The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-02-05
SOME PERTINENT QUESTIONS.

The State Journal wishes to approve
Governor Hoch's official acts whenever
it can honestly and consistently do so.
While this paper was very friendly
to Governor Bailey and considered
tsat he was unjustly treated in the
boss buster movement, it has endeav-
ored to commend Governor Hoch
whenever the governors acts were such
that it could eonscientiously commend
them. It wishes that his administra-
ton were such that it could give it
unqualified approval throughout.
But the fact is that all of Governor
HOeh's official acts cannot be upheld
by any real friend of honest govern
ment. He has done some good things.
for which the State Journal has COM
mended him, but his course in regard
to the state treasury investigation has
been so dilatory and undecisive that it
is impossible for this paper to approve
it, This is the most important matter
of Governor Hoch's administration,
and Governor Hoch has so disappoint-
ed the people OF the state that some
questions raised by the Minneapolis
Better Way are exceedingly pertinent.
1t says.
Governor Bailey is being indicated
with about every move that is made on
the political checker board. John Q.
Royce's PhiIlipsburg Dispatch, which
is undoubtedly one of Gov. HOch's
mOuthpieces in an article last week
says that the Morris report shows the
same defaIcations in the treasurer's Of
fee that are shown by the ROWett
report. Of course Gov. Bailey and
his friends have cause to rejoice at his
indication, but how ought the people
feel about it, When Gov. Bailey va
Gated the office he declined to make
the Rowett report which had just been
filed public, but left it in the hands of
his successor, Gov. HOch. who had
promised the people of Kansas that
Treasurer KeIIy's office should be
thoroughly Investigated. What does
this reform governor dO2 One thing
was to ignore the Rowett report. Why
was it that this report of an exami-
nation made by firm of competent
accountants and paid for by the state
was not used and made the basis of
proceedings to clear up the big scan
dals in connection with the treasuT-
ers office Why was it necessary for
the legislature to appropriate $4,000
to pay for another examination of the
same departments Was it simply be-
cause of jealousy of the old admins
tratiou on the part of the new. or was
IL because the whole outfit are smeared
and splOtched by the dirt that is spread
so thickly over, around and through
the entire fabric of state government
IF jealousy Of Gov. Bailey was the
reason why Gov. Hoch refused to take
any official notice of the Rowett re
port that fact alone ought to defeat
Hoch. If the additional appropriation
of $4,000 was made 50 as to either
whitewash Mr. Kelly or to give jobs
at $500 a day to lot of party work
ers in addition to the big sum paid
the accounting company, then the fact
that the peoples money was being
squandered in a way to allow dishonest
officials to hold on to their jobs ought
to make the people tired and ready for
2 change. The Morris report con-
firms the Rowett report. The state,
on the face of things at this time, is
loser to the amount of many thou
sands of dOllars-and still the gov
ernor holds off. Is he afraid to act?
Is he going to keep on playing poll
tics in the interest of the party2 If
he does, can the people be blamed if
they conclude that he is tarred with
the same stick with which his political
hackers have marked Tom Kelly?
There is going to be an awakening
among the people some of these days.
and they viii rid Kansas politics of a
lot of barnacles in short order Gov.
Hoch is doing as much as Tom Kelly
Is TO bring on the storm"