The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-10-22
District Attorney Robertson
Opens Attack on Governor.
Charges Interference in
Statement Given Out Today.
BRINGS UP VQIlAND MATTER
Says Action Would Have Gone
On but for Exposure.
Regrets 1t Should Be Necessary
for U. s. To Investigate.

Charges of interfering with govern
ment procedure are made against
Governor Arthur Capper. candidate
for the United States senate in
written statement given out today
by Fred Robertson, United States
district attorney. The Robertson
statement was given out fol-
lowing the receipt by Kansas City
newspaper of a letter from Governor
Capper in which it is said he denied
parts of campaign story published in
the Kansas City paper in which the
governors dealings with persons OF
questionable loyalty were reviewed.
The charges made against the gov
ernor are based upon the investigation
of his office by federal officials fol-
lowing the report that complaints
were being received by the governor
and Fred Voiland of Topeka against
persons in the state who were making
disloyal utterances and threats and
that these complaints were not turned
over to the proper authorities for an
! investigation.
Government regulations forbid the
giving out of the work of special
agents, but if the agent who made the
investigation at the governors office
in Topeka would talk in his sleep
some night, he could disclose some
| mighty interesting things Robertson
asserts.
In another place in his statement
the United States district attorney
says:
Il regret that it should be necessary
, for the governor of the splendid state
of Kansas to be investigated by the
arm of the government charged with
the duty of investigating crime against
our laws, for the suppression of dis
loyalty, seditious utterances and acts
/ of traitors
ROherfsOn'S Statement
The Robertson statement, as given
out here today, is in full as follows:
In making his denial of a part of an
article carried by Kansas City newspaper
last sunday, 1t is strange that the gov
ernor does not also deny the letter printed
in the same paper last Sunday in which
that he need not buy berty Hfi bonds If be
gave something to the Red Cross. 1t is
also strange that the governor Will point
received at the hands of the state council
OF defense. when as matter of fact, the
| which he makes reference to. never in any
manner discussed the question of whether
he and Fred voiland were suppressing
complaints OF disloyalty for political pur-
poses. 1t is strange. indeed, that the gov
ernor will try to slip out of these serious
council of defense found this as charge m S1a5s was
untrue, when it never at any time even
discussed them or passed upon them.
"The real truth of the matter is" said
Fred Robertson, that when the govern
ment was making every possible effort to
run down disloyalists, traitors, alien enc
mics, pro-Germans. and their associates,
and when every vestige of federal authority
was working day. and night to apprehend
such persons in Kansas. Governor Arthur
Capper. from the executive office in the
state house, undertook to use his high
position as a club to usurp the authority
of the United States and assumed the re-
| sponsibility of dealing with dangerous enc
mics of m the country in an unofficial
/
| publication of the facts mud Singing 1t
is cheap. and easy thing to say that your
| opponent is mud singing, when he springs
the truth on you. That seems to be the
governors way of answering the truth.
With no authority whatever to prosecute
on federal charges, and with full knowl-
| edge of the governments effort to prose
cute. the violators. Governor Capper went
forth over the state with his speeches and
invited every loyal American to report all
matters of disloyalty to him. He knew
J very well when he made these speeches
and sent out this invitation. that com
plants of disloyalty were purely federal
matter matter that could be dealt with only by the
knew full well with what effectiveness my
office had been handling these matters
|