The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-02-16
|. PRETTY WARM.
w. r. Stubbs Makes Serious
Charges in Wichita Speech.
Says Members of Legislature
We're Given Money.
RAILROADS PAID THEM
Afterwards We're Asked to Vote
as Corporations Dictated.
Also Relates of Efforts to 9 Buy
Up" a Big Newspaper.
RAILROADS PAID THEM

Wichita, Feb 16--The Beacon says:
A deplorable lack of interest in the
enterprise was shown at the meeting
to organize a county civic league yes
terday afternoon. The audience, which
was small. did not include half a dozen
shippers and producers all told. 1t was
mostly made up of politicians and per
sons about town who went out to hear
w. R. Stubs speak. The lack of in
terest by shippers and farmers, in
whose interest the Kansas Civic league
was ostensibly organized, was a matter
of comment by those who attended the
meeting.
Democrats and others who were
there in the hope that some thing prac-
teal would be done. were disappointed,
for it turned out to be purely Repub-
liean move. Mr.. Stubs and c. L.
Davidson, one Of the members of the
executive committee. both declared
that there was no other way to bring
about the reforms needed save through
the Republican party. Mr.. Davidson
even sought to commit the meeting to
the Republican policy of a Committee
of five" but this was a little more
than those present would stand so it
was decided to increase it to fifteen.
The address by Mr.. Stubs was in
reality sensible, practical talk about
conditions in Kansas in which he drew
| back the curtain and exposed to view
the real conditions that make it neces-
sary for the Republican party to or
ganize vigilance committee within
its own ranks. He said, in part:
L believe the great mass of the peO-
pie of Kansas are honest at heart and
want to see the right things done, but
I believe they are powerless to do
these things unless they organize. We
hear it said that there are now too
many organizations. I win admit that
there are a good many of them. but
| they are dominated by the corporate
interests of the state. What is needed
is an organization of the people.
at is a fact that the railroads, the
unscrupulCus politicians and the para
sites of high and low degree are or
ganized, but their organization is to
| thwart the will of the people that they
may grow fat off the wealth that the
| people produce. 70 this end they are
subject to orders like a trained army
and are assisted in their plans by all
the tricks and subterfuges known to
man. I have never realized this as
! have during the past two years, and
In fact, do not beAeyesthere ever was
I time when they we're better Organ=
! lied or mere = aggressive than now
! Why, I know that one of the best
| daily papers in Kansas was recently
offered $4,000 to change its editorial
policy and that the men who made the
toffer. having failed in this particular
| proposed to buy half interest in the
| paper and furnish an editor who would
write the kind of stuff they wanted the
! people to read"
Mr. Stubs declared that he knew
that members of the last legislature re-
hceived money from the treasury of the
railroads of Kansas soon after their
election and that during the legislature
they were asked to vote against the
railroad regulation bill on the ground
/ that the railroads had favored them.
AS a remedy for these evils he said
/ it was necessary to guard the selection
of national committeeman, state central
committeeman and lieutenant governor,
all of whom exert great influence in
| legislative affairs.
l. P. Campbell asked why it would
/ not be a good plan for the civic league
/ to make the nominations for the var
! ious offices in the state, but Mr.. Stubs
said he believed the dominant party
was the proper avenue through which
to work, admitting that he was intense
| ly republican.
c. L. Davidson, the next speaker, also
declared that the Republican party was
| the proper party to look to reform, and
1t was he who moved that the chairman
appoint committee of five to organ
lie the county. The motion carried,
but it was finally reconsidered and the
| chairman was authorized to name a
committee of fifteen and call meeting
to devise plan1 for organization within
three DAYS