The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-11-01
Mayor Billiard Challenges People
to Recall Him.
Says They Are Wasting Time
Asking Him to Resign.
"FOOLING MISSOURI. %
Mayor Charges Topeka Is Mis-
leading People.
81 Admit / Don't Believe All in
Bible," He Explains.

Mayor Billiard has issued a challenge
to the people of Topeka who wish to
see him removed from office. Declar-
ing that the citizens are wasting time
trying to request his resignation and
holding indignation meetings. he dares
them to circulate recall petitions and
throw him from office bodily.
Furthermore, the mayor asserts that
If the people of the city didn't want
him for mayor they had no right to
elect him in the first place.
Up to date the fight has concerned
the fact that Mayor Billiard has made
these startling statements to help out
the prohibition fight in Missouri.
But Mayor Billiard comes out today in
a statement that the prOhibitiOnlSts are
attempting to ''mislead the people of
other states in the facts of the effects
of the prohibition law.
THE prohibition people of Topeka
want to fool the people of these states
by misrepresenting the conditions ex-
listing here" says the mayor.
In referring to those matters, Mayor
Billiard said today:
s'WastinS Their Time,' Says Mayor.
You may tell my prohibition friends
that they are wasting their time and
energy holding mass meetings, preach
ing sermons and passing resolutions,
asking me to resign. If they want to
get me out of office, let them get busy
call an election that will settle the
matter.
''They seem to have forgotten that
last spring before the election, they
fully Informed the people of Topeka
that I was opposed to prohibition and
that I belonged to and wastreasurer
of an organization pledged to change
and repeal the prohibitory law.
All the temperance organizations,
the Committee of 200 and the Minis
of H.
ers published all this broadcast,
preached IT from many of the puIpits
and even went farther and stated that
If 1 was elected Joints and saloons
would soon he opened all over the
city. l have been in office seven
months and no Joints nor saloons are
opened in Topeka and never will be
as long as I am mayor and the present
law remains on our statute books.
''In the face of all this information,
freely given by the good people of the
city still the majority of the voters
elected me. I have not changed my
views have not said anything more
than all knew before they voted for
me- My prohibition friends can not
expect me to resign. All this talk and
noise they are making is for the pur-
pose of showing an influence in Mis-
souri,, Oklahoma and other states
where the prohibition fight is in
progress.
Trying to Fool People.
They want to fool the people of
those states by disappearing the
conditions existing here, and in order
to accomplish their purpose. they do
not hesitate to resort to SANDER, abuse
and falsehoOd They have charged
that I am a disbeliever in the Bible,
an infidel and many other things. I
acknowledge 1 do not believe all the
things said in the Bible. I can not
fully believe the big nsh and whale
stories. But there are some good
things in the Bible, among which are,
do unto others as you wish them to
do unto you. 1 practice that doctrine
and try to apply it in all my relations
to my fellow men.
"Auow me to suggest to my reli-
gious prohibition friends to practice
this golden rule and not merely preach
1t, but apply it before they again SLAM
der and try to degrade the good name
of some Of their fellow citizens."