The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1869-01-15
THE GOyERNOR,s MESSAGE.

straightforward and Notwithstanding
frankly with the issues of the hour
whether financial, educational, material
or political. His recommendation of
return to fifty per cent. interest OIL tax
sale certificates, is dictated by sound
Judgment, and supported by the expo
rienee of the past, as the only adequate
remedy for the H0n-Imyment of taxes
by spectators aud non-resitlents. His
recommendation of an appropriation
for the payment of the battalion of Mi
litia called into service by Gov. Craw-
ford for service on our Western Front
Ter is proper, and we have no doubt the
Legislature will promptly respond but
we ask them to apply the most search
ing scrutiny to bills presented, make a
short Limitation for the presentation of
such as do not make their appearance
this winter and then stop further pay
ment. Militia claims are a chronic sore,
and the State bids fair never to see the
last of them. We think that all of two.
or at most three years standing, should
be remOrselessly cut off. AS for the
Governors recommendation that an APP
preparation be made for the payment of
expenses of organizing the Nineteenth
regiment, we respectfully dissent there
from. The regiment was called for by
the United States Government, and is
in the United States service. There is
neither law nor justice in the demand
that the State shall pay a single silver
for the expenses of recruiting or Or
ganizing that regiment. We know it
will be said, "Oh, the Government will
pay it all back" To which we reply,
''the Government will do no such thing :;
and if it wonId, why should it not pay
the expenses in the first instance? The
State has no call to lend the General
Government money or bonds"
In the early days of the late war, the
States provided for the expenses of re-
cruiting the regiments raised within
their borders and presented claims to
the Government for their repayment :;
but the Government itself finally dis
couraged the practice and provided for
the payment of these expenses from its
|
Kansas has a bonded debt-now near
| ly due-of about $4,000, incurred
in the organization of some regi-
iments of U. S. troops, for which she
has received from the General Govern
ment grand total of about $1,000 If
the present Legislature thinks more
speculations of that sort are to the pop
ular notion, let them leave the matter
open until they can hear from their con-
stituenfs.
The progress in popular education
during the last year has been satisfacto-
ry. The number of organized school
districts in the State is 1927 number
of children between the ages of 5 and
u years, $3.50; number enrolled, 40
140; amount paid for teachers wages
S203,S7S "a; repairs and ineidentals
S45, 3l9 81; amount discussed to coun-
ties from annual school fund, S55, $780,
so; amount received from all sources
for school purposes, 1929, 2l5 So; total
value of school houses, SSl3,062 70
amount of productive school fund il
State Treasury, SIS7,42I 81; amount OF
installments due OH sale of school lands
and bearing ten per cent. interest, $751;.
y 392 %; total productive school fund
i S5lS,Sl3 10; all of which shows graf.
flying increase over last year.
The various State Institutions-Ed
cationai and Eleemosynary-rece
brief but appropriate mention. A re-
sumo of railroad operations for the past
year shows substantial progress. and
the Governor recommends liberal deal
ing with all such enterprises recon-
mends that the public lands be sold tC
actual settlers and the proceeds applied
to building railroads, rather than tha
the lands themselves go into the hand.
of the companies; recommends small
! appropriation to be used in printing
aud circulating documents calculated t.
attract immigration the encourage
.. ment of agriculture that the newly Re
, vised Code should have a thorough tri
I al before wholesale amendments are at
: tempted.
The Governor discusses the sufTrag,
{ question at length and thinks the prop
I er way TO secure Impartial Manhood
Suffrage is by an amendment of til,
f United State Constitution, and so rec
ommends the Legislature to memorial
ize Congress to submit such an amend
ment at its present session.
r The Governor wisely leaves to tn,
4 Legislature the matter of details, con
; tenting himself with general recon
: mendations. We presume that tina
: body will hardly fail to concur will
him in the main. We especially hop,
, that the Legislature willlet our Revised
. Code alone. They will save twenty
! five days of their session and twenty
+ r five thousand dollars in money to tn
r State Treasury by so doing. No mat
ter how many errors, or how much i
3 may lack of perfection, we know tina
S there is not an i'll created or allowed b,
: our Revised Statutes but that can b.
: bonneville we do know that the con
slant change of our laws is wholly un
: bearable, productive of litigation, anC
f outrageously expensive. The. troubl,
t is that no code OF laws has ever beef
tried in Kansas long enough to demon
D strate its usefulness, or the reverse
Under the vicious practice that ha
e heretofore prevailed, if law or any sin
t gle provision of it did not exactly sui
e some ambitious, Scion at first glance
s instead of trying it faithfully and obey
8 ing 1t honestly. heaven and earth wa
h moved for its repeal or amendmen
: until now our laws lack stability, an,
: have consequently lost respect in til
sax- 49,