floor and speak in his
own defense. To condemn him in this
way is not fair and not just. I read
over this biH this morning, While per
haps most of the members of this
house were taking their rest. I COM
pared It as best I could with the sta
tuteS- But in the hurry of this dis
cussion today confess that 1 am lln-
able to fully understand the biII T
think we should give it more time"
The result of Stubbs' attack on
Henry Allen was the loss of Judge
BenSon's support of the bill. Stubs
tried to square himself by saying:
did not attack Mr.. Allen until it
was charged by a speaker on this
moor that he was being 1egislated out
OF office for political purposes. Then
was forced to tell the reason WHY
we are passing this bill, and why we
want change in the board
Every word that the gentleman
from Douglas has said is all right, p
said Cyrus Leland. 1.-The only trouble
is that he has not told a fourth of
the corruption which exists. I have
had some dealings with this board
and the man who is al the head of
It, and / know what has been going on.
gentlemen on this board. but one man
runs it, He uses it as a side line for
politics and private business. I be-
lieve that Governor Hoch will give rs
better board than this one ever vas
J. T. Pringle made a strong speech
IN defense of Allen, and in criticism
of the bill.
There is no reason for haste - he
said This bill repeals at one stroke
z sections of the statutes. There is
more love and humanity in those ~
secuons than IN any other portion
of the statute books I venture to
say that not one half of the mem
bers here know what those At Sec
tons provide The people who are
pushing this bill. assured US "a hours
ago that the bill was all ready for pas
sage and should be railroaded throus=h
this house Yet in this discussion to-
day, SO amendments have been made
to the bill. I want to call your at
tention to some of the weak points in
the bill as presented; to some of the
important sections of the old law
which this bill wipes out and for
which it makes no provisions
Under the existing law, the state
can enter a private asylum and see If
the unfortunates there confined are
properly looked after. This section is
repealed and nothing substituted
Neither is there anything in this pro-
posed bill to provide for the rectifying
of errors in the probate courts of the
state. when it appears that a person
has been wrongtully incarcerated.'
Mr.. Ham of Rocks county interrupted
the speaker. Why then" he said, did
you not obey your oath as a member
and make these amendments2'
I want no intimation that I have
shirked my duty" replied Mr.. Pringle,
but l say to you that in the hurry in
which this bill has been passed there
has been no time for the careful study
or preparation of amendments
There is q provision in the existing
code which prohibits a member of the
board from being interested in the firm
which supplies the board with goods
Under the proposed law. every member
might be president of a big wholesale
house, and buy everything from his
own store.
There is no provision in the proposed
law allowing the board to construct
switches from the railroads to state in
stitutiOns to save drayage.
There is no provision to account for
articles which have deteriorated and
become useless Under the present law,
these articles must not even be destroy
ed until they are checked over by some
member of the board.
1.-THE existing law provides a means
for finding homes for the unfortunate
little children. I find nothing of this
sort in the proposed law 1t is a very
important matter to enact bill of 80
pages in one day, and am opposed to
the system.
TT is proposed to reduce the mem
bershfp Of the board from five to three.
This seems strange in view of the fact