The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-06-19
HE'S AFIRE EATER
Governor HOch's Opinion Of
Rev. Robert ElwOod.
Wants Pointed Information
About PrOhibitOry Law.
NO DEATH WARRANTS.
Governor Tells Why He Doesn't
Sign Them.
Won't Send Fellow Nan to
Heaven or He'll.
NO DEATH WARRANTS.

Robert
of the First Presbyterian church at
Leaveuworth-the man who it is said
refused to sit upon the platform with
Jewish rabbi=has written a letter to
Governor Hoch and another to ". A.
Harris, Democratic candidate for gov
ernor. asking each of these candidates
TO issue a statement about their atti-
tude with regard to the prohibitory
law.
Governor Hoch is not entirely pleas
ed with Mr.. Elwoods s letter, and init
mates that the clergyman must be OF
the hre-eating species.
II viii probably make some reply to
Mr. Elwood." said the governor this
morning In some was it is a very
we'll written and able communication
But what do you think of a minister
who win censure the governors OF the
state for not signing the death war
rants of the dfty prisoners under deatn
sentence now connned IN the state
prison This letter says tnaC Oh AdtS
wears no governor has Willed TO sign
the death warrants, and that as re-
suit the prison is filling up with ne
convicts. Neither of late years. or IN
years past has any governor OF Kansas
wflled to sign the death warrants, ana
/ want to predict that no governor Will
dO so in the future Am 1 70 SIT net5
in judgment Of my fellow man, ana DS
nv act send him either to heaven or 10
help Am I to do an act which Will
send q human being to heil2 NO, SIT
] shall leave it to the Maker to deter
mine when the time has come for
man to leave this life. And yet Lnls
minister of the gospel censures me- for
not signing the death warrants of those
fifEv miserable conviCts-
Concerning the real issues of Mr.
Eglvo0d's letter. however, Governor
this time
What ] have to say viii be said in
letter to Mr.. Elwood, provided an
swer the letter" said Governor HOch.
The letter received by Governor
E0ch is slightly different from the one
sent to W. A. Harris. Governor Hoch's
letter is somewhat longer. The first
paragra ph Of Governor HOch's letter,
which does not appear at all in Mr..
Harris letter, is Is follows.
with all lovers Of good government
] am interested in the outcome of the
election this fall in this state. and with
every honest voter I am desirous of
knowing not only the conditions that
prevail, but the attitude Of the various
candidates toward those conditions. AS
an Intelligent man you must realize
there is at the present time q powerful
sentiment sweeping over this nation in
regard to public officials keeping tn cir
oaths Of office, and especially is this SO
in regard to executive officers"
The two letters then proceed in
identical form as follows:
The conditions in the state reveal the
fact that the laws Of the commonwealth
are wilfully violated in some communi-
ties to the material and moral injury Of
those communities, and yet without ac-
tion on the part of the executive au-
thorities of the state. To be explicit I
state what every citizen knows to be
fact, that the state prOhibitory law an
integral part of our states constitution
is wilfully and openly violated in var
ious cities of the state. For example
I VIII use the city Of Leavenworth, of
which 1 am resident. Here saloons
Tun rampant and gambling hourishes,
while officials look on and laugh and
make gain of the deviltry. while the
people groan under the burden of heavy
taxation. The material prosperity Of
this city is hindered and the moral at
nosphere is polluted because the execu-
tive power Of the state fails to keep the
oath Of office
Eighty per cent of the prisoners in
the state penitentiary come from the
nfteen border counties where the pro-
hibitory law is not enforced. while 0nlvr
20 per cent come from the inland eoun-
ties where the law is well enforced.
while thirty-one counties have no rem
resentatives at Lansing. Do you know.
sir, that thirty-five of the counties Of
this state where this law is enforced
have no criminal court and in some of
them this summer the county iafl Will
be used as a granary? With these facts
before you, do you, sir, believe it to he
equity to allow fifteen counties to place
upon the other ninety counffes of tho
state an onerous burden of taxation the
making Of which the lawlessness OF
these fifteen counties is alone response
bic for2
ITO say the law cannot be enforced Is
simply TO beg the case, and he who so
states is either har a scoundrel or A
coward The law Of the state commands
capital punishment for convicted rn,1r-
0erarA at the viii Of the governor. hut
IN lats years no governor has so wflled
and the result is the state prison Is allad
up with life pr.soners. The law Of tais
stare commands the enforcement Of the
pronlpltory law, and the governor Is the
VIII OF the constitution but because
governors have failed to VIII the cities
ere ming up with saloons and lawless-
ness What this state needs is a cover
nor with will who will swear and win
perform his oath and will enforce the
prom loitory law and thus uphold our
american principles, the will Of the ma
5ority; In other words no fsvorftisro to
sections or individuals. but to All r,arfs
deal" q ~ -sAi G
Inc closing paragraphs Of the two
tStlsls uil1er considerably. This is the
Wlndup OF the HOch letter.
was sorry to note that the plat
AoFm OF your party made no mention
Of the need for enforcement of the
prohipitory law. and I write to ask
What VIII be your attitude In regs I'd
20 this important matter. viii vou
stand on the platform or your record
or both or will you II elected again
take stand for righteousness and
sLrlke blow at the lawlessness in this
btate tnat shall cause Kansas 10 he fr
fact what It is called in sentiment. the
best state in the union to live IN ?
herewith enclose you addressed