The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-10-31
POLITICAL GOSSIP
Republican Committee Fires
Final BrOadSide.
Nails Two Hundred Thousand
Letters to Voters.
BIG POSTAGE BILL.
Two Thousand Dollars EXpend-
ed in One Lump.
Circulars Devoted to Defense
of New Tax Law.
BIG POSTAGE BILL

Two hundred thousand letters. each
to a different address, each bearing
one cent stamp. and each containing a
final dose of Republican campaign med
icine, were placed in the Topeka post
Office Friday.
Every voter in every county in Kan
sas which is considered doubtful will
get one of these letters in time for his
Sunday reading.
The 100000 letters filed so big mail
sacks. The postage item alone was 81
600. A score of extra helpers hired by
the state central committee have been
working constantly in getting these
letters ready for the past ten days. In
addition nearly all the clerks at the
state house have volunteered their ser
vices, and have worked at odd times
and until late at night addressing envel-
opes and sticking the stamps on them.
1t is the first time in the history of
Kansas politics that such task has
been undertaken or carried to compile
ton. Never before has the state COM
mittee of either party attempted to
send direct to two-thirds of the voters
in Kansas a personal letter. The state
committee frequently send out two or
three thousand letters at one time, but
ZOu,UUU Is quite QlHefenL pTOpOSlllOI
The plan for sending a direct appeal
to the voters of Kansas was suggested
by ]. c. Gafford, assistant secretary of
the committee, who has used this meth
cd of campaigning with success in his
own county. Chairman Dolley left the
whole business of getting out the 20O,-
600 letters to Mr.. Gafford.
Two kinds of letters were sent out,
one kind to Democrats and one to Re
publicans. The letters were identical
except that in the letter to Republ-
cans there was special appeal from
Chairman Dolley that they should get
out and work for the ticket.
Aside from this special appeal to Re-
publican voters, each envelope contain
ed two circulars. One is a general sum-
mary of the campaign and remarks con-
cerning the candidates. 1t also gives a
letter from Chairman Dolley to the vot-
ers of the state, and pictures of Taft,
Sherman. Stubbs and Bristow.
The other circular. which appears to
be more hastily prepared, discusses
some of the attacks which the Demo-
Gratis have been making on the Repub-
licans, especially the tax law, the In
dian land charge against Stubbs, and
the coolie labor charge against Bris-
tow. Some important statistics are pre-
sented to show that Kansas railroads
are assessed this year on their full
value. The circular loses much of its
force because 1t is thrown together in
pie will not take the time to puzzle it
all out
It opens up with the announcement
that every Democratic representative
and senator but one voted for the new
tax law. 1t cites the fact that Chair
man Henderson Martin of the Demo-
Gratis has tried to make II appear that
the law was a Republican measure"
and hence a measure which was
hostile to Democrats and the Demo-
cratic marty IT then m oft
some effects of the law on prominent
Democrats of the state.
Statistics are presented to show
that the Democratic charges concern
ing railroad and bank taxes decreasing
In Kansas are false. Comparisons are
made of the railroad valuation in
Kansas and in other states, which
show that Kansas railroads are
assessed higher both in gross and per
mile that the railroads of neighbor-
ing states.
Concerning the Democratic charge
that j. L. Bristow advocates the i'm
portation of coolie labor, Mr.. Bristow
himself is quoted as follows:
Il am not in favor of the i'm
portation of coolie labor and never
have been. 1 have never advocated it
either directly or indirectly. 1 am in
favor OF a high scale of wages be-
neving that the wage schedule in
America is the best index to our pros
perity. I believe that the men who
operate railway trains should be paid
most liberal wages. The character of
the service it's dangers. and the
hardships attending it justify a higher
wage scale than other employments."
Inquiries made by long distance
phone, under direction of the Repub-
lican state central committee. of
large NUMBER OF county clerks of the
state, indicate that the claim OF the
Democratic state committee that rail-
road taxes in Kansas have been de-
creased by the new tax law. and farm
taxes increased, is a condition when
exists in comparatively few counties of
the state.
Telephone calls were put in for near-
ly all counties which can be reached
by telephone from Topeka, and 80 com
ties have been heard from Ont of this
list only three reported decrease in
railroad taxes and an increase in farm
taxes.
The county clerk of Cherokee county
which is the home of Col Bill Sam. one
of the chief investigators of the Demo-
cratic fight on the tax law. reported
that almost everv farm in the county
will pay less taxes than last year and
that the railroads will also pay less
taxes, but not as much of = reduction
as the reduction on farm lands
Neosho county the home Of II p
Farrelly. candidate for United states
senator on the Democratic ticket re-
ports that Mr.. Farrelly's assessment
was raised from $3.50 in 1907 to $500 in
1908, an increase of about 13 times
which indicates that Mr. Farrelly Ger,
tainly had nothing to complain of un
der the old method OF assessment and
taxation.
The following is brief summary of
the reports from the various counties:
Shawnee-Farm taxes increased So
500; railroad taxes increased $4,000
Neosho-Farm taxes decreased: tab
ulation of railroad tax not completed.
Marion-Farm and railroad taxes
both decreased in about same ratio
Lev IT,