The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-07-17
STUBS CLAIMS CREDIT.
says Dawson Has Done Prohibitory
Cause Much Harm.

t0Fney general mas Deen enforcing the
I prohibitory law in this state. The gov
ernor declares that Dawson. has resort
ed to ridiculous and fiimsy pretexts"
+ to shield J. E. House from the results
of a court of fnquisition after House
had sent the news broadcast over the
state over his signature that he had
drank beer over a bar in Kansas The
governor goes further ard declares
that the attorney general has done
more harm to the enforcement Of the
prohibitory law in this state during his
few months in Office than may be over
!come in the next two years.
/ The governor refers to Dawson's
good friends, Judge SapD, J. E House
and James Orr, whose declarations
have been printed and distributed in
glee by the brewers of the country.
The governor states that his Office, and
not the attorney general, furnished the
! information upon which eighty cases
prosecuted in southeast Kansas this
I year were based. The governor will
imandamus Dawson in the supreme
court TO compel him to summon J. E.
House TO an inquisition as soon as the
lpapers can be prepared.
/ The following is the text of the last
castigation of the attorney general by
the governor.
"Mr. John s Dawson, Attorney Cen
! eral. Topeka, Kan
/ Dear General: You letter of the
14th, transmitting transcript of inqui-
sition testimony as requested by me
came duly to hand. 1 note that YOU
refuse to subpoena J. E House and
compel him TO state under oath the
name of the town and club where he
saw beer openly sold over a bar. I
shall commence proceedings in the SUI
preme court as soon as the papers in
the case can be prepared which Will
determine forever the meaning of the
constitution which says
q The supreme executive power of
the state shall be vested in Il governor.
who shall see that the laws are faith
fully executed And the further con-
stitutional provision which reads:
." He (the governor) may require in
formation in writing from the officers
of the executive department, upon any
subject relating to their respective du-
ties And the statutory provision
which makes it the duty of the attor-
ney general,
q When required by the governor or
either branch Of the Legislature to ap-
pear for the state and prosecute or de-
fend in any other court (than the su-
preme court) or before any officer in
any cause, or matter. civil or crimf-
nal, in which this state may be a par
ty or interested.
IF the governor has not sufficient
authority vested in him to direct the
attorney general to subpoena wit
nesses who openly state that they have
knowledge of crime, then that fact
should be established beyond any
question by the supreme court. 1t IS
unreasonable to suppose that the gov
ernor shall be charged with the re-
sponsibility OF faithfully executing the
laws of the state without correspond
ing power to accomplish that end
In my letter to you CT the 18th
called your attention to the fact that
It seemed inconceiveable that Mr..
House would write a letter of too per-
sonal nature to be published in an
Swer to an official inquir-- made by
. yourself. l am still convinced that YOU
are suppressing the information con
tained in the letter written to you by
Mr. House. and that in SURPRISING this
evidence from the chief executive of
the state Of Kansas YOU are violating
your oath of Office in which you swear
tyou viii support the state constitution
and that constitution requires Won to
furnish information in writing to the
! governor when you are requested to
DO So It IS my purpose to petition
the supreme court to investigate the
contents of the letter written you BY
Mr. House and determine for them
4 selves whether il is of a personal or
official nature.
I was amazed at the ridiculous at
tempt you made in q recent newspa per
interview to justify your conduct in
3 denying my request for the testimony
taken in the Cherokee county ina,ifsi-
ton held in your Office last week You
unJustly and unfairly intimated shat d
transcript of this testimony might moi
be safe in the hands of the governor OF
your state Supporting this hinlsy ius-
LITIGATION you stated iE your interview
! that you gave me confidential jnf0rgna-
ton concerning The situation in Chero
kee and Crawford counties which I ,e.
vealed to the newspapers. The only so.
called confidential Information You gave
me ut that time that 1 did not already
L know was that YOU had ARRANGED II
SAY 70.
q ty, but did not know how soon yot
II could send him or when he could as
: I sumo his duties Happily. Mr. W "
Mills. of the Mills Dry Goods company
Il of Topeka, aud lIT. H. c. Ericsson. ais
z Of Topeka, were present at this pro
IS foundlv confidential interview Yol
talked then as you do now. and actet
then as ycu have acted ever since TAX
ing office, like one who had no genuiu,
a hope or definite plan for the effectiv
: enforcement Of the prohibitory law I
= you had ally definite plans for effectiv
= law enforcement in Cherokee county a
: that time, OF f you have such plan
- now. YOU certainly have not reveal e
. them to me either confidentially or 9th
erwise. You have attempted to give on
- ne impression that I have hindere
: you in your Law enforcement work i
i, Cherokee county. The attorneys VIII
= are assisting you in connection with tn
- Cherokee county situation all kuo-
- that ct least 4 very large share. If nc
= practically al Of the information upo
- " hich about 50 criminal cases have bee
based was furnished to you by me
- V hon. I employed and paid out of m
= contingent fund If you have of you
= ewn effort secured evidence upon whic
= to bring prosecution in Cherokee count
- in a single case I have no kuowledg
n of such fact
a IN my opinion it is impossible t
= estimate the damage that was done I
* Ne lslss - - -; =. -, = 49,
so ~ a, Po--c is - ~ 49, -. 80 :
II came attorney general of leaving tn
enforcement of law TO local officers
counties where the prevailing sent
11ent was wet Brewery agents boot