White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1872-01-18

Governors Message.
The Message of Gov. HARVEY is more length,
than any of his previous ones, and contains man.
good suggestions, with some that are not % good
He reports the financial condition Of the Stat
good, with q handsome reduction Of the publ
debt, and decrease Of the rate Of taxation.
He strikes another kard blow at the malcon
tents on the Neutral Lands, showing that the!
have refused to pay State taxes. He asks for
law to compel this payment, and to authorize tn
Governor to remove County officers for refusing
to do their duty, and to appoint others in theil
places, until the next election.
He wisely recommends the passage of Q law re
stricting Cities, Townships and Counties in thei'
facilities for contracting Indebtedness The bond
business in aid of railroads, and to subsidize
men for consenting to do business in certain 10
calities, is keeping up debt that VIII be rum
GUS, and creating rate of taxation that Will
drive men from the State. He thinks Constu-
tional amendment should be adopted on this sub
ject. As there are many other subjects that re-
quire Constitutional provisions, he might have
recommended Convention to frame new Con-
stitution, as the surest and cheapest method Of
securing all the necessary requirements.
He endorses the recommendation of Superin-
tendent McCARTY in favor of compulsory educa-
tion. This is a system that may do in the old
and staid States, and in time for Kansas; but at
present, our people are too much unsettled, and
too much welded to their free and easy life, to be
bound down by such a law. 1t would prove q
dead letter in the law, and the plan of constitu-
ting School District Boards special police would
not better it. School Boards have too much i'm
posed and thankless labor forced upon them now,
without making it their duty, under heavy pen
alties, to scour the woods and prairies aud drag
the creeks for truant youngsters, to compel their
attendance at school.
The Penitentiary elephant is on hand with its
modest little demands. 1t seems that the more
convicts there are to labor, the deeper the con-
cern runs in debt Last year, the Warden asked
for $4,000, which, he assured the Legislature,
would be amply sufficient to run the institution
for the year. The Legislature gave SIS, 900; and
now deficiency of over $4,000; SO that, if the
other $4,000 had been allowed, the expenses
would have exceeded the calculations of the wise
Warden over S15,0O0 This year, the modest lit
tie sum of 81 ,s65 is asked for, over and above
the establishments income for convict labor. How
much next years report would show the institu-
tion to be in debt, if this amount were granted,
it is hard to calculate. We think an entire
change in the management of the Penitentiary
would be beneficial.
We will remark, right here that in last years
appropriation bills, proviso was inserted in each
one, expressly prohibiting officers to obligate the
State to pay greater amount for any purpose
than the sums appropriated; yet in almost every
instance, the sums have been exhausted, and
heavy debts contracted. If officers pay no regard
fto lo nh, Iok
have full sway, and run up as big debt Is they
possibly can. Perhaps it wonld have been as
well for the Governor to have recommended a
constitutional enactment to keep some of his ia
vorite appOintees within bounds.
The Blind Asylum contains the enormous num- |
ber Of twenty pupils; and for their accommoIa- |
t'on, the Superintendent wants more room be-
sides over $1,000 to run the institution for the
next year. 1t costs little less than $500 q wear
for each pupil in the Asylum!
The Insane Asylum had new building, last |
year, and, strange to say, balance of e. lOs re-
mains of the building fund. But the Directors
ask permission to SOW this little balance around
the neighborhood, in buying land adjoining the
Asylum Perhaps they want to open q large
farm for the lunatics to work; or, it NAV be.
some friend owns piece of land there, that he
would like to dispose of. 1t is hard for officers to
have to pay back any money placed in their
hands. The Insane Asylum must he kept going.
If all other institutions stop. The sum asked TO
run it for the next year, is $5,14
Inc Deaf and Dumb Asylum reports 1914 unex-
pended but wants a new building. If they get
1t, let it be placed near Topeka. The sum of s19.
SO0 is needed for next years expenses
The 5000 appropriated last year, to improve
the State House grounds, has all been spent, of
course, and the Governor suggests another dip
ior the same purpose. Some person, who has
made q close examination, declares that the i'm
provements made for the 5000 are actually yisi
Die to the naked eye in one corner of the grounds,
has been scratching there! The Gov
'rnor also wants an appropriation to erect the
'ast fortieo of the Capitol building. There are l
everal inches of bare space left to attach the q
'ortco to the main building, and if the work is l
lot done, the weather might injure the bare space
hat Is not covered with chicken-fxins. Proba- 7
'ly SS5 600 will do it!
any person has had fears that the commits n
non 70 hunt up claims for losses from Indian dep
eua'iohs would not run up a bill of sufficient di y
nensions' they will be relieved by the Governors n
'a'emeht that over thirty claims have been a
lumped up and sent in since the commission fin d
Sned It's work, by persons whose consciepces "
you'd not permit them to remain longer silent !,
Inc Governor wants appropriation tn nrint
ne Old essays and minute books of the State Ap
lcuitural Society; also, appropriation to en-
Die the students in the Agricultural College to p
rospect for snail shells and petrifed buffalo u
eeth He terms it a Geological Reconnaissance p
Special and hasty legislation he properly con- 81
cmns; and to avoid il, he recommends a remu c,
erative salary for members of the Legislature, M
lat they may not be tempted to rush through Il
ork without deliberation in orvler to get away vi
} soon as their s. day ceases es
He also asks for a remunerative salary for all th
iblic officers, that men of ability aud integ- th
ty can afford to hold public positions instead of IT
'rmltting them to be scrabbled for by cheap pol pt
cians and demagogues. ps
Then, after recommending q money considera- tt
IN to induce men to take Office, he goes rough co
cd at those who use money to secure Office. is
Is remarks ON mercenary politics, and ON rail- tn
"d and other corporations, interfering with it