The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-11-02

conducting the business in way
strongly verging on criminality; that IS
by accepting fees in cases against joint
lists not really prosecuted in good faith,
but really for the protection of the
jointist It was admitted by Mr. Dun
lazy and others that owing to the atti-
tude of the judge of the district court
in Crawford county and the prevailing
sentiment of the people in that county,
a criminal prosecution of the county at
torney would be absolute folly and
that no conviction could be expected by
any possibility. The only other alter
native was an action in the supreme
court to Gust him from office. 1t will be
remembered that the supreme court
was then at vacation and was not again
in session until October 1. It was then
too late to get service in such an action
so that the court could hear the matter
in any form before November sitting of
the court. 1t was conceded that by no
possibility could the case be brought to
an issue before the expiration of Mr.
Wayde's term of office and mine Tn
der those circumstances told MI Dun
lazy that 1 declined to submit a case 10
the supreme court which that court
would of necessity IN al probability dis
miss because long before we reached 1t
there would be no officer to GUST and
no office to vacate. At that time Mr.
Dunlavy seemed to regard the reasons
stated as sufficient, and seemed to agree
with me that The action under those cir
cumstances would be ill-advised.
.'The condition of affairs in Crawford
county is the most amazing and per-
picking that has come under my OBJ
seryatiou The whole county and city
civic and Judicial system seems to be
arrayed. fortified and constituted for
the express purpose of violating, multi
tying. defying and belittlfng the law.
Mr.. Stuessi, my appointee as assistant
attorney general, although young ana
inexperienced. has shown remarkable
ability and strength under the most
discoura ging circumst ances. Yet Meth
er he nor any other prosecutor could
accomplish any substantial results
without the cooperation Of courts and
ministerial officers in accordance with
law
while this is the condition there. and
while it calls for the most serious ankle
ty, no good can be accomplished by the
institution of abortive lawsuits and |
must decline to lead this department
into the prosecution of actions which
can not succeed or must abate before
Judgment c. c. COLEMAN.
Attorney General"
John S. Dawson, assistant attorney
general of Kansas. who has made a
special study of election laws, said to-
day in speaking Of the peculiar mud
ole IN WINCH liAo ~tt4ARAAAAeA De-l4S1
has plunged things.
ssSome time ago Senator Young of
Beloit got his picture IN the papers be-
cause he tsinplified' the ballot law by
his amendments which were enacted
in 1905. As an adEniFer and friend. OF
that splendid senator was pleased
with his distinction even If I was op-
posed to his ballot simpliheation- SEN
ator Young came to Topeka IN 1905
determined TO remedy all the defects
of the ballot law. and to that end he
called frequently upon the late Assist
ant Attorney General Close and my
self and discussed his proposed
amendments We urged him to let
the law alone: that the only important
objection to the law was that every
two years some soion would place
some finkering amendment upon it, so
that at every election the people had
to forget what they knew about the
law and learn the latest details. par
ticuIarly insisted that the ballot law
should not be changed every two years
Ike a fashion plate. We even antici-
pated and suggested to him just such
snarI as has arisen this year on the