The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-05-30
The Emporia Editor Replies to
Governor HOch.
Discusses the Katy Land Suit at
Length.
WAS HOCH WORKED9
Will Cost People of Kansas a
Million Dollars.
Mr. White Asks the Governor to
Call the Suit OFF,.
WAS HOCH WORKED2

Under the heading. ''The Governors
Defense William Allen White replies
to Governor Hoch's recent statement
concerning his action in what has be-
come known as 1.-The Katy land grab. .
Mr.. White says:
TN Saturdays paper Governor Hoch
made a dignifed and convincing reply
to the charges that he had acted i'm
properly in lending the name of Kan
sas to the Katy railroad in its suit
against the government. It is of course
an ex parte statement, and omits some
facts that are damaging to his case.
which probably the governor did not
know about, OF there would have been
no case. For whatever one may say
about Governor Hoch, no one has ever
questioned his personal integrity.
When he sees a thing clearly he acts
bRawa1y. But he did not see this Katy
suie clearly. He went into it blindly,
and now refuses to believe that those
Who led him were inspired by selfish
interests.
~But the people of Kansas are en-
titled to know the facts. And on some
of those facts Governor Hoch and his
critics can agree. One Of those facts
IS the value of the land IN controversy
No one has put its value at less than
dftv million dollars. It occupies an
area nearly as large as a New England
state. Nations have gone to war for a
smaller treasure. Stripped OF lis legaI
verbfage the suit is brought 10 de-
fsrTnine whether the government OF
the United States shall pay the KATY
railroad fifty million dollars FOR DuildS
ing a road $50 miles. The sum OF two
hundred thousand dollars per mile AT
once appears ridiculous, and unfair.
The road could not have cost that
much, and it has been and is now a
paving piece of railroad It is also
agreed by the governor and his critics.
that II the Katy wins this suit the gov
eminent will have to pay this fifty mill
lion dollars out of the federal taxes,
and Governor Hoch cannot deny that
Kansas share Of that sum would be
about a million dollars. One million
dollars, then, ts the sum that the fed
eral taxpayers OF Kansas Will have to
pay TO a railroad, known as Rookie
Teller road that the governor OF Kan
sas may violate the precedent OF a
long line of governors Of Kansas, ana
bring this suit. OF course this pay
ment is contingent on Coleman vim
ming the suit
Hoch Fav0Fs the Railroad.
"Other governors have had this case
before them. and have given the peo-
pie the benefit OF the doubt. Gov
ernor Hoch seems to think that the
Rockefeller railroad needs the benefit
of the doubt, rather than the tax
payers But others besides the gov
ernors of Kansas have reviewed this
case. 1t is an old case and has been
on the records of the United States
for nearly half a century The grant
of the land In question was made in
1866, when the government land was
being stolen by the famous railroad
bandits of this country, while the peO-
pie were recovering from a great war.
1.-THE grant was made originally to a
company chartered in Pennsylvania to
do business anywhere outside of Penn
gvivauia, and the same company was
afterward declared an outlaw in the
state of Kansas. The grant was so
preposterous that congress ignored it,
and over the protests of the present
katy railroad after thoroughly inves-
Gigating the old claim, which Gov
.ernor Hoch now brings to life by his
action, congress passed laws prac-
dcaily annu1ling the terms OF the
grant, and went ahead with its bust
ness. But the old grant was a hidden
treasure for the schemers Of the
Rockefeller system. They kept it
alive. According to their own brief
just lied In the United States supreme
court, page ZOE. the Katy took its
case for review, first to the (Indfan)
commission. second to the secretary