Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1891-01-05
FARMERS TO MAKE LAWS.

Ance Will Suppori wa tn Carolina.
A recent dispatch frem Raleigh, N. c.,
to The New York Times contains the
following:
There are 115 members of the legisla
ture who are also members of the Farm.
ers' Alliance, and these men are all de-
termined on the passage of bill estab
fishing a railroad commission, with
power to fix passenger fares and freight
rates. Bills of this character have been
defeated in every legislature during the
past eight years. The demand of the
Alliance is for an ironclad commission tc
regulate and fix passenger fares and
freight rates, and the strong possibility
is that such an act will be passed.
The legislature will be called upon to
find new subjects of taxation to raise
$500 which has been withdrawn
from the state treasury by decisions OF
the United States circuit court declaring
the tax on commercial drummers and on
the sale of guano to be unconstitutional.
The guano tax went to the support OF
the agricultural department and the
agricultural and mechanical school. This
school is in the nature of manual train
ing college, and is very popular among
the people of the state, and there is a
universal desire that the money be pro-
vided to continue the school.
In order to raise the money needed it
is proposed to levy a tax of 81 on every
ton of guano sold in this state either by
principal or agent, which would bring
in $3.50, 900, and thus supply the deficit.
There is a general demand fuf more
money for the free public schools. These
schools are not now kept open more than
two months in the year, and no teacher
receives more than $40 per month AS sal
airy. AS the law now stands, the school
fund is divided pro rata according to the
number of school children.
The penitentiary system is becoming a
heavy burden to the taxpayers. There
are now $500 convicts in the peniten-
tiary near the city, 200 negroes and
300 whites. The expense, all told, to
keep up this system is $500, 600 per year.
The people Of the state are opposed to
the penitentiary because they believe
it does not decrease crime and because
it is heavy expense. In its place they
are in favor Of the old Mosaic punish
ment of nine-and- thirty lashes we'll laid
on the bare backs of all offenders who
are not to be imprisoned for life.
One of the demands of the Farmers
Alliance in this state is largely increased
criminal jurisdiction for the justices of
the peace, 80 that one-half of the cases
which now cumber the dockets of the
superior courts would be triable before
the justices. with the right of appeal to
the superior court. The Alliance mem
bers ought to be able to get such bill
through at the next session, but they will
meet with strong opposition from the
lawyers. The enactment Of such law
would reduce the criminal expenses Of
the superior courts at least one-half, the
laws would be just as well administered,
and there would be no more crime than
there is now. There is strong desire
for the amendment of the civil jurisdic-
ton of the justices, SO as to give them
the right to hear and determine all civil
matters where the sum sued for does not
exceed $500. The limit is now $500.
The Alliance people are also bitterly
opposed to the law which permits farm
ers to execute lien ON the crop to be
made. This law makes the farmer or
renter, as the case may be. both lazy
and extravagant-lazy because he goes
to town and buys guano instead of draw
ing on the product Of his own farm, and