Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1891-04-08
ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE.


tives of the legislature of the state OF
Kansas to the people of the state Of
Kansas: Having closed our work in the
legislature, we, through our duly APP,
pointed committee, submit the result Of
our labors to your consideration, firmly
convinced that it will received your APP
proval.
The legislature met January 18th, as
provided by law. The Hon. Z. p FL
der was unanimously elected speaker
The committees were at once appointed
and the house proceeded to business On
the second day thereafter, with ceIer.
ity hitherto unknown in the history OF
this state, and were at work two days
earlier than any prior legislature. The
senate, elected two years ago last fall
with two or three exceptions, was OPP
posed to our party and the platforms
upon which we were elected. The gov
ernor and executive departments OF the
state, with the exception of the attor-
Icy general, were also in opposition to
us. No effort was spared by our OPP
ponents to divide and disorganize our
party. We were told that the farmers
could not and would not stick together
The daily press, not only III Topeka but
all over the state, with two honorable
exceptions, were opposed to us.
The first matter of Importance was
the election of state printer. The PEG
pies candidate. E. ii. Snow, of Ottawa
was elected OH joint ballot, receiving
l0l votes. For years Mr.. Snow has
been advocating our principles and was
and is in full sympathy with our de-
mands. The peoples party in confer
ence after hearing the claims of all can
didates presented. decided WA. PETER.
of the Kansas Farmer,a man who large
ly contributed to the success of our par
ty, and he was elected to the high Of
flee of United States senator, to sue
coed John j. Ingalls,, without a break
in our ranks. The result itself was
worth ali the effort Of our party last
fall, as it makes new era in the poll
tics of this state and indicates the
grand success of the party in the nation
in 1892. The schooled republican poll
ticians of the nation were gathered in
Topeka and our footsteps were logged
by hired Hessians at every turn, with
offers Of pelf and political honors, but
without effect. We point to this with
pride, as demonstrating that the chos-
en- Representatives of the peoples party
have proven the falsehood of the ring
politician-that every man has his
price.
We found upon our statute books a
large number of laws creating boards of
commissioners, state agents, etc., which
seemed to have been placed there for
the express purpose of providing places
for favorites rather than for any benefit
to the state; but we have found it i'm
possible to repeal these laws, with the
senate and executive department max
ing a bitter fight againt abolishing
these sinecures. An attempt was made
on the part of the house in good faith
and without any attempt to cripple any
state institution, penal, charitable OIL
educational, to reduce the expenses to
something like an equality with the
earnings of the average citizen of Kan
sas. This attempt was met by the
senate with an absolute refusal to con
slider any proposition which reduced
the wages or salaries of employees OF
state institutions which were under
republican management.
We present hereafter a comparison
of appropriations made two years age
and the appropriations made this SEES
sion. The senate insisted on higher APP
preparations except in the proposition
to appropriate 100000 for the relief OF
people in the western part of the state
who we're suffering from the severe
drouth of last year, and an appropria
ton of $4,000 to provide for the desti
tute insane who have been for years
past confined in the county jails in this
state. The peoples party of the house
originated and passed the bill appro
priating $50, 900 for the relief of the
western farmers of this state, which
was defeated by the senate. We have
not forgotten that in the drouth il
eastern Kansas in 1860 several northern
state legislatures appropriated large
sums of money for the relief of the PEG
pie, but when the peoples party passed
the bill in the house for the purpose Of
relieving western Kansas from a SINH
lar affection the senate discovered thai
all such legislation was unconsUtution
al. BY amendment insisted upon by
the senate, the different counties in thu
western part of the state were made
responsible for the distribution Of seeC
gram sent to them and the price there
of must be returned to the state treas
ury, while the recipients in the eastern
part of the state of the bounties extend
ed to them in 1860 refused, through thu
representatives and senators to assist
81 in the relief of sufferers in western
Kansas.
The Legislature of this session has
not resulted in what we desired 10 &C.
complish, nor in what the people would
have had the right to expect from us
had we been in power in all branches
of the state government. BY and will
the aid of the senate, 473 acts were
passed and will become laws upon oul
statute books, among the most import
ant OF which is prohibiting the alier
ownership OF land in Kansas and pro
viding for the sale of all lands owned
by alien 8. acquired after the date OF
this act, in from three 10 six years
time, or upon the death of aliens hold
ing the land previous to the enactment
of this law.
The appropriation for the next two