The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-11-09
BRIST0W WAS
AFTER CURTIS
True Inwardness of the Gas
Fees Investigation
As Viewed by Some of the
Shrewd Politicians.
SENATOR LEFT To THE LAST"
His Part in TranSac-
ton Was Long Known.
Previous Goodness in Political
Circles Is Accumulated.

To the average newspaper reader
and consumer of natural gas. the ex-
posture of the fat fees in the Kansas
Natural Gas case was an act of pure
and unselfish patriotism on the part
of a patriotic governor and public
utilities commission. To the men who
see political significance in every pub
lie act, however, the recent gas fee
probe was one of the most clever one
act performances of the state admin
istration and source of great salts
faction to Joseph L. Bristow, chair
man of the utilities commission and
former United tSates senator.
When the story of the first gas fees
"broke" the utilities commission ex-
pressed most righteous indignation.
Later Governor Capper was interview
ed concerning the fees. He was also
indignant. He was especially dis
pleased with the actions of John S.
Dawson, who had accepted a fee as
attorney for the receivers while Serv-
ing the state as attorney general. He
asked S. NJ. Brewster to investigate the
legal phase of the case, but Brewster
found that Dawson had acted within
his rights.
1t Grew and Grew.
The opposition to the Dawson fee,
however, kept growing. The COVER
nor's own paper led the fight concern
ing the fees paid to the former states
attorney. But a number of politicians
recalled that Dawson, while SHINING,
had become the lone victim of all who
sinned. They brought to mind the
facts that reports indicated that Fred
S. Jackson, close administration
friend, had collected fat fees while
serving as attorney general They
recalled also that Jackson had been
made a member of Governor Capper's
official family and they looked for the
consistency that did not appear.
But it wasn't the Dawson fee that
was the real bug under the chip, &C
cording to the politicians. Neither was
it the money paid to the receivers of
the gas company. OF course these ex-
posures helped to magnify the cru
saders in the eyes of the voters, but
the big card in the game was yet to
be played. 1t came when Senator
John F. Overfield filed his report with
the utilities commission, showing that
more than $4,000 of the $25. 900 paid
to him by the court, had been used in
the payment of lawyers
The Public Sighed Again.
Even that wasn't so Tnuch-Of
course the public sighed another deep
sigh and knew at once the wild and
reckless financial policies of a giant
corporation. But it was the fee of
$4,000 paid to Charles Curtis, United
States senator as attorney in the case,
that brought the real sigh of gratiff-
cation to one member of the utilities
Observation-Disclosures BriStow.
Now there is a sort of reserved
GOODNESS in certain political circles. If
the Curtis followers really harbored
an intense love for the Capper-Bris-
administration, that ar
dor has cooled about fifty points. They
recall the attack on Dawson and the
reward of Jackson for parallel services.
But wait.
Just now there is a new rumor in
political circles. That rumor is to the
effect that Chairman Bristow of the !
utilities commission knew of the fee
to Curtis many weeks ago. And Bris- |
tow. recalling his defeat at the hands |
-
an excellent opportunity to pay few
political debts. So the |
crusade concerning the fees in the gas
case was launched. But the one big |
triumphant play was saved until the |
last-when the public mind was cen |
tered on the question of gas fees-and i
then Senator Bristow over the long |
distance telephone directed the giving |
out of the statement that would prop |
erly show up the fees collected by his |
political enemy, Senator Curtis.