The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-05-24
TUCKER REPLIES.
The Uncle Sam Oil Man in Con-
trOversy.
Makes a Statement Covering PO-
liticai Charges.
is A REPUBLICAN,
He Says, But Objects to Several
Candidates.
Letter Brought Out by T. A.
McNeal's Article.
S A REPUBLICAN,

number of newspapers through
out the state have given space to the
following paragraph which was sent
out from Topeka by T. A. McNeal,
acting as press agent for the Repub-
ican= party. In it the charge is made
that Mr.. H. H. Tucker, secretary Of
the Uncle sam Oil company, is DEM
ocrat and is acting in the interests of
the Democratic party in refusing to
vote for or support Messrs. Fitzgerald,
Ryker, and Ryan. Mr.. fuckers at
tention was called to the matter and
he promptly replied by sending Mr..
McNeal an open letter. Mr. McNeaPs
paragraph is as follows:
II. H. Tucker. formerly associate
editor Of a well known Populist news
paper in the Fifth congressional dis
trict, and now promoting a seductive
oil refinery proposition at Cherry
vale, is trying to induce Republicans
to vote the Democratic ticket. Not
Wfthstanding the fact that the Repub-
hcan legislature of 1905 and the Re-
publican state administration gave
the independent oil producers and re-
fners all of the legislation they de-
nlanded and all they now have, Mr..
Tucker processes to believe that the
only hope for producers and ref1nerS
lies in the success of the Democratic
party, Of which he is a member. He
became fixed in this belief only after
his futile effort to bluff Governor
HOch into calling a special session of
the legislature. He is now circulate
ing petitions among people interested
in his seductive schemes pledging the
signers to bolt part Of the Repub-
hcan ticket. This is probably the first
OF the unimportant and freakish
schemes which Mr.. Tucker will spring
inc he
To which Mr.. Tucker replied as
follows:
-'Cherryvale, Kas. May 21, 1906.
''Mr. T. A. McNeaI, Press Agent STAN
dard oil Co, Topeka, Kas-:
Dear Sir-Through the courtesy of
a newspaper friend we have just come
into possession Of an extract from
some matter which you are sending
out which refers directly to me.
was aware that the Standard OIL com
pany had appointed a press agent in
New York, but until I read your con-
tribution I was not aware that the
corporation was represented in Kan
sas by a literary bureau. 1t would
be interesting to know Just how much
you receive for doing the press work
this state. Certainly you are not do
ing this work out of the largeness of
your heart, and haven t heard of the
Republican committee authorizing you
or any other man to conduct a cam
paign through the public prints. The
same interests that led to the Elijah
letters are undoubtedly back of your
latest contribution to the gayety Of
nations. Your charge that 1 am a
Democrat is right in line with the
methods of the interests you stand for.
The events of the past few months
have convinced the American people
that there is nothing too mean or too
contemplate for the agents of 'spe-
ciaI privilege. Because I have seen
fit to endeavor to protect the inter
ests Of the thousands of stockholders
OF the Uncle Sam OIL company in this
and other states I am placed by you
in the ranks of the Democrats and
POpulists. Who gave you the author
ity to read me out of the Republican
party? Let me tell you right here
that If you attempt to read out of the
Republican party all of the men who
refuse to swallow part of the dose
fixed up at Topeka by the interests
you represent, you will find that you
have undertaken an enormous contract
and you had better touch the wires for
help.
you show a splendid aptitude in
the game of representation which
is the stock in trade of the Standard
Oil-Railroad crowd, when you distort
the fact that when a boy I was con-
nected with a Populist paper conduct
ed by my father in Ottawa county.
When you say that I was associate
editor OF this paper you deliberately
Intsrepresent the facts and you know
it. At an age when most bows are
enjoying boyish sports I was helping a
crippled father whose wounds were the
result of fighting his country's battles.
and whose Pcpulistie tendencies were
the result of the wrongs done By the
crowd of which you are the volunteer
spokesman, the corporations. When
the opportunity came for me to show
my colors l cast my first vote for VIII
liam Mckinley and one of the proudest
days of my life was when I marched
down the street carrying the banner of
the grand old party and hurrahing
for Mckinley mention these facts
for the purpose of showing that my
afhliation with the Republican party
was not for revenue only, and that is
more than / can say for some of the
Interests you represent and whose self
appointed press agent you assume to
be. I might mention another instance
of the politics-for-reven idea.
When the interests behind you at
tempted to defeat Hon. r. R. Rees of
Minnea polls, I came two hundred
miles from attending the funeral of
sister that I might cast my vote and
work for him and he was elected,
against the combined efforts of all the
railroad interests in the four counties.
This is but one instance of the general
proposition that the railroads and cor
poradons are Republicans at present
because it pays. Should the Demo-
Gratis come into power the whole gang
would quickly switch to the other side
of the fence and the Hon. T. A. McNeaI
would have the chance of his life to
write Demo cratic campaign slush.
When was the law passed that pro-
hibits the people of Kansas from petit
tioning their chief executive to call the
legislature in special session that some
much needed laws might be passed =?
Thousands of good people in this state
Joined in that request because they
feared that the very thing that did
happen would come to pass. Had the
anti-pass and direct primary plans
been made into laws we would have
had no such scenes as occurred at To-
peka at the Republican convention
when the railroads dominated the
whole proceedings from soup to nuts.
Racansa TOOL. . .r.art IN thus netilion-