The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-10-23
Tax Trouble Arouses Interest
Throughout the State.
Country Weeklies Devote Much
Space to Debate.
A STRONG ANSWER.
That Is What Stubbs Needs to
Hand Out Now.
Something in Nature of Hand
Forged ThunderbOlt.

1t has been stated by several of the
members of the reform crowd that
this tax controversy between Cover
nor Stubbs and Senator Curtis was
nothing more than a newspaper quar-
rel and was a little tussle between
the governor and the senator which
very few people in the state cared
about. IT am sure that there are
very few people outside of the usual
political circles who pay any atten-
ton to this squabble," said one of the
prominent devotees of the governor
the other day
This last week has been a rather
dull week in the quarrel and there
has been nothing to excite the aver
age Kansas country editor, but after
taking a scissor trip through $50
country newspapers of the state which
were printed Thursday and Friday of
this week it is found that 129 of them
used the controversy for editorial
material. The smaller papers with no
real editorial space killed some of
their valuable personal items to make
room for comment upon the tax ques-
ton.
An increase in taxes in Kansas
effects every citizen of the state and
to say that the problem is not worry
ing the people is to say that the aver
age Kansas man is not attending to
his own business The increase of a
million dollars has made every tax
payer in the state go little deeper in
the worn out tobacco sack and when
the newspapers of the state are try
ing to give the reasons there is a gem
eral interest-and a personal interest.
The Comment of $50 Newspapers.
Another surprising thing was re-
vealed in the search through these
$50 country newspapers. The news
papers were not picked out according
to their rating in the reform and
machine catalogs. They were taken
out of the mails as they came and
they come from every part Of the
state.
The surprising feature was the fact
that 100 of the papers criticised the
governor for the increase in taxes and
took the Curtis side of the con-
troversy. This is a new feature
when it is known that the Stubs
throughout the state to the news
papers for publication. Many of the
country weeklies have expressed
themselves in this manner:
I'VE supported Stubs at the last
election because we thought we were
ing about. We welcomed a man in
the governors chair who said he
would conduct the most economical
administration known in Kansas his
tory-he would place this state on a
business basis. AS result of our
trust we found it necessary to pay
more taxes than ever and spend our
money for the support of over fed oil
inspectors and other reform trim
mings."
Almost half of the papers who appar-
emily supported Stubbs in the contro-
versy simply printed exchange articles
and parts of statements made by the
governor with no comment whatever.
The rest Of them said they preferred
Stubbs to the ''old machine crowd" and
were we'll satisfied with the adrninis-
tration-but they did not mention a
word about the state taxes.
In selecting our short sentences from
editorials printed in the leading county
Republican papers it might be interest
ing to note the following varied ex-
pressions:
Governor Stubbs' answer to the
questions of Senator Curtis is about as
plain and substantial as Peary's
charges against DR.. Cook"
William Allen White writes bully
boy stories but punk political essays"
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