The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-17
Always Cries "Fire" when He
Sees Smoke.
WON'T GIVE NAMES
Of the Senator's Who Told Him
of Pork Barrel.
Hearing Is to Be Resumed on
Monday.

In the closing hour of the Leahy
| legislative investigation, William Allen
White, editor of the Emporia Gazette,
went to the stand and added a breath
| of fresh air to the oppression and
| solemnity of the senate that for seven
/ hours had heard nothing but the in
| terpretation of the fancies and dreams
of the governors private secretary. It
was after compromise of the senate,
| that the Gazette man agreed to enter
the box and after landing there, he
proclaimed his constitutional privi-
leges and refused to give the names of
| the men who are to fill the senatorial
pork barrel; and explained to the
members how a good newspaper story
should not be decapitated of due
decorations because it is premature,
overdrawn or arouses the wrath of the
animals.
AS the good natured, smiling En-
! roria man walked to the stand. he
| waved his hand at the crowd to cool
| down and he made a short explanation
| of the situation. White is not an ora
| tor. He does not claim that distinc-
! ii in. AS he faced the crowd, he was
probably scared half to death. but he
got away with the speech, although
it almost took his breath away. He
explained that he had story to tell.
It was a very simple little story and
| he did not put fancy paint on the
landscape. He told the senate that as
a newspaper man the story of the pork
barrel had come to him from the
members. that he believed it was true
and if anyone thought they could
force him to divulge these names.
right welcome they were to try. The
chubby author of whats the Matter
With Kansas went further: He said
he would not stand for any horse play
and If the members "got gay" they
would forthwith determine if the su-
preme court had any respect for the
writ of habeas corups. Then White
asked the privilege of counsel and
Senators Hamilton and Ganse repre-
! sented him. Five minutes after they
took their seats, it was apparent that
the Gazette man was able to look after.
his own interests
The rapid fire questions of Brewster
worried White. Some times he was
two or three answers behind the
questions. But White always waved
his arms and shouted for the Troy
lawyer to back up and rest until he
| finished his answer to the question
before the last. Often the editor
/ pounded on the desk and made his
wants known. Occasionally he be-
| other question until Brewster let off
some of his steam and then the man
from Empory proceeded cautiously
| looking for sink holes and missing
rails.
What He Was Told.
| "One senator told me' declared
| White in his opening address, that he
had been offered an asylum for his
| town in exchange for his support and
was approached by another member in
the interest of a third party. This in
formation came to me first hand. It's
| a private communication. I want it
understood right now that 1 will not
divulge a name and If any man insists,
We will promptly see what the habeas
| corpus proceedings will do
Then Brewster drew his chair up
close, took a good look at the flushed
| and shining face of the good govern
ment editor and trained his guns on
| the witness stand.
Where did you get the information
that standpat senators dare not go on
the witness stand?' snapped Brewster,
as he read from the White interview
| in the State Journal.
''Well, now you see,' said White, "the
Dave Leahy investigation sort of bore
me out at the time I wrote that story"
do you now believe it?''
| '"Wen. as we usually say the day
after election stammered White, that
is as we say around. the newspaper Of
fices, later returns put this opinion in
doubt" The crowd in the lobby roared.
"You charge in this article" read
Brewster, that a. 100000 asylum was
put up and was to be dumped into the
pork barrel. Wnere olo you get THAT
information?'
Now. just wait, just watt declared
White and he waved his arm frantical-
ly ''I said 1 wasn't going to give any
names; and 1 might as we'll stand on
my rights now as any time. L have
that information, but I refuse to tell
who gave it to me.'
| Then Brewster became insistent, but
Ganse objected to the tactics of the
| Doniphan man, who urged the MEM
bers who were not afraid to have
White tell all he knew to stand. About
half of the members stood.
"Did you notice among the men who
refused to stand a great number OF
standpatters?' asked Brewster.
''I was very careful not to look" said
White
"What do you know of an alleged
agreement that asylUms were to be 10
Gated new normals established, appro-
priations to state institutions cut and
!. things generally manipulated at the
expense of the state in order to LOAD
up a pork barrel?"
just Gave the Alarm.
Now in my pork barrel,'' said
White, at didn't charge any man with
dishonesty. I merely saw the chance
of the manipulation-how easy it
looked, you know, and I sort Of gave
the alarm in order that you fellows
would be flc yded with kilograms and
letters and perhaps some of you would
get scared off. If I were here reprs-
senting my constituents, 1 hope to
God no such chance would come to
me-
you say state institutions built of
state money were offered to outraged
communities as sop Do you know of
such an agreement
Now, now, just hold on. Not 50
fast there" yelled White. I am not