Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1891-04-04

to criticize Kansas legislatures. The
session of two years ago was savage
ly attacked, and every stump last fall
reverberated with denunciation of
this desplsed assembly of ''old party"
law-makers. The Record itself.
whose editor was ION the ground"
and knew, personally, much concer-
ming the dereliction of duty on the
part of that body did not hesitate to
speak his mind on the subject. But
if that Legislature was censurable.
what shall be said of the session Just
closed.
We are not particularly 'stuck"
on the speaker of the house two
years ago, but he was a whitening
ed angel compared to the buzzard
who presided over the last house.
Sam. Wood could have welded
no influence over the house two
years ago. He was well-nigh omnip-
otent in the first one.
The chief clerk of the house two
years ago rode on a rail road pass,
and didn't deny it. The chief clerk
OF the last house howled against free
passes and then got caught trying
to ride on one he borrowed from
Drake, of Morris county, another
reformer who was terribly "agin"
such things last fall.
The house two years ago took its
$40 worth Of stamps, as other
houses before it had done, and as it
ought to have done without apology.
The last house made great show of
virtue on the subject, and then pock-
eted the stamps, as the other fellows
had always done.
There was to be great economy in
the matter of legislative attaches,
clerks, etc., but as a matter of fact
it surpassed all former legislatures
in providing it's friends with fat Of
fees.
In the matter of legislation the
comparison is equally unfavorable
to the legislature just closed, and es-
pecially to the reform house. No
legislature ever assembled in Kansas
showed the soldiers more favor than
the session two years ago. None
ever showed them less than the re-
cent session. Two years ago they
got everything they asked. This
session they got-left.
What enactment of the recent
session will do the farmers and Dor
rowers generally as much good as
the interest law of two years ago has
done?
What did the laboring men get
from the last Legislature equal to the
lien law passed two years ago?
What enactment of the last ses-
sion embodied more good points
than the antitrust law of two years
ago, which if vigorously enforced
would do all that any state law can
do to prevent the combinations of
capital to control business to the det-
riment of the people?
The state Legislature passed some
very good laws, but strange to say
the reviled senate, which we must
confess to have but little love for,
originated most of them, such as the
alien law, the eight-hour law, the
labor day holiday bill, the primary
election bill, etc.
A great deal of time and probably
$4,000 in money, was squandered
by the house in buncombe political
Investigations.
County salaries were not reduced
because neither house wanted to re-
duce them, and each trying to shift
the responsibility on the other. The
senate, however, has the bulge on
the house in this matter, because it
got ahead" Of the house by passing
a bill greatly reducing salaries, which
the house refused to endorse.
The senate took advantage of the
election of an alliance state printer
to do what it probably would not
have done if a Republican had been
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