White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1869-09-16
From the Atchison Cha mpion.
EXTRAvAGANT LEGISLATION.
How the State is Plundered-The State
InstitutiOns...ReckIe Appropriate
tions for their Building and support.


Mr.. EDIToR:-Iu The Champion j.
Press of July 3lst. under the heading:
"Soms Wrongs that Need Attention. I"
you say: "This seems to be period OF
talk against crorupt Legislation and swim
dies" II the talk is of snch character
as to lead the peopls into the light of
those swindles. much will have hecn &C
complsshed; bnt if tho crv of 'plunaers.
swindles. corruptions. cheat" is pers,s-
ted it. without coming to any definite
showing up. the results viii be about as
effectual q, a tumultuous multitude crying
out at the top Of their voices, 'Orisr!
order!! orierl !"
thought to notice some errors Of our
Legislature. anl tho enormities of the ex
penses Of some of the public institutions
of the State. through the columns Of
your excellent paper. at that time; but
its being harvest. l could not spare the
time. Having an honr Of leisure now,
with your perm asion will give to your
| readers few statistics which will ensble
them to see where some OF their heavy
taxes they pay go to; and that they may
know better what to require of their pub
lie servants hereafter. Our Legislatures
have had large hearts. and have issued
bonds without stint. For a State as
young and thinly settled as X ansas, and
q msiority OF whose inhabitants have
sought homes here because they were not
able to procure them in the older States.
to create debt Of half million to build
one wing of State House, borders on
financial insanity. She has not only
done this. but she has issued bonds to
the amount OF two hundred and sixty
thousand dollars to build Penitentiary.
and yet the expenses OF that "mach;ne." "
for the present year. amount to over one
hundred thossnd dollars. These build
ings are both necessary; that is. buildings
to answer the same purpose; but is such
extravaganza prudent? The discount on
the State House bonds will amount to
forty Thousand dollars. The annual
interest is at least thirty thousand;
the annual sinking fund necessary
to extinguish the bonds will be at least
twelve Thousand. So that the annual
expense of ons wing Of the Capitol buil
ding now under construction, will be at
least forty thousand dollars, or enough
to build two buildings yearly, either Of
which would have answered all purposes
for all the State officers and the L-gis-
lsture for twenty years to come. Is this
one of the legislative s~indlas?
II l remember rightly. there were. at
the close of the last year. one hundred
and seventy convicts in the Penitentiary.
The lsst Legislature Appropriated over q
hundred thousand dollars to that institu-
tion-snd among the items in that ap-
p'opristion ia found: "For tobacco ST.
440, 90" Il this one of the items you
den,minated "Plunder"e OF this one
hundred thousand e67 800 we're for cnr
rent expenses of the penitsntiary-about
S400 to each convict. Do not other
States reap even an income from their
peuitentisries? This may be strictly cor
rect, bnt it certainly shows degree OF
extravagaacs not commensurate with the
present circumstances Of the State.
The Legislature of sixty eight. al
though it was lavish 10 i.suing bonds.
was famous for its small levy Of tsxss.
and the reports Of sll the public institn-
tions were unanimous in showing its de-
6ciencies. The Penit.ntisry sppropri.-
tions for hills unpaid for City eight
amount to s43 1856 This is an error
that has been practiced by nearly sll who
have charge OF the construction Of pub
lie buildings. end who have charge of
public institutions; and On error that has
been tolerated BY the Legisia,ure. II
the appropriation has been insufficient TO
meet the views of the Commissioners,
trustees. DC. in whose hands the work
was plscs1. they proceeded with it as i
suited them. and called on the mex, Leg
islature for the deficiency, and, general
~. il has been granted.
To prevent sny further escroschment
of this kind on the peoples pockets. the
Legislature OF sixty-nine inserted the
following section in the appropriation
bill:
SECTION 8. ''In oil eases 10 which, bv |
the provisions Of this oct. sppropristion |
is made for . specific purpose. or to On |
Institution nsmsd o. 'csoss stated the