The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-11-11
TOO MUCH ALIEN KNAPP
Former State Auditor Explains Ideas
of MOrgan's Defeat

Fred w. Knapp, of Salina, former
state auditor and candidate for the
governorship nomination in the recent
Republican primaries, has offered his
own explanation for defeat of W. Y.
Morgan. TOO much Allen is his
analysis of the situation.
In spite of the fact that they once
trained together in the Bull Moose
feed lots, Knapp places blame for Re
publican defeat on the retiring gov
ernOr. Once Knapp was secretary of
the Progressive state committee and
helped manage Aliens campaign for
the governorship. But that was eight
years ago. Times have changed a lot
of Kansas politics in those eight years.
Now Knapp is placing upon Allen the
entire responsibility for defeat of
Morgan for the governorship.
The other day The State Journal
published interviews from the new
governor, the retiring governor and
the defeated candidate as to Just how
and why it happened. Knapp admits
there was an element of truth in all
of the statements. But he asserts, also
that the real underlying reason for
upsetting the stonewau Republican
majority in Kansas was Governor
Allen himself
In a letter to The State Journal,
Knapp demands a change in the pres
ent method of doing things in Repub-
hcan politics and offers this explana-
ton for Jonathan NJ. Davis election:
Editor State Journal:
note in your tOday's issue that Gov
ernor-eIect Davis says that the people and
not the politicians" ran this election: that
Blly Morgans explanation for his defeat
IS limited to the statement that he did not
get enough votes and that Governor Allen
attributes the result to "discontent looking
for sacrifice
Conceding that there is some truth in
each OF the above general statements /
would like to offer what I consider to be
a more direct and specific reason for Mr..
MorEans defeat. There was too much
ALLEN mixed with his campaign.
Governor Allen started his administra-
ton toward the rocks when he ridicuIed
state Auditor Turner's request for a con
ference of state officers. heads of the state
Institutions and department heads with a
view of cutting down the cost of state gov
eminent He blew out all four tires on
Kansas Day when he classed all members
and officers of taxpayers organiza tions as
either "red-card radicals. Socialists. or
Democrats and sarcasticaIlv branded
every candidate for the Republican nomi-
nation for governor who advocated tax
reduction as ''demOgogue." He has kent
skidding the machine into the ditch all
curing Doth the primary and general cleo
ton campaigns by impugning the honor
and loyalty of every member of organized
labor and by increasingly CHASING the
members OF the Nonpartisan League and
the hu klux Khan as undesirable citizens
he Is reported TO even have gone so far
st-s a.. ,HC AAHAeAts VI NoAulnnNs IN
TINS Ist. without arguing the merits Of
any of these organizations, it goes without
saying that there are within each of their
memberships men OF the highest character
whose honesty OF purpose and whose good
are above reproach.
If the Republican party expects to come
PACK II viii he necessary to discard that
kind of leadership and tactics. 1t must he
responsive to the well known and ex-
pressed demand for more economy and less
politics in running the states affairs
a hard bunch to try to drive.
FRED W. KNAPP.