The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-10-02
POLITICAL GOSSIP
Judge -Doster WFitesa Letter
for the Campaign.
He Deals With National Ques-
tions Only.
DISCUSSES THETRUSTS
Gives a Chapter From Standard
Oil Legislation.
M. F. Belisle Candidate for Supt.
DISCUSSES THETRUSTS
M. F. Belisle Candidate for Supt.
Of Insurance Heard From.

Judge Frank Doster, Chief Justice of
the Kansas supreme court in Populist
days. and subsequently associated with
Bale Waggener as one, of the general
attorneys for Kansas of the Missouri
Pacific railway, has written letter
piedglng his support to the Democratic
party in the present campaign The
Democrats have issued the letter in
the form of campaign document.
Judge Doster confines his Attention
emery to an attack upon the national
policies of the Republican party, and
does not critieise the state Republican
candidate. Judge Doster saws that he
VIII be unable to- accept the commit
tees invitationTto make some speeches.
unless possibly he can deliver a few
near the close of the campaign, but
he encloses cash contribution with
his letter. After discussing national
issues. at. length, and saying that Rob-
ert NJ LaFollette Is the only Repub-
laws trusts, Judge Doster tells some
inside history about the conduct of
certain Republican state senators in
the Standard Oil legislation He says:
Today the Standard Oil company is
IN undisputed possession of the field of
Oil production in Kansas the same as
in other parts OF the United States
The same is true of the Kansas Natur-
al Gas company supposed to be an
adjunct OF the Standard Oil. That COM
pany by the absorption of the part
nership with and controlling interest
in other like concerns has an absolute
monopoly of the natural gas product
OF this state and Oklahoma. These
thing OF which / speak could not occur
except through the connivance and ac-
tive help of the Republican politicians
of this state Let me relate an in
stance to enforce what I say, and
make bold to mention names so that
accountability can be had if desired.
There is in the statutes of this state
an act passed in 1905 declaring, oil pipe
lines. common carriers and prescribing
rates for the transportation of oil for
others. That law is VIGOROUSLY un-
constitutional You can't legislatively
condemn property. or the use of proper
ty and legislatively prescribe the COM
pensation. No attempt has been made
to enforce that law. 1t was not in
tended to be enforced. It was intend
ed as a sop to appease the clamor of
the oil producers against the confisca-
tory rate to which the Standard Oil
company has reduced crude Oil prices.
AS soon as I discovered the ,wea kness
of the proposed bilfyH called it to the
attention of the governor who would
have procured consultation, by the
proper committee to consider and rem
edy the weakness of the bill, but 1t
was too late iIf tKa session to do so.
The bill was then &RnSosts on MS final
passage. At the legislative session of
same end as the act of 1905. but pro-
viding for judicial condemnation of
the use of the pipe lines and a judicial
ascertainment of the compensation to
be paid, thus bringing the law strictly
within the states power of eminent do
main. 1 called Senator S. NJ. Porter. of
Montgomery county, a good lawyer.
into consultation and solicited him to
introduce and secure the enactment of
the measure did not then know what
l subsequently learned, that the sena-
tor was supposed to be sympathetic
with the interests, generally After
suggesting a few immaterial changes
he consented and actually did intro
duce it,. Instead, however, of securing
its reference to the ell and gas com
mittee, OF which he was chairman. so
that he could bring it to the consid-
Grafton of the senate he permitted it
to be referred to that morgue- of all
popular measures, the judiciary COM
mittee, where it was pigeonhoied and
slept unawakened until it died While
in the pigeonhole of that committee.
l called it to the attention of Senator
W. S. Kirkpatrick of Chautauqua
county, a lawyer and influential mem
Der of the committee He expressed
doubt of the practieabiIity of the
measure, but promised, nevertheless, to
examine it provisions. Whether he
ever did so 1 do not know Certain it
Is that the bill never saw the light of
day after the committee clerks key
was turned on it. Senator Fitzpatrick
since the event mentioned, only a year
and half ago. has become the chief
attorney for the Standard Oil COM
pany in the state of, Kansas. This is
but one, and for that matter a minor
one, of the multitudinoous instances of
Republican dfsloyalty to the popular
cause. and Republican alliance with
the capitalistic monopolies and agen-
cies of commercial life. 1 say again,
there is nothing in Republican leader
ship or history or pretensions of re-
pentance to justify reliable on its
promises"
j. W. Moore of Marion, who charges
Henderson Martin, chairman of the
Democrats state central committee,
with being a Santa Fe railway attor-
| ney and riding on railway pass, says
| in letter to the State Journal that he
| does not mean to intimate that Mr..
Martin is doing anything "scandalous.'
Mr.. Moore says: -
Your correspondent reports what I
| said about correctly, for I stated that
| Henderson Martin Is the Santa FEES at
| torney at Marion. But 1 do not seek to
impute any 'scandaP to Henderson
Martin. wouldn't if could. !
couldn't If I would. Mr. Martin is my
| ne1ghDor and my friend ANY charge
/ of scandal ascribed to him would very
properly be universally repealed and re-
buked here in Marion county without
regard to political, or religious, or any
| other difference.
| Il understand that Mr.. Martin is at
| torney for the Santa F,e. I said so.
There is no scandal in either that fact
or the utterance of it. 1t is credit TO
the Santa Fe railway to have Mr.. Mar
| tin employed as its attorney. What
| ever he may do for the Santa Fe or
any other corporation or any other per
son, will be found to accord with both
| law and honesty and moral hon
testy'"
| I. w. Crumfey. of Colby. Kan. mem