The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-09-12
HAYS IN A HOLE
MOtter Interview Is EmbarraSS.
|. ing to Republicans.
Somebody Must Explain Charge
Against Democrats.
PUBLICITY WAS UNEXPECTED
The Administration Practically
Accused of Treason.
Hays and Motter VIII Meet
Here This Month.
PUBLICITY WAS UNEXPECTED
BY A. L. SHULTZ.


Harvey H. Motter, Republican state
chairman, may have scuttled Il e ship
in his zeal to give Kansas voters first
class campaign food. Motter's liber-
ties with statement by Will H. Hays.
national chairman. has neither added
to the serenity of the situation nation
ally nor improved the Kansas state
organizations standing politically.
Trouble seems to be camping close to
Chairman Hays as result Of Mot
ter's interview. But Hayes sorrows
may be day in June as compared
with the bad weather indications for
Kansas.
has many ramifications. 1t is just the
sort Of innocent interview that has
the same elevating effect as smoking
cigarets in a powder mill. 1t was
awfully easy to light the cigaret- b
the deck hands may work overtime on
the powder mill. Motter's interview
quite naturally caused comment. He
said Hays said the Democrats in con-
troll of the national administration
would go to any length-even COM
promise the war-to win the election.
The statement conveyed but one
meaning. 1t shot in just one direc-
ton.
Didn't Expect Publicity.
Now the Democrat state OrganiZa-
ton has sent the president copy of
Motter's interview and someone may
be asked to take a little time off dur
ing the campaign and explain. Hays
has been asked to reiterate the re-
mark. which Motter declared was
made at the conference of state chair
men in Chicago Labor day. II Hays
admits he said it, he must produce.
II he denies the Motter interview then
Motter must explain. But it doesn't
stop with that. stss
q The conference which Hays held
with the state chairmen was a con-
.fidentia1 discussion of campaign plans.
Hays wasn't talking for publication.
He may have made some rather reck-
less and hasty remarks. He didn't be-
lieve the boys would go home and
Spill it. At least, not thru the pa
pers. But the Kansas chairman seems
to have dropped the cigaret right on a
barrel of nice fresh INT.
Trouble for Kansans.
Looking still further. failure of
| Hays and Motter to make good on the
charg serious when COM
| ing from the head of a national po-
lfticaI party-Iets the bars down for
rather reckless efforts to discredit
st*tsn1ents from the same sonfces
will Hays say to Motter when the
national chairman comes to Kansas
this month";? Will the freedom which
Motter exercised in quoting Hays's
conference remarks aid the state or
ganization in securing national COM
mittee aid in the campaign? Will
/ the national chairman become Jealous
| of the interests of Kansas because
Of the Motter interview Or, will he
uietly try to forget that Kansas is
| to hold an election this fall?
! Even those problems do not entirely
| cover the complex situation which has
resulted from the Motter interview.
The statement quoting Hays was pub
lished in Governor Capper's paper.
And Governor Capper is the Republi-
can nominee for United States sena-
| tor.
Hard to Get Alibi
It would be mighty embarrassing
for Motter to seek to establish an
alibi that he was misquoted. That
/, would discredit to an extent, al
least. the future campaign dope OF
| the governors paper. To admit that
| the interview was correct in its en-
| tirety, throws some of the burden and
| responsibility on the head Of the
ticket. For unless Hays and Motter
can produce real evidence to support
the practical charge of treason, some
| reflection will probably go to the
/ source of circulation.
And in the muddled and badly tan
| gled mess, Kansas is due for a place
| at the ringside of one of the toughest
political campaigns the nation has
seen in some years.