The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-09-13
BACKS UP HAYS
MOtter Says He Said Just Ex-
actly What He Said.
State Chairman Stands by the
National Leader. ~
AFTER MOTHERS SCALP NOW
Republican State Chairman
Sizzling Over Hays Interview.
Democrats Rise Up In War
Against Late Statements.
AFTER MOTHERS SCALP NOW
BY A L. SHuLTZ.

that's what he said.
No one will get H. H. Motter. Re-
publican state chairman, on either the
north or south side of a factional row
in this campaign. When Will H. Hays,
national chairman. said he didn't say
the things Motter said he said. Mr..
Motter very politely said Mr.. Hays was
right and that the things he said
Hays said. he didn't say and that he
really said something entirely d1ffer-
ent.
When Secretary Tumulty challenged
the statement which Motter credited
to Hays-that the administration
would even compromise the war to
win the election-Motter waited for
Hays to verify the statement. Instead
Hays denied making the statement
which Motter gave to the press and
which has caused national political
| concern. With equal promptness, the
| Republican state chairman bowed in
profound submission and endorsed a
patriotic statement by the national
| chairman as Hays's exact words.
| Seeks to Avoid Row.
| Motter has confided to his friends
| that he doesn't want a row over the
statement. Consequently he was
| ready to endorse the Hays statement
as the national chairman's remarks
and admit that the interview which
| was given to the Kansas press was I'M
| true. Thus Motter qualities as a
martyr, joins the ranks of the IT did
mt say it, and furnishes his own Gre
dentials for the inspection by the
membership committee of the Ananias
| club.
The interview in which Motter
| quoted Hays in most disloyal and
almost reasonable speech concerning
the national administration. put the
| national chairman in deep hole.
Hayss only avenue of escape-unless
| he could furnish some astounding evil
| dence-was a flat denial. lays not
only denied all the things contained
| in Motters interview, but he gave out
| a rather ardent win-the-war statement
| in which he said the contest between
| the Republicans and Democrats was
| one of greatest effort to whip the Hun.
Motter read the interview by Hays and
gave hearty consent. 1t was just
what Hays had said in Chicago.
! Said What He Said.
| No element of selfishness entered
| into Motter's stand. He was opposed
to anything that would stir up the ami
| mails in the Republican tent. So when
Mr.. Hays denied the quotation credit
ed to him by Motter's interview, Mot
ter was just as prompt. He met the
/ short says that Mr.. Hays never said
what he was reported to have said, but
that he said just what he said he said
After Motter's Scalp.
| Democrat state headquarters is now
after the scalp of H. H. Motter. Chair
man Motter is charged with almost
everything in the dictionary in a state
ment by Albert A. Jones. secretary of
| the state committee. 1t was Jones
who sent Motters sensational inter-
| view to Washington that resulted in
the president demanding that National
Chairman Hays support or deny re-
| marks credited to him.
I'll
nying the report that he told the state
chairman the national administration
would compromise the war to win the
| election. Motter retracted his former
interview. Now Secretary Jones uses
| the harpOon most vigorously.
kansas is entitled to know" Jones
said, whether Mr.. Motter is merely
helping Mr.. Hays out of a bad box, or
| whether Mr.. Motter originated the dis
loyal remarks concerned in his inter-
view. Either course will doubtless be
carefully considered by the people OF
a state who demand honesty and fair
play and loyalty-especially in a war
crisis. II Mr.. Motter originated his
statement out of whole cloth, the peo-
pie are entitled to know If Mr. Mot
ter is helping the national chairman
! cover up a statement that could give
comfort only in Germany, Kansas is
entitled to know that. too.
harmful propaganda cannot pass
existence. That is the universal YER
dict of our people. In answer to the
presidents telegram, Republican Ma
t1onal Chairman Hays denies that he
said in his Chicago speech that the
Democratic leaders at Washington
would end the war with any sort OF
compromise to win the election, as re.
ported by Republican State Chairman
Motter in Cappers publications. II
must have been harmful to the inter.
ests of the nation or the chief execu-
tive would not have turned aside te
question the press report.
Complaint From Over State.
Hays could not get away with such
oratory in a convention of Republican
state chairmen and neither can Mot
ter put it over among Independent
thinking Kansas people. Listen t.
this letter from one of the best citi.
zens of Motters home town: we have
one of the most patriotic towns in the
state and the inclosed (Motter inter.
view is denounced on all sides ire
spective of party affiliation. Not tt
say anything about a political bone
head the article is regarded as sedi
! tious and one that would give com
fort to the enemy
I'VE received many similar letter.
here at the headquarters from patri
otto Republicans, as well as Demo
Gratis, urging us to do something, an(
ton. 1t deserved the discredit which
it received"
aGng n Rnus- ~ n.>,.-