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Thursday, September 5, 1974
University Daily Kansan
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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SPECIAL FOCUS
'The Last Hurrah'
Docking ends 8 years as governor
His Topke office is like the capitol itself and much more of Kabul than Bama and empty.
The walls of the high-celled room are pale beige, providing little contrast with the light green rug. The room contains a large couple of arm chairs and storage cabinets, painting hangs above and behind the desk. Seemingly out of place on the south wall are black-and-white photographs in chrome frames of bleak Kansas landmark, being part of the decor is the state seal given into the carpet in front of the desk.
He was dressed in keeping with his image—a brown double-knit suit and the dark tie with polkadots that is his trademark. Some say the only time Gov. Robert B. Docking was seen in public since his first election without one of those ties as a guest photographer. There he wore a paisley tie, ostensibly to give him a younger look.
"My job as governor is complete," Docking said in reflection upon his eight years in office. "Everything I've started is done, it was turned down or is in progress."
In a philosophical sense, he said, he hopes he has affected Kansas government by making the issues of government the issues of the people.
"Who was thinking about constitutional revision, governmental reorganization, tax reform or giving subpoena power to the justice department before I entered office?" he asked.
"The issues of the people should be the issues of government, not the issues of the politicians," he said. "Politicians often have issues which are debatable between branches of government, but the people aren't involved or affected by them."
He reacted strongly when asked if he would classify himself as a conservative, saying he would classify himself as a moderate.
"I think people make a mistake when they categorize someone. On a great many social issues I've been classified as a liberal," he said. "I do believe in a balanced budget and that you must pay our bills."
A University of Kansas political science professor once said that Docking was the best Republican governor Kansas ever had.
"I'd say that man is a registered democratic party philosophy," Becking said.
He is proud that the major issue of his campaigns and the major accomplishments of his administration have been in the area of tax reform.
'Rubber Ducky' verdict out
On Jan. 13, 1975, Kansas will have a new governor. Gov. Robert B. Docking and his family will move out of the governor's mansion and return to Arkansas City.
It will be strange. There has been a Docking in the governor's mansion every year since 1957 except for a six-year interim. George Docking was governor from 1957 to 1961. Robert followed and began an unprecedented four terms of residence in 1967.
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It still seems early to write an obituary on the Robert Docking years. He certainly began no sweeping programs for social change during his career, but he did so abundantly reflects the wishes of the people of the state.
He concentrated in the areas, tax and financial reform and executive reorganization, that would be expected from someone with his business and banking background.
It's ironic that Robert Docking, whose image of personal honest and integrity helped him to become the biggest vote-getter in the state's history, may have chosen to retire from public life because of the weaknesses of those around him. I'll never know whether that image, in an atmosphere of state and national political scandal, could have survived another election campaign.
He has been able to inspire unusual confidence among the people of Kansas, usually a suspicious lot who don't keep a governor much longer than it takes Kansas weather to change.
He was elected to his first term by a 76,000 vote margin and became the first Democrat in the state's history to unseat an incumbent Republican.
His toughest challenge came when he sought reelection in 1968 against Rick Harmon of Kansas City. Harmon, who operated a cafeteria and coached the team, was defeated by 36,000 votes.
He was only the sixth Democrat in this century to be termed the highest Republican state, a term commonly Republican state.
The 1964 campaign was his first race for a seat office. He formerly was mayor and a city commissioner.
The 1968 election was only the second time in Kansas history a Democrat had won two terms, as
"Rubber Ducky," as his detractors had begun to call him, defeated Atty. Ken. Kent Frizell by 71,000 votes in 1970 and became the first Kansas governor to be elected to three terms.
"We had an income tax reduction in 1967 and we had a decrease in Docking costs, the decrease in the state income tax rate from two per cent of the first $1,000 income. We have $520,000 more."
And, in 1972, he defeated his Republican opponent Morris Kay, a Lawrence insurance company KU football player, by the second largest margin in Kansas history—more than 230,000 votes.
"Kansas is the only state to have such reciprocal agreements with all its neighbors."
Docking denied that the stability of state revenues coupled with inflation had been achieved.
"Our budgets have been austere but adequate," he said. "We have started a tremendous number of new programs and expanded worthwhile ones. For example, in fiscal 1967, KU received $32.1 million at Lawrence for operating expenses and $18.4 million in fiscal 1975, Lawrence will get $22 million and the Med Center $28.8 million."
