The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1892-11-03
THE LAsrKANsAs HOUSE.

The Union OF this city does not de-
serve much attention, but its loud
mouthed utterances In regard to
what the peoples party house Of
representatives accomplished two
years ago might mislead some. The
truth Of the matter IL, the Kansas
house Of representatives for the win
ter Of 1890 81, will live In history as
one Of the most reckless, ignorant
and sci fish bodies that ever convened
In Topeka. 1t was controlled en-
tirely by 9 few leaders, such as p. p.
Elder and Sam. Wood. Towards
the later part OF the session the lead.
ers saw that nothing had been done,
and they Immediately put three or
four clerks to work on bills that were
ready for third reading. There they
were, all reading at once, and no one
paying the slightest attention to
what was going on. The members
would go 10 dinner, yet the clerks
kept on reading the bills to empty
seats. When the time came for vot-
ing, all bills were passed, regardless
of merit, or the effect they might
have on the business interests Of the
state, II the leaders desired IL. There
was no intelligent individual action,
but the whole body would ratify
what a few leaders would decide on.
The Union bowls loudest about
that wonderful maximum freight
bill. We have not space nor time to
take II up except In a general way.
Ii has been demonstrated over and
over again that the bill as q whole
was simply inpracticable, and the
people by this time certainly under
stand sll about il. In some cases II
even increased the present freight
tariff, and when the house passed 1t,
the leaders knew, IL the members
did not, that 1t would never become
q law. II they had thought 1t would,
they would not have dared to pass
it, for the actual test OF the great
Maximum freight bill in every day
business, would have too plainly
demonstrated the ignorance Of its
originators.
The senate passed a bill regulating
the Office Of State Printer, In &C.
cordance with the codifylng COM
mittee's report, provided for by the
legislature Of four years ago. This
bill would have saved the taxpayers
Of this stste $4,000 a year In this
department alone. Yet the house
refused to pass 1t. And why? Be-
cause an Alliance man had been
elected to that Office, and they pro-
posed to see to 1t, that his salary
should not be cut In the least.
Why did not the peoples party
house pass Senate bill No. 20, re-
ducing the fees and salaries OF vari-
Gus county offices? Because they
had elected q large number OF their
own party members to all these OFF,
ces throughout the State, and al
elected on the reform cry.
yet q wall went up from all Of them
when q republican Senate was about
to put In practice just what they had
demanded.
Why didn't the peoples party
house pass the house mortgage bill
No. SAC as amended by the Senate,
giving the mortgagor q stay Of exc
cution for two years. This Is what
the peoples party rant the most
about, yet the house killed this
measure. Were they honest In their
protestations?
Why didn't the peoples party
house pass Senate bill No 81 repeal
ing the waiver Of appraisemert law
rs II now exists, which their speak
ers SO bitterly denounced when max.
ing their campaign two years ago, As
q measure In favor OF the money |
Ioaner. Yet the house had an ap |
TO remedy this evil, but re-
fused to interfere. Again We ask,
were they honest In their claims, or
did they make them for political
purposes only. We leave the reader
to judge
Why did the house spend over
go 900 Of the peoples money In use
less Investigations? Because most
Of it went TO officers who were mem.
bers OF the peoples party. The PEG.
pies party leaders saw an opportun-
ity to get hold OF some funds, and
they could not let 1t pass.
The most brilliant piece Of legis-
lative work done by that house the
Union has been talking 90 much
about, was when they conferred the
right to vote upon women. The con-
stitution Of the state provides who
shall be electors. and who shall not.
Yet that peoples party house passed
4 bill allowing women to vote for all
from president down. III
Il bad become . law II would have
every election held I'M
der &c, as nothing but an amendment
10 the constitution can give them
that right. Did that brilliant house
Of representatives think they could
amend the constitution by legisistiv
set? They must have thought 80,
Tor they passed that bill.
We might 60 on indefinitely In
this same line. But what IL the
use. The people by this time know
exactly what did occur there, and
not outstanding the bowling OF the
Union about what that peoples party
house did, they will see that the
next Kansas house IL composed Of
different material.
J. J. Southwick. late Of Riley, has