The Topeka state journal., 1909-03-22
BOTH CLAIM IT.
Responsibility for the Memorial
Building in Question.
Commander Morgan Says He
Originated the Plan.
TAX BOARD ON MOVE.
Go on a Tour to Inspect Rail-
road Property.
TAX BOARD ON MOVE.
Queer Story About Ex-senator
Long and Gov. StubbS.

A. Morgan, department commander OF
the G. A. R., will likely result in renew
ed hostilities among the old boys VINO
fought in 81, as it states that Comman-
der Morgan was responsible for the IDEA
of the memorial hall ordered built by the
last legislature. Capt. p. H. Coney, ex-
commander of the G. A. r., will likely
claim, and justly too. that he started
the agitation for this building during
his term of office several years ago.
There is a feud between Coney and
Morgan which started during Coney'
candidacy for commander of the nation
al G. A r., which was bitterly opposed
by Morgan. However, the all important
thing is that the building is to be bullt,
not who started the ball rolling. In
this line z. B. Jewett of SedgWick coun-
tv is entitled to more credit than any
other one man, for Jewett as MEMBER
of the ways and means committee OF
the house. revived the project after II
had been killed by the committee.
Messrs. Howe, drummer and Glass of
the state tax commission left Sunday
night for a three weeks trip of the
state to inspect the property and tracks
of the railroads with a view to passing
on the statements of these roads which
have been filed with the commission Tor
taxing purposes. Last year the assess
ment was about twice as high as the
the statements are very low when COM
pared with the assessment of last year.
The commission will travel as far south
west as Wichita and return by a differ
ent route. The members want to see
about this alleged deterioration of the
railroad property for themselves.
]. N. DoIley, speaker of the last house
OF representatives, talking the other day
about the work of the legislature and
who was in that body. paid high trib-
ute to the work of Dick Hopkins of Gar
den City, speaker pro tenn of the house.
According to the speaker, the speaker
pro tenn made good in every respect
''Dick not only handled several difficult
and lively situations like a veteran
while in the chair" said Mr.. Dolley,
'but he was always on deck ready for
any work and no commission was too
big or too trivial for him to give 1t his
full attention and promptly report re-
suits to me. In the speakers office, in
the chair and on the floor of the house
Dick made good all the time. He has
bright future in Kansas politics"
The special correspondent of the
Kansas City Journal at Topeka writes
his paper a story to the effect that ex-
Senator Long will run against Stubbs
for governor at the next primary cleo
ton. Then the story is switched
around to read that Stubbs does not
like his present job and will not run
again but turn the place over to Attor-
ney General Jackson and that John
Dawson, present secretary to the gov
ernor, will run for attorney general.
This is drawing political horoscopes
with a vengeance. The Journals cor
has been in Topeka long
time and is wise to the game of Kan |
sas politics, and he probably knows as
well as anybody that Chester 1. Long |
has no thought of running for COVER |
nor, and also that StubbS is in love
with his present work and could not |
be moved by any consideration from
STAYING on to fight and win in the util !
tiles battle that will come up in the |
next campaign. Stubbs would rather |
sit at his desk in the early spring of /
1911 and sign the utilities bill than to |
make $4,000 a month from his pri- |
vate business interests which the Kan |
sas City newspaper man thinks will |
call him from the governors chair. |
Then again, if Stubbs retires after his |
first term what would become of his |
ambition to be United States senator |
four years from now?
Governor Stubbs, Speaker Dolley and |
Dell Valentine last week sent a mes
sage of congratulation to Victor Muir +
dock and Edward Madison, Kansas |
on their partial success
in the fight for the revision of the ma
tional house rules. Now If the Kan
sas delegation in Washington win any
kind of success in the present fight for
I'D and send them a barrel of congrat-
uIatory messages. William Allen
Whites old friend Aldrich has already |
gone on record as opposed to the house |
tariff bill and Kansas is more interest |
ed in whether her representatives will /
stand with Aldrich or Taft in this mat
ter than in the matter of house rules.
Everybody will remember Whites |
phrase in regard to Longs votes in the |
senate: His name was always found |
in the roll call that began with Aid |
rich and ended with Wetmore of |
Rhode Island" Bristow on the tariff |
is a more important question than |
Murdock on the rules.
Arthur Capper and ! are in the i
same boat" said Albert T. Reid, own |
er of the Kansas Farmer and the |
Ieavenw Post. 'I must choose |
between Dan Anthony and Robert !
Stone for congressman of the First dis |
trict next year. Capper must choose |
between Governor Stubbs and Senator |
Curtis for United States senator. I |
imagine that Capper feels just about !
as uncomfortable over the matter as !
do. We are both entitled to the |
sympathy of the public. kansas |
City Journal.