The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1874-01-29
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE
Interest ON School Lands, the Sena-
toria' Question, Railroads, Far
mers' Movement. Apportionment.
Usage Land, Cattle Trade, etc.
TOPEKA. January goth, Is

TOPEKA, January Goth, 1874.
DEAR EAGLE: The solution of the
senatorial problem seems as difficult
as it did three months ago. bat the tan
gle must commence to unravcl to-mor-
row noon. There has been western.
southern, independent. opposition and
republican caucuses, but without any
satisfactory results to the participants
or any one else. There does not ap-
pear to be fifty members who have as
vet decided for whom the will cast
their ballots. The representatives
from southwestern Kansas say they
will stand together for their section.
=. Il. Plumb and G.. &. Hutchinson arc
the candidates; southeastern Kansas
has Reynolds, York, Carpenter and a
dozen Others. Western Kansas brings
forward Phillips and Harvey. Leaven-
worth has split upon Tom Osborn.
Douglas county is divided between
Clarke, Robinson, Ross, and Babcock.
suit. believe no combinations can be
affected until after the first ballot. If
a result is reached before Wednesday
night | shall telegraph you.
In pursuance Of "A suggestion from
Mr.. L. a. Sewers, and one or two other
gentlemen, | introduced resolution
calling for bill or an opinion looking
to the relief of such parties as have
purchased school lands but who have
failed to pay the interest upon the
same The committee on education.
to whom the matter was referred, re-
ported this morning that the attorney
general gives it as his opinion that
such purchasers can only loose their
claims by foreclosure following the
judgment of suit brought by the state.
and that when the interest is not paid
the holder of the land will simply be
compelled to compound or pay interest
on the interest due.
From present indications the joint
resolution submitting the question of
n constitutional convention 10 the peo-
pie will he defeated II takes two
third vote and we will lack one vote IN
the senate unless some member is con-
verified. Upon the ground that We have
ouigrown our fundamental law, that
we have TOO many officers and too MANY
legislatures as also that no mistake can
ever he possibly made in referrin" mat
fers direct to the people. | sustained
and voted for the resolutions.
A memorial asking Congress to set
up a territorial government in the IN
diam territory was killed in the senate
the past week. The senate has passed
all the bills necessary TO repeal the OBJ
noxious measures complained bv the
people. Following the repeal Of the
mortage law. introduced resolution
calling upon the Judiciary committee
for n bin 10 assess and collect taxes due
on mortgages that were not listed in
1873. which passed. Several railroad
laws have been introduced. some Of
them wise and others extreme in their
provisions One for equalizing rates
pro rata with distance was before the
railroad committee saturday. The bill.
IL il becomes a law. will he good thing
for those living at intermediate points
on any given line of a road, but would
work a hardship for Us who live in the
extreme west. II would bring mp the
freigh,s on stone, lumber and coal enc
wav and grain aud stock The other.
Unless il is modified I shall fight il.
The Arkansas valley pays too high
now for through freights and we do
not want them increased twenty-five
or fifty per cent.
Many wise reformatory measures
have been introduced in both branches
Of the legislation. and probably great
majority of The evils that have grown
into the general legislation of the state
will be cradicated this session. All
laws permitting the voting of munich
nal bonds in aid of railroads, factories
and other internal imvroqents, except
bridges, will be repealed in my opin-
ion. A bill Of that description has
been passed favorably upon 10y the
committee of the whole senate. Not
withstanding the clause in the consti-
tuition which forbids state debt of
over one million dollars. our aggrega-
ted bonded Indebtedness as common
wealth is over twenty millions OF dol
lars, or an Indebtedness of about $500
to every household in the state. Many
counties in the state are so burdcncd
with bonded Indebtedness as to seri-
ously depreciate the value Of all real
property within such counties. Is il
then not about time that some action
was being taken? l attribute much
of this wholesome sentiment now
found within our legislative halls to
the direct influence of the FARMERS
movement" This movement is pene-
trating every department Of our gov
eminent. under IFS influence fictitious
values are finding their level; stock
gamblers and swindlers are being tab
booed: corrupt rings that have ruled
by the power of wild speculation are
being broken: the credit system is
writing in death; and public SER
wants arc being held to strict account
for their votes and actions. Think we
may safely look forward to new erea
for better. purer times.
The Usage land proposition will
pass the house to-day. when will pro-
cure the printing of 400 copies so that
a copy may be laid upon each congress
mans desk. which taken in connection
with a petition nearly one hundred
feet long will have the effect. hope to
bring about some favorable action.
The superintendent bill that intro
duced making Southeastern congress
sional district will meet with bitter
opposition.
In the event of the election Of a
Southwestern man for L. S. senator ii
will give us great strength in this as
in everything else looking TO our fu-
ture. The balance of the state has ig-
nored us so long that it does not APP