The advocate and Topeka tribune. [volume], October 19, 1892, Page 6, Image 6

About The advocate and Topeka tribune. [volume] (Topeka, Kan.) 1892-1894

Image provided by: Kansas State Historical Society; Topeka, KS

                
G
EXIT EOTKDT.
The most notorious criminal that
ever held down a judicial bench in
Kansas has just slackened his grip
on the republican party of the state
by resigning his office. He did not
deign to do so, however, until he had
thoroughly convinced the public that
he was master of the party, nor unti,
he was ready to name his successor,
nor yet until it was too late to permit
the election of a successor at the com
in? election.
Theodosius Botkin and the man
whom he had chosen as his successor,
William E. Hutchinson, went to Ar
kansas City on the 11th and there
happened to find the lost governor,
with whom they made arrangements
for a change in the judicial office of
the Thirty-second district The
resignation was aocepted and the ap
pointment made, and the following
day Hutchinson came to the supreme
court room and took the oath of of
fice. It is to be hoped that he will
have more regard for his oath than
his predecessor had.
As Botkin is the author of the now
famous motto, " Stand up for Kan
sas," a short review of his case may
be of interest to Advocate readers in
other states. This man has probably
done more to disgrace Kansas in the
eyes of the world than any other
man, unless it be the present gover
nor, who has sustained him in all his
villainy.
The Thirty-second district was cre
ated by the legislature of 1889 for the
benefit of Botkin, who had been a
faithful party worker. He was imme
diately appointed to fill the office of
judge of that district, which was com
posed of Seward, Stevens, Morton,
Grant, Haskell and Stanton counties.
A bitter county seat fight sprang up
in Stevens county, and the new judge,
who was elected after his appointive
term expired, was sdon arrayed on the
side that had the most money. Col.
Sam Wood was the champion of the
other side. Botkin was not only bit
terly partisan in his decisions, but he
was a confirmed drunkard and was
charged with being mixed up in sev
eral disreputable schemes, among
which was one to despoil the treasury
of the town of Springfield. At the
instigation of Wood and others, the
legislature of 1890 instituted an im
peachment trial against the judge,
charging him with drunkenness, ille
gal purchase of liquor, blasphemy,
oppression in office and other disor
derly conduct while in office. The
senate tried the case and the evi
dence brought showed the charges to
have been very mild. All but three
members of the senate were republi
cans, and as the vote was made a test
of party fealty, Botkin was acquitted
by a two-thirds majority, to the satis
faction of the administration crowd
and the disgust of all respectable citi
zens.
Depraved as Botkin was, he
had his friends among the lower
class, and among them was one
named Brennan, who had stood by
him in all his wickedness and de
bauchery. Late in the summer fol
lowing the trial, Col. Wood went to
attend Botkina' court at Hugoton,
and while there he was shot and
killed by Brennan, without any ap
parent cause. Brennan was not
tried because no competent jury
oould be found in the dis
trict He .. is still the bosom
friend of Botkin, and is a candidate
for sheriff in Oklahoma. While Bren-
nan's case was pending, another fight
occurred between the two factions, in
which Sheriff Dunn was killed, and
upon the demand of Botkin, who took
that plan to blind the public and
make himself appear to be seeking
peace, the governor sent out the
militia.
During all these troubles, which
entailed enormous expenses upon the
state and counties in which they oc
curred, there was a constant demand,
even from a part of the republican
press, for Botkin's resignation. But
the judge boasted that he had the ad
ministration behind him and he pro
posed to remain in the office. As all
outward appearances seemed to con
firm that assertion the clamor from
the republican side ceased and Bot
kin was recognized as a loyal repub-
ican. It is generally conceded,
however, that a greater scoundrel
never existed on God's footstool.
MES. EMERY IN TOPEKA.
Mrs. S. E. V. Emery, the author of
the little book entitled " Seven Finan
cial Conspiracies," passing through
Topeka, stopped long enough to hold
one meeting. There was but little
time to circulate notioe of the meet
ing, but a few parties interested
themselves in it, and advertised it as
well as possible under the circum
stances. The republicans had a meet
ing advertised for the same evening
at the court house, which is just
aoross the street from Metropolitan
hall where Mrs. Emery spoke. Mr.
Garver, republican candidate for at
torney general, was the republican
speaker. Metropolitan hall, which is
one of the largest in the oity, and
fully three times the size of the court
room, was well filled with an enthu
siastic audience. Mrs. Emery spoke
for nearly two hours, and was listened
to attentively from first to last. At
the close of her address, Senator Pef-
f er was called to the platform, and he
proceeded to contrast the meeting
with the one across the street, which
he had visited and found a sickly
affair, both in numbers and in the
charaoter of tho address. The Sena
tor, owing to the lateness of the hour,
said he would not undertake to make
any speech, but enforced the in junc
tion that the events of the few months
past demanded the defeat of the
party that is responsible for the
conditions whioh render possible the
labor troubles at Homestead, Penn.,
and other states of this American republic
Mr. G. C. Clemens was called for,
and in a few foroible remarks pointed
out the tendenoy of the times as indi
cated by the recent decision of a su
preme justice in Pennsylvania, hold
