The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-07-17
Kansas Senator Replies With
Shottea BrOadside.
Bitter and Sarcastic Arraign-
mene of Whites Record.
THREE CLASSES STATESMEN
Orators, Society Men and
Workers in Congress.
Curtis Points to Record That
Stamps Him as Worker.

Charles Curtis, United States sena-
tor from Kansas. today made. a sar-
castle and cutting reply to an attack
by William Allen White of Emporia
to the official record of the senior
senator. Curtis not only defends his
own record, but he heaps criticism on
the Emporian for his own record in
the political game and charges him
with questionable dealing in the
Thunder Mountain" promotion
schemes.
That stage of the political campaign
in Kansas when it is customary to
throw paving brick. arrived several
days ago when White welcomed the
Homecoming of Senator Curtis with a
two column broadside in which he
rified the Curtis record. If the public
expected the Indian senator to smiling
ly turn the other cheek and receive a
second jolt next Sunday, there will be
disappointment No sooner did Sena-
tor Curtis arrive in Kansas than he
began to look about for q loose and
convenient stone that might be hurled
through the little glass house of the
Emporia editor. And with this ex-
change of compliments, the senatorial
campaign is properly and fttingiy
launched as has become the establish
ed custom surrounding senatorial
fights in the past.
In his review of his own work OF
twenty years in the national congress
and in his review of the political rec
ord of William Allen White, his ac-
cuser, Curtis today made the following
statement concerning the real facts:
If the People Knew.
My Dear Mr.. White:
If the people of Kansas knew you
as the people of Lyon county know
you, or if they knew you as I do
would pay no attention to your false and
misleading letter given to the public
under the title THE Curious Case OF
Curtis
Before 1 dissect your article it Is
my purpose to let the people of Kan
know something about you.
You are the same William Allen
White who wrote a number OF para
graphs, belittling the great beloved
William Mckinley. The following was
taken from your paper. the Emporia
MCKINLEY never had an idea in his
head
"He is not a thinker"
"He is in no sense a scholar"
"He has not kept anywhere near
abreast of the economic thought OF
his time"
HE has uttered no sentiment in all
his four years of official speaking that
has lived thirty minutes after 1t was
on paper"
You are the same William Allen
White who came to Washington In
1897 in the interest of Mr.. Ewing, one
of the candidates for postmaster (and
it was claimed at the time you nae
your expenses paid by the friends OF
the candidate), and before you mad
been in Washington As hours you were
talking to me and requesting me 10
support YOU for the office, and claimed
that you already had the support or
promise of Senator Baker?
Are YOU the same William Allen
White, who, in 1902 and 1909, wrote the
Mountain?" It So the following ex-
tract from a letter I have in my possess
sion might need some explaining at
your hands:
ssIn 1902 and 1903 Mr.. White went TO
the Thunder Mountain country as the
guest of Louis G. Van Riper of New
York the man afterwards mixed up N
the cotton statistic leak. and several
others. It was after one of these trips,
the one made in 1903. think, that he
wrote the story, A Tenderfoot m
Thunder Mountain In these articles
which were published in the Saturday
Evening Post, you will see all the prop
critics owned by Van Riper and his
friends are described as being noun
tains of gold. while no others arc
spoken of at all, although at that time
there was a great rush to the Thunder
Mountain country. and hundreds VI
claims were being opened up. Van
Ripper and his friends fioated more than
twenty companies. and it was generally
understood that White was in all OF
them, with possibly two or three excep-
tions know he had stock in the Big
Creek Gold Mining compan.- of which
w NJ. Lucas was president, and Fred
Fcefert, of st. Louis, was fiscal agent.
He also had stock in the Thunder
Mountain Gold Mining and Milling
company, of which Hon Henry C.
Begole. Chemical building. st. Louis, Is
and has possession of the
books I never saw the books OF the
companies promoted by Van Ripper
through his two dummy companies, J.
z Morehart & Co, and ]. L. Smith &
Co. of New York. but the names pf
some of them were: Empress Gold Min
ing & Milling company, Werdenhoh
Gold Mining and Milling company.
company, Dewey Gold Mining company.
Gold King Mining company. and Gold
Dollar Mining company. On both OF
the trips to the Thunder Mountain
White went as the guest OF
Van Ripper He Travelled all the way
into the mountains with Van Riper and
Van looked to IT that he got just what
Van wanted him to get and nothing
more"
stock mentioned, you might explain
how you happened to write the article
about me in the interest of my million
aire opponent.
In this connection are you the same
Mr.. White who wrote Congressman
Miller, after he CNiller) had secured an
for a government build
ing at Emporia, that you were for his
and would either support
him or oppose him in your paper which
ever he (Miller) thought would do him
the most good? I have been Informed
that you wrote such a letter.