White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1872-03-07

Thursday, :::::: March ., 1879.
Adjourned, Thank the Lord!
The Legislature has adjourned ct last, and We
are once more free. By the term free, We mean
frsedom from position in which man u ref-
mitted TO utter ISLANDERS, and take refuge penina
. Constitutional exemption, and IN wnicn ne is
restrained from speaking the truth freely, py
rule that is politely termed official courtesy. ne
ing thus free, we propose to take advantage OF H.
Inv a little wholesome exercisc-as horse Kicks,
and rolls, and cavorts, after long confinement in
the stable. -. =.
To begin, then, we assert that the session just
closed has been the most useless, the most exfraS
avant, and the most expensive that has ever been
held in the State 1t enacted scarcely law that
might not have been omitted without mster7ai dis-
advantage to the State-many, in fact, fhat might
have been omitted with immense advantage-and
it failed to pass many laws that the interest OF tne
State demanded Take the bills that were passed.
and tboss that were not of q triding local charac
ter, were either swindles or contained useless ap-
propriations of money. 1t did no good to defeat .
nwindle or steal from the Treasury-as often as
defeated the plunderers returned to the charge
again and again, util they got their measure
through in some shane or other. Several OF the
worst ones failed only by being vetoed by the
so near the close of the session that there
was no chance for them to be showed through in
another shape.
Men went up to the Legislature, with the cries
of their constituents ringing in their ears, for
economy. and for relief from the onerous burdens
of taxation-some in fact, left their people on the
point of actual starvation-yet those same men,
after refusing measure of relief to the tax-pay-
ers. went beadlong for any scheme to squander
the money of the State. Hundreds of thousands OF
dollars given to State institutions 70 enable
them TO erect costly and ornamental editices, and
to try "broad-gauge' experiments. Immense
sums were given to the charitable asylums To al
ford snug salaries to their officers, and to keep the
inmates in q style that thousands OF poor tax-pay-
ers are utter strangers to. The salaries OF state
officers were raised, for doing the work which
their predecessors were glad to do, in the days OF
high prices of living for but little over hall the
sum- Bummers, who came mp boring the men,
hers for subordinate Positions and Afterwards
met with accidents, were pensioned on with as
much liberality as if it were the business OF the
State to take care of any man who met with bad
luck Swarms of clerks appointed because they
were favorites of men of influence, were lonnging
around, receiving their So per day, many of whom
did not strike pen on paper in the service OF the
State. Worse than ALL it was common street
talk, that women of bad repute were receiving
nav for ornamental clcrkshps, whose only service,
and that of peculiar character, was rendered to
certain officers and members of the Legislature!
And for this, too, the burdened people have to
nav. We must not omit to add, that the Grand
Duke ALEXIS was invited there, for the people to
act the fool over and for this the people have to
pay. On that occasion, the State paid for each
mans DINNER sum that would keep many
poor mans family through an entire Winter
Then, at least one-third of the session was con-
sumed in adjournments. during which time the
members, officers and army of clerks were receiv-
ing their daily allowance; and to make up for
wasted time, the session continued for five
days after the proper time to close, for which time
the officers and herds of clerks continued to re
ceive their pay-all of which fun cost the State
not less than $4,000.
Another big thing was the Investigating Com
mittee played-out politician wished to bleed
a United States Senator, and caused q newspaper
organ to publish certain charges. Several mem-
bers of the Legislature, who had feelings of re-
venge to crafty, arose and asserted that tLey be-
lieved and knew the charges to be true. They
were appointed on a committee to investigate the
charges, and sat in secret. Such witnesses were
called rs suited their purposes, while others, who
were ready and willing to testify, were refused
the privilege. No man was permitted to know
what was going on, except the favored ones whom
the members of. the committee proper to keep |
posted. A mass of evidence, composed wholly of |
hearsay, rumor and secondhand gossip. was col |
lected together; and then the committee report |
ed in accordance with the belief they had express
ed at the beginning-that they were satisfied the |
Senators had secured their election by bribery. |
The echo is taken mp throughout the length and
breadth of the land, without seeing line of the |
evidence, that the Kansas Senators obtained their
seats corruptly, and the United States Senate is
called upon to expel them! This piece of amuse.
will cost, for witness fees. serving of summons,
printing, ETC., somewhere in the neighborhood oe
sl0,OO0-and the people will pay for it.
At the beginning of the session, loud call was
made for legislation to encourage the investment
of capital in Kansas. All the Legislative attempts
Tor this purpose, were designed to grant immuni-
ties to the moneyed man, and to weaken the safe
guards for the protection of the poor. Attempts
"Sio hhauc " bftak uOWn tne STAY laws, the K
emption laws, and the appraisement laws. High
rates OF Interest were enacted; it was sought to
exempt from taxation money loaned at usurious
rates, secured by mortgages; and n bill was pass
ed exempting rich manufacturers from municipal
and Township taxation, while the poor mechanic
and small manufacturer were left to shoulder
these burdens.
The result of the whole business is that the
foot up nearly 5000 900, and the I
State tax levy is increased q mills very nearly
one-half more than it was last year.
1t would be naturally supposed, that ON the
we of important elections, every effort would
ave been made to retrench and economize. But
he opposite seems to have been the case. Yet the
republicans are not alone responsible for it.
Democrats were as deeply in the extrsvagance as
ny. In fact, the worst men in the business, and
The did not hesitate to smuggle through scheme q
{ fextravagace, when he could not succeed in any