Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-03-08


should be closed with authority to select. with
perfect freedom rom personal ana political fsg-
9eitisms every subordinate for whose acts
ne is or ought to be in any manner re-
spOnsIble- The peniteRuary has, TO too great
an extent, been used as dumping-gTound for
ne 4rIelQs ana halgeEs-Qn OF politicians, who
have desired to get rid OF theiF opportunities for
small favOrs by unloading them upon the public
me eI7ie1ency OF the penit6nttagy has been more
or less impaired BY this unWholesOme practice
notwithstanding the intelligent efforts Of the
warden, VINO mas been practically poWerless, uIl-
DER tbs system OF 20 itIcal peonage described. TO
prevent Ghe evils that unavcidably result from L.
InS subordinate Officers and employees should
come from tbs very best and most capable class
OF citizens who could ba induced to accept the
positions, and in order TO raise the standard of
this class Of public servants their pay should bs
made commensurate with the d titles they are
called upon to perform. In the selection of these
officers and employees 1t IS believed that reateF
degree OF efficiency would be secured
by taking them as nearly equally
portions OF the state, rather than to select them
from Few favored localities. It is stated upon
the authority Of the warden that nearly 20 per
LeavenWOrth COUNT Thfs is a Condition n
things, that in common fairness, ought not to ey-
1st, and it is one from which the best results can
NOT reasonable be expected. These subordinate
officers and employees are necessarily IntruSted to
greater OF less degree with the inspection aud
accept ance OF supplies furnished by contractors,
and to whom they bear, IN most cases. close per
sonal political, and often blood relationship.
character, Justify the conclusions arrived at BY
the committee upon this subject
tee has seriously impressed upon the minds of
It's members the great Importance Of the adop-
ton Of some other, better and moro effective plan
OF conducting such Investigations as may become
necessary and proper, than by the selection OF
legislative sessions. Resides being great hard
ship upon the members. involving extraordinary
personal ana 0IlcaI sacrInceS In the very nature
OF things, their labOrS must be imperfect, incOm-
pIete, unsatisfactory, and, no doubt, Oftentmes
unJuSt 10 the persons VINO may stand
charged with official misconduct, as well as the
people generally. In some cases in which It
could De known that these Investigations could
be fairly made in a short time, so as to give the
current session Of the legislature time TO act in
diligently upon any suggestions or recommended
lions that might be made no great harm or in
convenience would result theFefrOm. But, as a
rule, these special committees should not be re-
CURED to conduct these examinations until after
the adjournment of the session. OF COURSE If the
latter policy were adopted, then 1t would be
necessary to empower either the governor or
some regularly constituted boarj to receive and
act upon these reports. Under the biennial sys-
tenn of our state legislation. in which
one Drancn OF the legislature OTEen IN
dergOes an almost complete change every
mands Of the public service TO allow these mat
ters to go over from one session to another. We
are therefore convinced that 1t would be wise
policy to empower the governor of the state, who
is prop erly held responsible for the success or
failure of his administration. which greatly de-
poIiQS upon tnS conuueG OF lhoSe VINO are IN
trusted with the management Of its different de-
PAAl0ItJ " OLuoI SEoCidL IttV6SG4BdGiOilS curing
beFS thereof either from the members of the leg
lSlaJuFe or the body OF the people, and If deemed
conduct is the subject of inquiry and to temper
aF1ly appoint their successors. The power to re-
move his own appo1ntees fOri cause, and to tenn
pOr&rtly supply the vacancies thus created is one
that the governor ought, in all fairness, to be
able TO exercise whenever, In his Judgment, the
public good demands it,
Conclusion This committee has now COM
pleCed It's duties. whether or not its Ia JOFs
Shau meet the appreciation Of the legislature it |
feels conscious of having been Influenced by an
earnest desire TO be impartial, fair and just. The
testimony of the Witne is6s examined during the !
prog eSS Of this fnYeSt CATION consisting of over
thousand pages copied in duplicate upon a
typewriter, accompanies this report The COM |
mtttee declines to recommend that this testimony
De printed 1t is willing to leave the direction Of
that matter wholly to the decision OF the leglS-
to all the parties who have been connected with |
this Investigation, either as accused as Witnesses
printed, and thereby become permanent part !
OF the history of Eh6.state. On the other hand, !
there may be suTnclenE reasons to justify the leg
lSIaGuf6 IN refusing 10 order us puDHca1on. A
copy OF the testimony has bean submitted to the
state printer and he has made an estimate of
tnaeOst OF its publication. together with the re-
would make a book, printed in ordinary type, OF
about 450 ordinary pages and that the cost OF
printing LOCO copies in pamphlet form would be
about SS0O. II, however, the legislature declines
to order this printing DONE then 1t is recon-
m6nded that the TWO typewriter copies already
may be securely bound, and that one copy thereof
be filed in the state library, and that the other
copy be fled IN the rooms Of the State Historical
society,
F. P. HARDNESS.
N. G. KELLEY,
F. c. PRICE,
Committee on part OF the Senate.
J, Y ADMIRE.
T. =. WALROND,
W. NJ RICE
D. s. ELLIOTT,
Z. e. BERRY,
Committee on part Of the House.