The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-05-20
HE FIANCE
Joe Mercer, Live Stock Inspector,
Enters the Lists.
Demands That Mr.. Stitch Make
a Retracti0n.
CALLED HIM CRATER
Now Says That He Has to
Prove 1t.
Also Challenges Wagstaff to De-
bate on Taxes.

Joe Mercer. state live stock inspec-
tor, is a mild and peaceable gentle
man with a penchant for attending TO
his own business when let alone. but
when poked with a stick Mercer is
about as lively as a hungry lion. Some
of the Wagstan supporters went out
of their way the other day to speak
about the livestock INSPECTOR as one Of
the Stubs pie counter srafters and
Joe went straight uD N the air. and
when he came down to earth again he
descended with a gun in each hand
and a knife between his teeth. And
here is the broadside that Joe fires at
the Wagstaf forces:
Mr.. a. c. stitch. Chairman, Topeka,
Kan:
In your open letter of yesterday to
Governor Stubs. 1 note you accuse
me Of being a CRATER on the public
funds Of the state Of Kansas in the
following language:
Putting in a large share of my time
for which the state pays me to work
in the political interest of Governor
Stubs; that I draw pay and mileage
for trips that have no connection with
my official duties"
In denying this charge, I brand you
as a falsifier. a hypocrite and a libelous
defamer Of my good name, and l de-
mand that you retract this statement
or prove the truthfulness of it. I state
here and now that I have not at any
time since have been in the service
of the state spent one cent of the
states money that has not been in con-
nection with my official duties To YER
ify the truthfulness Of this statement,
/ invite you or anyone you might send
to my Office and go over my records,
compare them with the vouchers fled
IN the auditors Office and trace every
cent of this expenditure and then de-
termine for yourself whether or not
this statement is true.
am told you are an old man and a
deacon in the Presbyterian church and
pose as a Christian gentleman. If this
be true, you surely do not wish to
wrong one Of your fellow citizens by
false accusations.
Your personal attack on the charac-
ter and standing of Governor Stubs
and his appointees, to my mind. is
nothing more or less than the course
of thugs and hoodlums in politics and
will not get very far with the iutelli-
gent and fairminded voters of Kansas.
1t appears to me also that should the
great unexpected happen and your
catspaw primary candidate for COVER
nor receive the nomination that you
would need the assistance and votes
of at least a few of the Repub licans in
Kansas who do not believe as you do
to help you out at the polls in No
vember. but I presume that if the
voters who are supporting Governor
Stubs are thieves and scoundrels
your sanctified bunch would not want
any of the support of that class of
citizens.
In this connection, Mr.. Stitch, I
would be very much pleased if you
would arrange to have your protege
for the primary nomination for COVER
nor. Mr. Wagstaff, discuss with me the
question of state appropriations and
Revision of Taxes Downward in
Cottonwood Falls, Chase county, any
time during this primary contest.
want to assure you in my judgment it
would be about the only means under
which Mr.. Wagstaff could secure a
crowd sufficient to talk to in that To-
cality. Mr.. Wagstaff poses as a plain
plug" Republican and I pose as
plain plug farmer Republican. and 1
would be very glad to plug it OUT
with him in a joint discussion on the
above question before my home people
In conclusion, 1 again demand of
you to retract the malicious accusation
you have made against me or prove
the truthfulness of the same.
JOSEPH MERCER.