People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1893-01-27


The liberal bestowal Of free passes upon Ger.
tain classes Of our citizens is pernicious and
corrupting in its tendency and should be pro-
hibited At the recent general election and the
campaign which preceded it, great scandals
arose by reason OF the plentitude of railroad
passes as a potent factor in securing attend
ance at certain conventions and transporting
voters.
The governor urged the enactment OF
a law authorizing general and thor
ough revision of the statutes as soon as
possible. Of constitutional revision, he
suggests the following:
Among the changes demanded, section three
90 OF the legislative article should be amended
l am fully satisfied that 1t is neither wisdom
nor economy TO limit the pay Of legislators TO
- day for fifty days only. The practical ef-
feet is to limit the session TO less than forty
working days. In new and growing state q
certain amount Of legislation is absolutely re-
CURED and it is not for the public interest that
it should be hastily and ineonsiderately attend
ed TO- 1t is the judgment Of those who have
given study to this question that the present
system is not productive Of either the best leg.
islation or the best results
Section eight CS) Of the legislative article
should be amended so as to authorize the legis-
lature to provide some method for the investi-
cation and determination of controversies over
contested seats in both branches OF the legisla-
ture The right of a constituency TO be repre-
scented in the legislature by the person receiv-
ing majority Of the honest votes cast is sacred,
and should not be vitiated by fraud nor trifled
away bv throw of dice or the chance Of lot
terry Other important changes will doubtless
suggest themselves
Section fourteen % of the legislative article
should be amended so as 10 permit the governor
to veto an Objectionable article in an appro-
priation bill without disappearing the entire
bill
If deemed wise, the judges of the supreme
court might be authorized to assign under
conditions TO be prescribed by statutel the
judge Of one district to sit as q Judge in any
other district
Assessed valuation of live stock
for 81 pa, s6l IS
Assessed valuation of live stock
for 1872 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 3l,O3, i22 90
Decrease in value in two years. 2l4A95j
Assessed valuation of railroad
property in 1890 ...............s57, s66 232 81
Assessed valuation of railroad
property in ls92.................. 5l,4Oi,5is "A
Decrease in value in two years. 46l, 6SS SO
Assessed valuation Of all townlots
taxable in 1890 ...................s72 sl4.S78 70
Assessed valuation OF all town lots
in 1892 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. IS 1917, $50 Os
Decrease in value in two years.s 7,497, 3il g.
II is quite noticeable that the assessment Of
live stock, personal property, railroad and town
lots in the last two years has, in the aggrega te
decreased 'l6, 6JS9l96l while there has been
an increase in the assessment OF farms, i'm
proved and unimproved lands Of l2,ssl,9l6S
From the first report of the state bank com.
missioner it may be seen that the total re-
sources Of state and private banks in October,
1891, were SSO,25S 95l.27, and that in June 1892
their resources were $4,000, ISL O6, which shows
an increase in eight months time of .2,sJ4,-
4l979.
From the report Of the state treasurer we
learn that the
Amount in the state treasury on
July !, 1890, was ..................S 7l51SS 10
Received by the state treasury
from July |, 1890, TO June 80, 1891 1892 53t. 10
Making total of..............S 6,lO7, 66a "a
Disbursements by the state treas
urer from July !, 1899, to June 30,
Observation-Disclosures. $3.50, sos ~
Leaving balance in the treas
ury July |, 1892. .............S 72l.1625
The governor referred to the drawing
of $3.50 by one editor for publishing
proposed amendments to the constitu-
ton, the total cost of which, paid to
161 newspapers, was S19,2556O. He
called for retrenchment in that line.
Complete statistics in regard to the
public school system of the state were
given and the proposition to restore
the one mill school fund levy and even
to increase it to three mills was in
dorsed. He advocated change in the
annual school meetings in the country
school districts to an earlier date and
warmly Endorsed county normal insti-
tutes.
On the prohibitory law the governor
spoke as follows:
Prohibition is a part of the law Of Kansas,
not only statutory law, but part OF the consti-
tuition of the state. 1t is not question wheth-
er this administration is for or against prohi-
bition, but whether II is in favor of respect for
and obedience TO all the laws on the statute
books. very large class of our people earn
estly believe in the efficacy Of the law, while a
respectable element are not personally in favor
of prohibition Many Of those who live in the
larger towns and cities believe that the expense
resulting from an honest, faithful effort 10 en-.
force the law exceeds the good results OBJ
tanned and is greater than the people should be
made TO bear. In the rural districts the law
seems TO be generally enforced, but ii is not so
well supported by public sentiment in the
centers OF population. Extraordinary pow
ers have been placed in the hands Of
the executive for the enforcement OF the law in
cities OF the first class through the metropoll-
tan police system II is unfortunate, but true
that these powers have in great measure been
nullified by various law evading devices, while
serious evils have followed almost II not quite
as Objectionable as the one sought TO be des-
troyed In many places public sentiment seems
to have encouraged and connived at the
open violation Of the law, and thus con-
tempt is brought upon the authority Of the
state This system, apart from its relation to
prohibition, seems to have developed into a
sort Of corrupt political adjunct of the party in
power, so that venal methods for the control Of
local and state politics have been more consid.
cred than matters Of duty under the law. Ap-
pointments under this system are often made
as reward for party service more than fitness
for the duty to be performed, and thus the sup
port Of additional officials is added to the bur
dens Of the taxpayer, to say nothing Of the
methods Of extortion approximating blackmail
which are said to prevail under the practical
operations Of the law
The governor recommended change
in the present cumbersome law for i'm
parchment of district judges and an ex-
tension of the terms of county attor-
neys to four years without reelection.
The present supreme court commits
e. =. 1aa1.-l l.