The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-06-02
TAKES UP HIS PEN
Private Secretary Leahy Writes
to Ex-Governor.
Resents Stanley's Reference to
Him as UnWashed Democrat.
DIR. COOK OF KANSAS.
Says the Wichita Man Deserves
This Designation.
Points to Precedent in Utilizing
Democrats.
DIR. COOK OF KANSAS.


has been written by Davil Leahy, pri-
vate secretary to Governor Stubs. in
reply to an attack made upon Leahy
by Ex-Governor Stanley last week. In
this letter Mr. Leahy tells some more
secrets about Stanley heretofore I'M
known and undreamed of by the
younger set in politics today who have
listened to the ex-gOvernoT's eloquent
speeches lately. Stanley is branded in
the Leahy eDistle as the DR.. Cook of
Kansas politics. His attention is called
to the fact that he brought a Missouri
Democrat over here and made him pri-
vate secretary. He is reminded of the
time he asked the Leahy council re-
garding a proposition to buy 600 votes
at So cents per head. In fact the let
ter bristles with sensational disclosures
about the ex-governor who had taken
exceptions to a Democrat like Dave
sitting in the secretary's chair. Mr..
Leahy has in addition garnished the
dish with smooth and polished rhet-
oric and a polite sarcasm that go to
make it all the more effective as a
campaign document Of value. The let
ter is as follows:
my Dear Mr.. Stanley:
Il have Just returned from wichita.
where I had a favorable opportunity
TO acouaint myself with the full text
and spirit Of your recent letter to the
editor of the Beacon, anI I hasten to
congratulate you upon inc nOTaDJe cir
cumstance that the distinguished at
tOrney of the Harvester trust is the
first Of all the corporate hackers of
the Wagstaffian movement to discover
to the good people of Kansas a Plausi-
BILE and crushing reason why Governor
Stubs should neither be renominated
in August, nor reelected in Novem-
Der. You are certainly the DR.. Cook
of this enterprise and I hope and trust
that you have sufficient number Of
I'll i
TO prove the priority Of your achieve
ment.
IF I understand you properly-and
your statement seems less equivocal
than usual-the charge you make
against the governor is this: That on
or about the month of September. last
year. on the summit of Wind Hill. in
the county of Douglas and state of
Kansas the governor did. then and
there. feloniously. seditiously. traitor
iously and with malice Drepense. I'M
lawfully persuade, tnveigle and entice
away from home a certain 'unwashed;-
Dcmocr of the city of Wichita. to-
wit. myself on the representation that
I should be a sharer in all executive
and party secrets and privileged
character in the first cabin of the ship
of state.
1T would be a scurvy trick in me,
indeed. if I were to turn on my heel in
the face of this charge against a man
VINO HedpeQ SuCn nOnOTS uE<-I my Inen
unwilling shoulders and 1 must defend
him even against such a brilliant ad-
versary as yourself
From a long intercourse with you
and other powerful legal advocates, I
have learned that the best defenses
are always those based on precedents
and you will therefore pardon me if 1
first take I'D your own record as the
best and strongest reference at hand.
Stanley and the Missouri Democrat
In 1888 when you were elected gov
ernor OF the state of Kansas there was
then living in the 'unwashed' Demo-
cratic state Of Missouri a most excellent
young Democrat whose name was Luth-
or Burns. I remember the night of your
nomination how he telegraphed you his
congratulations and hearty good wishes
as such. Reference to a Kansas City
directory OF that date proves that he
then had charge of the law library of
the New York Life building on West
Ninth street.
when you were elected you sent for
this accomplished young Democrat and
made him your executive clerk; after
wards promoting him to the private
secretaryship upon the retirement of
Mr.. Henry J. Allen
That Mr.. Burns was faithful 10 you,
as I hope I am to Mr.. Stubs. is evil
denced by the fact that after you had
L, ed your official influence to make your
Junior partner, Mr.. Evans. chief coun-
am
putting yourself in lire for general at
tcrney for the harvester trust you found
another friendly corporation, the Rock
Island Railway company. willing to give
q very agreeable situation to Mr.. Burns.
Senator Long Established Precedent.
The next precedent relates to our
late United States Senator Mr.. Long.
I have 1t from reliable source and
one Theodore Roosevelt can prove it
for me if necessary, that Mr.. Long
sought to secure for Mr.. Cochrane of
St Louis an eminent Missouri Demo-
crat and general attorney for the Mis-
souri, Pacific railway, a federal Judge
ship in the state of Kansas. I have
never heard you protest against this
preferential favor for Missouri Democ-
racy by such distinguished party reg
ularity Republican as Senator Long. l
never did countenance stories about
people selling or trying to sell blocks
OF votes for money until a year ago
last month when you summoned me by
telephone to your private Office in Wich-
tia and asked and solicited my advice
concerning proposition presented 10
you by a commercial politician of local
fame relative to the sale Of one block
of 110O socalled liberal votes for $500
This was a ruinous price-S2 cents a
piece-and a clear case OF putting the
man below the dollar. l am quite sure
that YOU must have appreciated my
counsel in the matter when I insisted
that the proposition was immoral il
not criminal. and that as the newspaper
end of the campaign 1 would not stand
for it. 1 really would have forgotten
this or considered it not worth men,
tioning were 1t not for the fact that
you have publicly stated that you can
not regard me as a proper adviser and
counsellor to a Republican governor.
President Taft and the Democrats.
For q third precedent I must refer
TO the record of Mr.. Taft who not only
selected q confederate Democrat for the
supreme bench very recently, but ac.-
ualIy brought two and one-half Demo
Gratis into his cabinet-Dickinson Mac
Veazh and Wickersham. And singular