The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-02-27
Governor Writes Pertinent Let
ter on Butler County Situation
Analyses the Opposition to His
Administration.
FAIL TO GET THE JOBS.
Made No Changes for Partisan
Reasons
Hence He Didn't Have Many
Places to Distribute.

9oSeTHor noon mas written an In
teresting letter to Alvah Sheldon, edd-
tor Of the Walnut Valley Times, con-
corning the refusal of the Butler
| county Republicans to endorse his
administration. Governor Hoch says
that the trouble with the people who
are fighting him in Butler is that they
didn't get jobs. The following Is the
letter:
my Dear Sheldon: Thirty odd
years in the Newspaper business, many
years on the corduroy road of poll
ties. and three years in the Office of
governor have made me tolsrably i'm
pervious to criticism and abuse.
have gotten use to It.; but the &C
ton of your county Republican con-
vention would have been exasper-
ating If 1t hadn't been 80 amusing.
notice that Steve Brandon and Joe
Satterthwaite roasted me to a brown
finish for the alleged reason that I
had failed to recognize Butler county
in the matter of appointments Well.
now, this Is a very serious charge.
but probably no more serious than
fifty other counties could make
against me. I promised in my cam
paign, and think Steve and Joe
endorsed the promise that I would
not be factional; that I would treat
all factions fairly. Hence have
|
offices, no one has been turned out
unless for some greater reason than
that he was not a partisan of mine.
$50 you see I have not had very
many appointments to make. have
hundreds of personal friends whom
it would give me great pleasure to
honor with lucrative positions but 1
cannot do the Impossible. Joe wanted
job and I would have been very
glad to have given it to MIN but con-
ditions never seemed to be just right
for me to do SO. I have given only
one position to Mcpherson county;
nothing SO far to Chase county; only
one small office to Morris county; so
you see Butler has not Jared worse
than its neiGhbors. And then Butler
has never been united for any man.
There are so many knockers in But
If more people would be dispieased
than pleased with any appointment
that might be made down there. IN
til Buffers people get together lit
tie better they ought not 60 blame
the appointive power too severely for
not recognizing them.
but after all it seems. to. me an
administration should be judged SO far
as appointments are concerned by the
kind Of people put into office and not
by those who were not appointed.
However, I am willing to be judged
people Of Butler county care very
much whether Tom, Dick or. Harry
gets a Job. What they want to know
is that the men who do get the Jobs
are fit for them and serve the state
well. Not one man in a thousand in
Butler county expects a job and they
are not worrying very much, think,
over the disgruntled fellows who are
disappointed because they didn't get
something
UAe 20 csattarfbuaita he THINKS tho
special session should never have been
called. This is where he differs from
hundreds of bankers. wholesalers.
jobbers. and other business men. who
Joe was and is opposed to a primary
law. He prefers to have politics run
by conventions that he can manipulate
as he helped to manipulate this last
one. do not believe that conventions
represent the Republicans Of Butler
county.
"As to the expense of the legisla-
ture, any one of a dozen things it
did would Justify the little $4,000 1t
cost. Governor Deneen Of Illinois
called two special sessions Of the ILL
nois legislature to pass primary cleo
ton law alone. The last one was in
session three months. 1t took two
special sessions Of the Illinois legisla-
ture and half a million dollars to do
what I'VE did in Kansas in two weeks
at. an expense OF s25. 900. This fact
appeals to the state pride of every one
except disappointed odiceseekers.
at have always given Brandon credit
for being honest and sincere. but 1t
seems Impossible for him to be fair
toward any measure or any man he
opposes. Steve has a grudge against
me, think, because would not veto
the court house proposition; but /
think did right in signing the bill.
Had I put Bent on the board OF
control, and Setterthwaite on the
board of regents OF the Agricultural
college, and vetoed the court house
bill for Brandon, my administration
would have been splendid.
Upon what slender thread hang
eubernatorial administrations.
Cordially yours,