The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-03-15
LAND ON THOMAS
County Democrats Denounce
Him for Criticism Wilson.
Although He Had Many Friends
in the Convention.

Inefficiency and extravaganza of
the state administration were criti-
cized last evening at the Democrat
convention at the National hotel and
another resolution was adopted after
much argument sharply criticising
Frank S. Thomas for criticism and
charges made by him through the
newspapers against President Wilson's
Mexican policy. Delegates and alter
mates to the Democratic state conven-
ton were chosen. The resolution
adopted concerning the Capper ad-
ministration follows:
BE it resolved, that we condemn
the inefficiency and extravaganza of
the present state administration and
especially it's deplorable policy of
placing the great penal institutions of
Kansas upon a strictly partisan basis,
and its hypocrisy and unjustifiable eX-
travagance in burdening the taxpayers
of the state with the expense of the
recent political trial of Jerry Botkin,
the most efficient warden who was
ever placed in charge of our peniten-
tiary."
Billiard Objects.
Both resolutions were presented by
a committee comprising Carl Peterson,
Tom Lillard. H. J. Corwine, w. B.
Gasche and John Cleveland 1mmedi-
ately after a resolution criticising
Thomas and demanding his resigna-
ton as precinct committeeman was
read, ]. B. Billiard arose and defended
Mr.. Thomas. The veteran Democrat
pleaded for a return to the harmony
path and while he expressed himself
as disappearing the Thomas criticism
of President Wilson. ne urged that the
convention ignore the same, stating
that Thomas had been a life long
Democrat and as a citizen has per-
feet right to express his own opinion.
He then moved that the resolutions
be placed on the table. The motion
was lost.
H. c. Lindsey also arose to the de-
Tense of Mr.. Thomas. The office of
precinct committeeman is an elective
one, he declared, and the Democratic
central committee could not put
Thomas out no matter how many
resolutions were passed Thomas had
been a Democrat long before the
chairman, Mr.. Whitney, was born, de-
clared the speaker. A. P. Tone Will
son also defended Mr.. Thomas.
Calls 1t Treason.
H c. Green branded Mr.. Thomas's
utterances as reasonable, while John
G. Cleveland, a government appointee,
declared that men had been hanged
for criticisms of an official less severe,
and expressed his belief that if the
will be tried for treason. Officers
with cooler heads who still favored
passing the resolutions, explained that
while no one questioned Mr.. Thomas
right to criticise the president still it
put the Shawnee county Democrats in
a bad light to have a precinct COM
mitteeman quoted as Thomas had
been in recent weeks. In order to put
them in the right light passage of the
resolution was urged.
Mr.. Thomas admitted his personal
friendship for Villa, affirmed he was
ready to stand by the president in his
action in going into Mexico since the
Columbus massacre. But he Ques-
toned anyone's right to put a Quietus
policy prior to the Columbus massa-
ere and declared that thousands of
like criticisms had peen made by
press and private individuals. The
resolution passed but there were a
number of nays heard.
The Delegates.
Those appointed delegates are: T
NJ. Lillard, ]. B. Billiard. L. NJ. Pen
well, F. E. Whitney. C. NJ. Hill, S. H.
Allen, G. j. Peterson, w F, Logan, H
J. Corwine. r. M. Yates, J. J. Schenck,
A. D. Birch, M. L. Bishop, w. L.
OBrien, Mrs. F. E. Whitney. F. B.
Simms F. L. Britton, Mrs. M. L.
Bishop, DIR. Eva Harding and w. E.
Atchison. Alternates, H. C. Lindsey
John R. Johnson, ]. w. Cochran, B.
B. Eitelman, H. B. Lowe, Otto Rahn
Q. S. Allen, Mrs. N. H. Wolf. C. A.
Moore. N. B. Arnold, Mrs. J. G. Pin
ney, w. H. Kemper, R. N. Lattner, D.
B. Fink, George Etzel DIR. Lillian
Malone, E. B. Stotts, Frank Ward, L.
&C. Fraser, ]. M. Quail.
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