Docking, who graduated with honors from KU in 1948, said his most difficult task was to pose a dusk-to-dawn curve on Lawrence during anwar demonstrations at KU. The curve was imposed April 21, 1970, the day part of the Kansas University was on fire.
"No question about it," he said. "I was raised in Lawrence. Both the boys (Docking's two sons) were born there. I knew the town so very well.
"I remember late one night when we made the decision, but it was absolutely necessary. It was just difficult to be the guy who called the shot," he said.
"Not call the shot," Docking said.
"Thank heaven there wasn't any that way."
Docking said that those demonstrations had the University's image with the people.
"But there has definitely been a change in attitude," he said. "You appear to be in excellent stable shape. Well, relatively. I think the legislature has responded to the fine work done by chancellors Dykes and Nichols."
Docking said he learned as governor that many people have a mistaken image of KKK.
Text by RICHARD PAXSON Contributing Writer Photos by DAVE PETERSON Kansan Photographer
national and international problems," he said. "We can do some things on the state level, but we need a balanced federal budget."
"Several years ago, I was asked to speak at the Wall Street Club, which is a large public organization," he said. "I remember the first question they asked was that they didn't expect the governor of Kansas to come in a snap-tab shirt and alligator coat."
Much of the state's national image comes from history book descriptions of the Great American Desert, he said. In contrast, Docking said, Kansas has above average per capita income, the nation's fifth largest, and about one-fourth of the world's private airplanes and is of great agricultural importance to the United States and the world.
"We could solve our energy problems almost immediately if we could secede from the Union." Docking said of the energy crisis in Kansas.
Docking has undertaken major reorganization of the executive branch. It is in this area that Docking wants to bring changes in his remaining days in office.
"I was authorized about three weeks ago, by the legislature to organize the department of health into a cabinet-like department with a secretary," he said. "I hope to over a smooth-running and people-oriented administration to the new governor."
He said he wouldn't offer any advice to the new governor, because such a practice was illegal.
Docking said the state's economy "is in excellent shape. We're in relatively as good a shape economically as any state in the nation."
Like many other governors, Docking has dissatisfied the federal government with its economic policies.
"On January 13, 1974, 'I won't be governor any more,' Docking said. "For a person who tries to hang on—and I know this is often true in business—it's a case When the new governor comes in, he'll be governor, and he'll be my governor, too."
He refused to speculate that who that new governor might be. Some political observers believe that Docking has withdrawn his support of Democratic candidates in the Senate and general, because of Miller's involvement in the indictment of Docking's brother, George. The indictment alleges that he accepted kickbacks from architectural firms in the awarding of contracts for the mediation of the Med Center at Kansas City.
"Much of our state problems come from
Docking didn't mention the scandal as a factor in his decision against seeking political office this year. He had been expected by some political observers to
challenge the re-election of incumbent
Republican Sen. Bob Dole.
He said he wouldn't have sought a fourth term if many of his programs hadn't been
expiring at that time. Those programs are a permanent part of state government he
"I feel my job is done, what I started out to do has been completed," he said. "When I left home, I said I'd be gone two years, but now I'm strongly in the concept of the citizen
politician. You've got to have citizens moving in and out of government. It was never my intent to become a professional politician."
Docking said he leaves office with a feeling of accomplishment.
"I've really enjoyed the work and I've enjoyed the associations with many fine people," he said. "Especially the people of Kansas."
But, Docking said, he disliked the amount of time the job kept him away from his family. He said he planned to more time with them after he left office.
"Mrs. Docking and I would like to do
everything possible to get you out.
have an awful lot of work to do at home."
Docking said he planned to return to work in his family's businesses, the Union Insurance Agency of Arkansas City and the Insurance Agency of Arkansas City Public Service Company of Lawrence.
He talked excitedly about his family's new home in Arkansas City. He pulled a copy of the Arkansas City Traveller newspaper from his desk. It contained a history on the Docking'新 home, a Victorian mansion known as the Cox Estate.
" we're really pleased with it," he said. "we're able to acres there and we plan to use some where."
Docking seems sincere when he says he won't try for political office again.
"Never say never unless you’re trying to make a match on a cake of soap," he said. "I don’t like that kind of thing."
Would Dockling return in 1976 to try to unseat Republican incumbent James Lennard. James Lennard was elected in 1974.
"No. Well, it would be most unlikely," he said. "It's certainly not expected."