The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-05-30

Of the interior, and then to the presi-
dent of the United States. Each Of
these tribunals after carefully going
over this case decided that the claim
was fraudulent and turned It down.
Here we have then both the legis-
latfve and executive branches of the
national government deciding that a
claim Of fifty million dollars for
building $50 miles of road is absurd
on its face. These decisions were made
according to common sense and not
according to legal technicalitfes. But
the supreme court Of this country is
no more sacred than are the congress
and the president of this country, and
every one who has lived to man.
estate knows that injustices are done
every day by the courts of this cOun-
try who follow old rules and old laws
and old presidents, and ignore the
plain merits Of matters before them.
Thousands of dollars in old claims
have been foisted on innocent people
right here in Kansas by the resurrec-
ton Of old county bonds and by the
endorsement of fraudulent claims by
the courts who decide according to
precedent and not according to horse
sense and common honesty. The
Katys claim had been reviewed by
honest men who have been officially
requested by the Katy to investigate
the claim, and these men, including
the congress of the United States. the
secretary of the interior of the United
States. the Dawes commission and
President Mckinley, all decided that
the claim was worthless.
was HOch Blind?
The governors of Kansas have de-
clded the same thing, until Governor
doch came along and became blinded
by pardonable admiration for John
Madden, the 'br1ght-faced Irish boy
living in a foorless cabin on the banks
of the Doyle: then the trap that the
railroads had been setting for half
century was sprung, and Kansas lent
her name to a lawsuit, which will get
that fifty million dollar claim out of
the realm of horse sense and common
honesty into legal precedents and
tangles, where the snartest lawyers in
America are hired to collect that
money by hook or by crook. The road
could not have got into court except for
Hoch, and If he had followed the ex-
ample Of other governors, he would
have violated no statute. The road
could not have made him act. He did
what he did because his heart is full
of beautiful sentiment, and his head as
Eliphaz, the Temanite, told Job, is full
Of east wind.
THE Gazette has no desire to be
demagogic, but it does desire to say
in all candor, that if the road wins this
suit as Joseph H. Choate. its chief
counsel. thinks it will and as Attorney
General e. e. Coleman Of Kansas, in
his BRIEF says it should, by winning it
Will add fifty million dollars to the
Golfers Of a system of high finance
which uses its surplus financial power
to bride legislatures to corrupt courts.
to fool governors. and thereby steal
money from the people. This fifty
million dollars will go from the tax
payers who work to those who give no
value received, and who use their for
tunes to buy political power to op-
A s411s7 In
wealth of this country is not equitably
distributed; because this government
as the umpire of the game permits
techniealites and precedents and legal
tOmfooleries like this which Hoch has
just invoked, to take money away in
taxes from those who work, and give
it as bonuses and donations and other
legalized steals to those who do not
work.
Doesn't Wish to Bolt.
The Gazette has no desire to depart
from the straight path of party regular
ity in which it has walked for a dozen
years. But for four years the Gazette
has been telling Democrats to vote for
Roosevelt and support him when the
interests Of the Democratic party and
the interests of this country conflict
Governor Hoch may yet retrieve. He
MY yet see the light, and withdraw
the name Of Kansas from this suit; but
| If he does not get Kansas out of this
that congress and the executive branch
of the American government have re-
viewed this case and declared it worth
less-if he does still insist in trying to
saddle a debt of fifty million dollars on
the people Of this country, by appealing
to presidents and traditions, in the
courts, the people of Kansas will be at
the place where the interests of the
government and those of the Republican
party diverge. Moreover the people of
! Kansas will have to call upon COVER
nor who viii take this case out Of the
courts, and put it back in the realm Of
horse sense and common honesty. Gov
ernor Hoch has his chance; If he turns
It down, then the people have their
chance And 1t will do no good to crack
the party lash For the Democrats who
voted for Roosevelt and common sense
and common honesty have set this
country an example Of patriotism that
/ Republicans will not be slow to follow -
Mr.. Kretsinger Given Divorce.
Emporia. Kan. May 2O-W. S. Krest-
/ singer, whose wife, Nellie b Kret-
| singer med for divorce which s1rit va