The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-01-18
STUBS IN REPLY
Governor Sends Message to Sem
ate About Contingent Fund.
Glad of a Chance to Have Public
Know.
TELLS WHERE 1T WENT
Only $3,251 of the $4,000 Was
Spent for His Office.
Not a Dollar for Personal EX-
pense in Trips for State.

Governor Stubs today makes reply
to the resolution offered by the Demo-
cratic minority in the senate that his
contingent fund be investigated. He
sent a message to the senate this
morning in which he discussed the
matter at length and told what he
had done with his 100000 contingent
fund.
The governor was in a particularly
good humor today when seen in his
office by the reporters. If man will
only be patient and wait" he said,
| ''he will find that many pleasant
things will fall across his path in the
journey of life. This demand for an
accounting of my contingent fund is
something I had been hoping for l
| have only spent about three thousand
| dollars of the sum in connection with
my office, the greater part of it going
to help in other matters that are cal
culated to benefit the state. When
man is doing right and knows that he
is doing that thing, he welcomes pub
licity as an aid and resource in his
plan of action. These gentlemen, in
| their zeal, have done me a very great
service as they will discover when they
bring the details to the attention of
the public
The governors message to the leg
islature was read this morning as fol-
lows:
/
my attention has been called to
| senate resolution which demands an
| investigation of the contingent funds
used by the attorney general, bank
| commissioner, railroad commissioners,
and governor during the last two
years. Personally / wish to acknow-
ledge my deep appreciation of the
opportunity which this resolution pro-
vides to bring prominently before the
people of Kansas the actual purposes
for which these contingent funds have
been used and the public benefits that
| have been derived from their use
"a large number of politicians
| throughout the state have during the
campaigns preceding the primary and
also the general election publicly stat
ed that my administration has been
reckless and extravagant in the use
of public funds, and these politicians
have invariably used my contingent
fund as an example of that extrava-
gance.
''These statements have been pub
lished over and over again broadcast
| throughout the commonwealth. L.
therefore, am more than pleased to
have an opportunity to prove beyond
any question of doubt that these
statements were not only positively
false and malicious, but that, on the
contrary the most scrupulous care and
| economy has been exercised at all
| times in the use of the governors con-
| tingent fund.
| Not a Dollar for Personal Expenses.
81 take no little pride in the fact
| that not one single dollar of this fund
| has ever been used during my term of
| office by me for personal expenses OF
any kind I have travelled thousands
| of miles for the benefit of the state,
and have invariably paid my own car
fare, meals, and all other items of ex-
| pense out of my own pocket, notwith-
| standing the advice of the attorney
| general that all these expenses are a
proper and legitimate charge against
| this fund.
Where the Money Went.
1.-The entire amount of money used to
pay the expenses of the governors Office
| proper during the two years of my ad-
ministration is $S,251.21. The balance
of my contingent fund has been used
| as follows:
Fish and game department, $7,258.40
for which this legislature ought to re-
imburse the governors fund, as the
money was expended to maintain that
| department on account of the failure
of the. last legislature to appropriate
| funds for that purpose.
| 81 have also furnished the attorney
| generals Office 81, ,296.10, to be used in
| the enforcement of the laws Of the
state. The larger share of this money
| has been used to close joints and sa-
looms in counties where the enforce
ment of the prohibitory law had never
| before been effective. This money was
used necessarily to employ deputy
| sheriffs and assistant attorneys general
to do the work that should have been
| done by local county officers. Every
dollar of it could have been saved if
the power to remove or suspend with
out pay such officers was vested in the
governors office; and l repeat what /
| nave already said in message to you
that the governor ought to be relieved
from the responsibility of enforcing To-
cal laws, or he should be authorized to
remove or suspend local officers who
| have no regard for their oath of office.
'I have paid out S433.10 for extra help
for the attorney for the board of rail-
road commissioners, and $500 for extra
help in the state accountants office,
| and have on hand $5,593.21 unexpended
balance.
Origin of Protest Against Fund.
1.-The corporations, the joint keepers
| and the laWlesS elements of the state
would all be pleased to have the COVER
nor's contingent fund reduced to the
smallest amount possible, so that he
would not have any power to enforce
the laws of the state and protect pub
lie interest against those persons who
are continually seeking to gain special
| privileges that are adverse to public
interest.
Peanut Politics.
This commonwealth entrusts inter-
ests of tremendous value and import
ance to the chief executive, and no man
is worthy to hold that position who can
not be entrusted to use any reasonable
amount in his contingent fund in a con-
scientious and businesslike way for the
benefit of the state
II am certainly pleased to have the
subject of economy in the administra-
tion of public affairs brought proni-
nently to the attention of state officers
and also to the members of this legis-
lature at this time. l most earnestly