The Leavenworth weekly times., 1879-01-23
,,,r ,rsoyEuNoRs MESSAGE.

L, y
.oyERNORB MESSAGE.
Governor ST. Johns first message to the
Je.i-larure Of Kansas, is given in full In
our columns this morning.
The message begins with consideration
of Indian affairs. The Governor reviews
the history of the Cheyenne raid, Las; sum
usr. and in order to prevent similar occur
RANGES in the future, recommends that an
appropriation be made by The Legislature
for "a military contingent fund" 70 be used
by the Governor for arming, equipPing ana
mounting a force of militia 10 patrol tne
frontier, when in his judgment there may 'e
danger Of an Indian invasion. lhis rec
onu,endation is based upon the iac', as The
Governor states, that ne has under Tue pres
ent law, No authority 10 act e1cePtln cases oi
"iu.urrection, inyasion, or rareotened inva-
y,n.D But since such fund could only Dc
ie.irimately us.d IN Cases OF invAslon or
Threatened invasion, and since, under such
circumstances, The present Law gives the
GoFeruor all In. authority necessary, We
cannot see any good TO be derived Iron
military contingent fund" 1t could not be
properly Used to keep up permanent iofce
on The frontier; il could only be used when
there might appear to DC danger oil invasion,
and al sucn times the present law author
Iz,s The Governor 10 use the credit ol the
State without limit. such an approprla-
ti.n a., the Governor recommends, would
simply increase his responsibility without
enlarging his powers.
The Governors views on the question ol
railroad legislation are somewhat vague
but seem to be good ss far IS they 60. lie
calls attention to the fact that the present
laws TO regulate freights and fares are IN
operative, and expresses the opinion that
additional legislation should be had, but
makes no specific recommendation
HIS recommendation for the repeal oil
that portion vi the dram shop act, which
permits the b.ryH =. aldermen oi cilies of
the fis. aud second classes to grant liquor
license, and thus permit license to be
granted only when asked Tor In
petition signed by a majority OF the
,,eople OF the wsrd, will be cordially ap-
proved by the temperance people oil the
state, and rs positively condemned by the
liquor interest
In the paragraph on pubic lands" the
Governor recommends the adoption OF
such q policy as would dispose OF the pub
Inc land. Of the State as rapidly a. possible,
and thus" as be says, "not only place the
money on interest, but bring the land sold
IN for taxation" This recommendation is
good, and commends itself to the considera-
,ion OF the Legislature, since 1t Is clearly
10 the Advantage OF the State TO put every
acre OF her public domain into the hands
q her citizens, and under cultivation, at
the earliest practicable day; but another
portion OF this paragraph is open to
serious objections: where lands are
sold partly on time, the HoS-
srnor suggests that the rate OF interest on
deferred payments be fixed at mot exceed
ing seven per cent. per annum, payable an
uually, and that the principal be made pay
able at the option of the purchaser at any
time within twenty years, Nth strict pro-
,isior fr forfeiture upon fdiiuIe 10 pay 'Hte' ea
uilhin reasonable time after It's maturity.
The mischeivous.part OF this recommenda-
tion il embraced in tie words that We have
put in italics. 1t requires no e1traordi
nary degree OF foresight to discover what
would be the inevitable result OF
such provision as this: A man
who purcha.es a piece OF land from
the State ION time" and struggles hard
through ten years to get his little place
paid for end improved, meets with
a failure of crops, or other mis-
torture. by reason of which he
is unable to promptly meet the interest up
on one of his last notes, and his whole place,
with all the labor be has put upon II, ia for
fei,ed to the Stale, through this "strict pro-
vision" We incline TO the opinion that Gov.
St. John fund this portion of the message
upon his desk, already written, when he
took possession of his Office lit sounds like
the seniimeu,s Of his immediate predeces-
sor. But the State of Kansas will never
become party to any such cut-throat ar
rsnsement as thst, though forty Governors
should recommend it.
The Governor feels it his duty to call the
uu.-n,ion Of the Legislature to the evils o.
The Subject of temperance" and to "sne
vest. il possible, remedy therefor" W.
.re glad to hear thst. We hope he MAJ
find il poss;ble for the evils OF the sub
;sct Of Temperance" certainly ought to b
remedied.