The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-10-18
Demo Chief Declares Governor
Misused State Fund.
Charged Private Messages to
Contingent Expenses.
ASKS ABOUT COAL Produced
VIII Give Dates Some of Mes
sages Were Sent.
Charges That $26.s7 Was Spent
Just Before GOmpers Debate.

Governor Aliens recert answers to
a series Of questions regarding use of
his contingent fund, has opened the
early campaign row regarding use of
the governors funds for telephone
and telegraph expense. The governor
laid down the bars for the new con-.
troversy when he answered a series of
qnestions in Isldorado.- The governor
said the messages to Fred Trigg and
others were sent in an effort to get
more coal for the state.
Series of Questions.
Now Forrest Luther. Democrat state
chairman. is out with a series of ques-
tons as 10 the coal produced for the
state thru various messages sent from
the governors office and charged to
the state. The questions regarding
use of his funds were submitted to the
governor thru the columns of the Ell
dorado Times, Republican paper
The governor was asked if he expect
ed to return the money to the state
when the Legislature met next winter.
In answering the questions the gov
ernor said he had used a considerable
amount of money, but that it was for
the purpose of securing coal. return
ing soldiers from France and other
necessary state business.
To Promoters of Debate. =
In a statement today Luther pro-
duces records of messages sent at state
expense to promoters OF the AHen-
Cornpers debate in New York. He also
asks as to the coal produced for the
state as a result of messages sent to
Fred Trigg and H. H. Motter, Repub-
Ifcan state chairman, in April and May
of this year.
Luther's challenge to the governor
follows:
r'Governor Allen admitted that his
telegraph and telephone bills during
the first Is months of his administra-
ton amounted to $500" Luther said.
'44e admitted that tax payers money
had been used to pay for messages
sent to Fred Trigg of the Kansas City
Star and II. T. Motter. Republican
state chairman. But he said all the
MESA ges to Trigg and Motter dealt
with the fuel situation and not with
private matters.
Did Not Deny Charges.
"Governor Allen did not deny that
state funds had been used to pay for
personal and political wire tolls. He
clumsily attempted to dodge the ques-
ton by telling how much money he
had spent during the coal strike last
winter. He deliberately tried to de-
ceive his audience by stating that all
of. the Trigg-Motter messages were
relative to the fuel situation. would
like for him to tell the people of Kan
sas what f9el problem was in hand
when many of these messages were
sent last April and May. Also. in JUS
tice to the people who have honored
him by electing him governor, he
should tell what state business was
transacted when messages sent to Mrs.
Allen in New York, to the manager
81 the AOen-Gompers' debate and to
-eyeral other persons, were paid for
.eith state funds.
ryfx Of Of
these messages as they appear on the
records Of the state auditor, and if
Governor Allen wants to be fair and
give the people the truth. he will pro-
duce these MESA ges. make their con-
tents public and let the voters be the
judges of whether or not such mes
sages should have been paid for with
state funds.
Chartered Special Train.
IF remember correctly, the Allen
Gompers' debate was held in New
York City on May rs, and for some
days before that the governors lieu
tenants were very busy getting up
enough of crowd to charter special
train. The auditors records show that
on May FL justSa few days before the
special train left Kansas City, five
messages were sent-all in one day
from the governors office to H. H.
Motter and were paid for by the state.
Certainly the people were not in such
a hurry for, coal on May 21-long
after the coal strike had been settled
and the special session of the legis-
lature had djourned-certainly they
were then not in such a hurry for coal
that the governor had to call Metter
five times in one day"
Spent S26.a7 Before Debate.
Luther said that the auditors re-
cords also show that just before the
debate two MESA ges sent to Trigg
were paid by the state as were seven
messages sent to S. A. Fieldman the
manager of~the debate, and one to
Samuel Gompers, with whom Allen
debated. He produced the following
extract from the auditors books to
show the dates of the messages sent
to Fieldman and Gompers:
May S-tO S. A. Fieldman Q 2s
May 1S-to $. a. friedman. 100