ing it to be treason against the state
for the members of the Amalgamated
association to resist the armed pirates
imported from the slums of the great
citiea to shoot indiscriminately the
Homestead workmen, or their wives
and children alike, should they get in
the way. Mr. Clemens was greeted
with enthusiastic applause.
The meeting from first to last was a
marked success, even the Capital
considering it prudent not to institute
a comparison of it with the meeting
across the street.
OUTRAGEOUS LYING.
The republican sideshow brought
to this city upon railroad passes Is
sued by Railroad Commissioner
Mitchell, the expenses of which were
paid by the republican state central
committee, reaffirmed the declaration
of the Topeka Capital that the
Omaha platform proposed the dis
franchisement of government em
ployes. Such mendacity as this is not
only inexcusable upon any plea what
ever, but it is an insult to the intelli
gence of a reading public All any
person has to do to satisfy himself
that the declaration is an absolute
falsehood is to read the platform.
When any party or combination is
reduced to the extremity of perpe
trating a falsehsod whioh is so readily
exposed, and which, in fact, will be
recognized as a falsehood by every
man and woman in the country the
moment it is seen, it must be pretty
hard up for campaign thunder.
Die some one ask why lawyers, as
a rule, oppose the People's party and
talk unceasingly about standing up
for the good name of Kansas? It is
simply because the more vicious leg
islation we have the more lawyers
flourish. The more foreclosures there
are, and the more business failures
there are, the better it is for the law
yers. Litigation follows bankruptcy
and ruin. But some one asks if
there are not some lawyers in the
People's party! Certainly. They
are the ones who have some consider
ation for the rest of mankind, and
they realize that there is such a thing
as carrying one's selfish motives too
far. They are not too selfish to con
sider that there are other people in
the world, and some of them remem
ber that they have children who are
not lawyers and who are likely to live
after them. Some lawyers have a
conscience, and they contend that to
save the people from retrogression
and degradation is the proper way to
save the credit of the state. It re
quires more in a man than meekness
and submission to build up credit
George T. Anthony was so exas
perated with the slim attendance at
his Ottawa meeting (his home) that he
said naughty words and drove part
of his little audience away before the
meeting was over. He actually con
signed the whole People's party to the
depths of the infernal regions, and as
about half of his audience had been
among the 5,000 who attended the
Populist rally at the same plaoe, it is
no wonder they left while Anthony
was talking. The average Populist
is always willing to listen to a decent
speech from anybody, but when it
comes to profanity and vilification
he is out Anthony is indecent
your anxiety to carry the state. You
have as good a set of People's party
candidates as any county in the state,
and you can elect them. Organize
every voting precinct so that a full
vote is cast and the counting fairly
done, and the capital county is ours.
Since the arrest of the Populist
chairman, John W. Breidenthal
(which was clearly a political trick),
the pressure has been so heavy on
Bank Commissioner Johnson that he
has been compelled to bring suit in
a case where the law was being actu
ally violated a case to which the
vigilant official had heretofore kept
his eyes closed. It was against Guil
ford Dudley, who conducts a private
bank in Topeka, and who has persist
ently refused to comply with the
law, saying that his financial stand
ing was nobody's business but his
own. Mr. Johnson knew of this vio
lation before he caused Breidenthal's
arrest; but as there was no political
capital in sight, he ignored the caa
until the other failed. Now he is
anxious to do his duty.
Such argument as "Don't throw
away your yote by supporting a re
form ticket," and "A vote for Mr.
Newparty is half a vote for Mr. Dem
ocrat" (or Mr. Republican, which ever
suits the locality), has no force this
year. The west has been humbugged
by that kind of foolishness long
enough. Outside of the money loan
ing districts it don't make a particle
of difference (except to those who are
looking for federal appointments)
whether it is Cleveland or Harrison.
One is six, and the other is half a
dozen. But the election of Weaver
would mean something. We want a
change that will do some good.
Some of the jack-leg stump orators
are telling about the last legislature
being controlled by the caucus.
There is not a voter in Kansas who
believes that aoy member of the Peo
ple's party or the alliance would have
have been acquitted by the house of
representatives if he had been on trial
before that body under similar cir
cumstance and with like evidence of
crime against him as was the case
with Botkin before the senate. Yet
the senate acquitted Botkin as Hum
phrey told them to do, and the con
stituents of those senators who voted
for acquittal have been holding their
noses ever since.
Men of Shawnee county,do not neg
lect your county and district tickets in
Kansas is not waiting for Georgia
or any other state to take the lead in
political reform. Kansas started first
and she is going to get there first.
Why not? Her people are better
educated than those of any other
state, and they are brave enough to
vote their sentiments under any circumstances.
The important question now is
whether or not Lew Hanback draws
any extra pay from the state contin
gent fund for driving Humphrey's
salvation wagon in the Third district
The brotherly love which has lately
sprung up between the republicans
and the bolting democrats passeth
all understanding.