The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-10-25
ON BOTH SIDES?

uprising of citizens against the school
and went to the school officials in
trying to iron the matter out. Feel
ing was almost at the breaking point
and the council feared bloodShed.
wv. H. Molyneaux chairman of the
Sherman township council, declares
that he visited the governor and laid
the situation before him. He says the
governor told him as long as the
teaching of German was abolished
there was no violation of the law, but
added that under the present condi-
lions the school ought to be stopped
and that the council should warn the
officials to close and if they did not to
see that it was closed. The affiant
swears that this interview occurred
some time about the middle of last
July.
Contrasting the sworn testimony of
MolyneauX comes the statement of the
Rev. Keller. who says that Governor
Capper, thru Mr.. Voillant (meaning
Fred Voiland), chairman of the state
council of defense, informed the school
committee that there was no reason
for closing the school if the German
language was eliminated.
Other Side of Story.
1.-THE Rev. Keller swears that the
governor wrote him about May l. 1918
asking him to procure some suhscrib-
ers to his paper, Capper's Weekly Cap
ital. He says that he got number of
subscribers and sent in a list of their
names, and at the same time mention
| ed the fact that they had had some
trouble in the community, in which
the loyalty of the German people was
questioned. He stated then that the
German people We're loyal The min
lister further says that the governor
replied thanking him for the list Oh
| names to whom he could send 'politi-
car papers and assured him that he
believed that 9S per cent OF the Ger
mans in this state were loyal.
According to the Keller affidavit
Mr.. 'Voillant. acting for the gov
ernor. assured committee that repre-
sented the school that the Germans
would be protected in conducting their
SCHOOL, Another startling statement
| made by the Rev. Keller is that Walter
E. Wilson, state senator, representing
| himself to be a personal representative
| OF the governor, came to visit the Rev
Keller just before the August primary
with an appeal to vote for the COVER
| nor in the primary for United States
senator.
The Rev. Keller swears that Wilson
| made this statement: The governor is
your friend and he will let justice rule
| in regard to parochial schools If
there will be any laws passed by the
| legislature next winter you people
| ought to make a compromise and then
| SOc heSp your SCHOOLS.
! Asked Support of Capper.
1.-THE Rev. Keller also says that Will
son asked them all to turn out and
vote for Mr.. Capper and also to get
their ladies to do so.
| with regard to closing the school
another incident developed in which
the Rev. Keller swears that Wilson
| told him to appreciate the favors of
! the governor. Keller also declares
! q fn1I r. +Ia%
man of the Sherman council of de-
Tense had asked the governor for the
use of state guards to put the schoo,
| out of business. but the governor re-
fused to do so. According to the sworn
| affidavit of Molyneaux the governor
denies ever mentioning the state
| guards.
| "Molyneaux declares that in the
| early part of May he and several other
| members of the council visited the
| school and conferred with the Rev
| Keller and that the minister informed
| them that the school might give up
the German If it had to but that it
| would never Close At this meeting
| Mr.. Molyneaux swears that a mem
Der of the church interrupted and
gave the following reasons for not
wanting to give up the German school:
That the American teachers did not
| know enough to teach the German
children and that the German children
| knew more when they started to
| school than the American teachers -
| Copies of the affidavits given out by
Robertson are as follows:
| J. G. b. Keller Affidavit.
October II, 1918
Gov. Arthur T. Capper wrote me about
May ]. 1918. asking me to procure some
subscribers for his paper, Capper's Weekly
Capital got a number of subscribers
| and sent in list of their names. at the
same time 1 mentioned the fact that we
! bad some trouble in our community. al
tho our German people were loyal. their
| loyalty was questioned The governor
| answered. thanking me for the list which
| sent him. list of members to whom
| he could send political papers. He also
| wrote that he thinks about IS per cent of
| the Germans in this state were loyal. l
| mentioned our school trouble thru our
| natriots committee in Topeka, composed of
! Rev 7. D. Mueller, Prof. Graebner. Pro
| fessor Steinkamp. Mr.. Weber and Mr..
| Sehlicher, whose functions were to look at