The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-07-31
He 1t Was Who Fathered Mem
Orial Building Plan.
Worked Bill Through LegIsla-
tUre After First Defeat.
TELLS OF NICHOLSON.
Asserts That He Was Well Paid
for Services.
Protests Against Credit Being
Given to Wrong Person.
TELLS OF NICHOLSON.


? is1ature in which he GETS forth the
part played by the men who made the
building ouss.ble at that session. The
newspaper men who reported the 1909
session know full we'll that Mr.. Jewett
has been too modest in his account OF
the fight for the passage OF the Dill /
1t was due to JeWett's effort more than
anything else that the bill was finally
passed by both houses. At the time
Jewett was given credit in the press, !
bu- the public forgets quickly.
Mr. Jewett, in his narrative of the
passage of the bill places Mr.. Mich |
olson's part in the affair as that OF
man working for u big CcntnlteSlon
Mr. Nicholson, says Mr. JcWett, also |
triad to collect 81 500 more than he was
paid for collecting the old state claims
from the government. Through Jew !
ett's Intervention the $3.50 extra claim
was disallowed. The members of the
legislature who work for the passage
Of the bill We're actuated hy patriotic
motives alone. no fees being offered as
an extra irducement for activity Mr.
Jewctt IN his account of the oassagc |
of the Memorial building Dill, says;
TO the Editor of the State Journal
Taking chances on being charged with
knocking in my own interest, pro
pose however, to protest against the
statements made in the Topeka State
Journal on the 2Sth, in which Mr.. John
c. Nicholson is given credit Tor having
made it DOS sible for Kansas to nave
memorial building, ''the funds being APP
propriated at his solicitation ana so
c the headlines indicating very clear
" that the appropriation had been Sc
cured by Mr.. Nicholson, not as pay
sment for q just claim which the stare
held against the general government
but for the purposes OF securing a me-
mortal building for the state. This ar
ticIe in so far as Mr.. Nicholson's con-
rection with the matter of the arprc-
priatiOn by the general government,
he act n
The Kansas legislature after it had once
been killed in the session or 19O9 IS
concerned is so Overdrawn that it is
only fair TO others as well as myself
to correct it.
Mr. Nicholson as federal agent for the
state of Kansas busted himself in Wash
ington in the collection of the money
from the government because he would
if he was successful. TE4Te WAS no
patriotlsn involved in the proposition
in any way, and ne was assisted IN MS
work by several other gentlemen. lie
presented his bill for his services to
the legislature OF 1859, of which 1 hap
pered to be a member 1t came before
the WAYS and means committee OF the
house Of which l was also memDet
protested against the allowance OF the
bill for the reason that Mr.. Nicholson
had charged, in my judgment, S2,ouD
more than the law allowed him. AFTER
amy objection the bill was withdrawn
i from
and taken over to the committee on
state accounts Of which / was not a
member l filed brief with that
committee, protesting against the al
lowance Of the bill and quoting the
law which. in my judgment, applied to
his overcharge of $500. Attorneys APP
peared before the committee in Mr.
Nicholson's interest, and the commit
tee through its chairman, notified me
that he was of the opinion that the
committee would allow the bill for the
full amount.
I then. through the influence of Mr.
Dawson cat that time private secretary
to Governor Stubs, and who told me
he believed that my contention was
right secured a letter from the gov
ernor to the attorney general request
ing that officer for an opinion on the
question which I had raised touching
Mr.. Nicholson's overcharge of $2.5OO-0O
The opinion of the attorney sustained
the point I had raised, and the legis-
lature refused to appropriate the entire
bin of Mr.. Nicholson, striking out
s., 10000.
Tried Again to Get the $4,000.
Mr.. Nicholson made an effort to Sc
cure an appropriation at the recent
session of the legislature-the legis-
1ature of 1911-to cover this $2,5O0.00 and
failed. on account of the copy of the
original opinion of the attorney gen
era9 being on file in that office.
Mr.. Nicholson received about $4,000
for his services in securing this appro-
priation. and the law is clearly against
the item of $250O0O which he again
sought to recover at the last session OF
tho legislature.
NOW about the bill which provided an
appropriation for the Memorial build
ing. On It's first consideration in the
house it did not pass. My recollection
is that it did not get out of the COM
mittee to which it was referred.
Shortly after this occurred, I re-
ceived a petition signed by many old
soldiers of Sedgwick county, the list
being headed by the Rev. n. Z. Har
; mon, recent commander of the Grand
Army of the Republic, praying for an
appropriation for the erection of this
memorial building. AS the matter had
entirely died out, there seemed to be
but little hope of resurrecting it. How
ever. in response to this Sedgwick
county petition I took the matter up
with George Martin, w Y Morgan,
Col. VeaIe, as well as several of the
old soldiers who were members both
of the senate and the house, and they
said that they would help me make a
fight for a new bill.
I then called on Mr.. Nichplson anu
asked him if he would keep me advised
regarding the action that was being
taken in congress in reference to the
appropriation bill. that is, 20 the par
ticuIar bill in which was the item OF
four hundred and more thousand dol
lars tn he maid to Kansas on account
Of claims which the state had against
the general government. 1t had not
passed congress at that time; but as It
had been tackled onto the general APP
uropriation bill. there was but little
Question regarding its passage.
/ then asked Mr.. Nicholson If he
would help me in the matter OF framing
UP a new bill for the purpose Of secur-
ing an appropriation for the Memorial
building He promised to do so, ana We
mapped out a course of procedure. he
was to 90 to the state library, find tn,
acts of other states having memorial