Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1893-09-16
RED HOT QUESTIONS.
An Explanation Of the Bottom
Facts i'm Last Winters
Disgrace.

L <As Ah0 Oo S--O HSAs
@. How did the people and the can
| didates find out who was elected?
A. The votes were counted In each
precinct, and the result reported to the
county clerks, who with the county COM
missioners as canvassing board counted
up the figures in each case and deter
mined which candidate was ahead.
(Sec. 1857 Comp. Laws 1887.
Q. What did each county clerk do
after it had been determined who had
received the most votes.
A. He sent report Of who was
elected to the secretary Of state. (Sec.
1890 G. L. 1887
Q. Why did he do this?
A. Because the laws of the state say
that he must.
Q. What did the secretary OF state
do on receiving the reports of the coun-
ty clerks?
A. He sat down with the governor,
the auditor, the treasurer and the attor-
ney general and these five officers made
an official survey of the reports OF the
county clerks and themselves made the
final and conclusive announcement as to
who was Observation-Disclosures until either
the house or the senate, on hearing evil
idence, should conclude that given
holder of a canvassing- board certificate
was not entitled to hold it. Sec. 1886
G. L. 1882
@. Why did the secretary of state
and the other officers named go to the
trouble of examining the reports of the
county clerks as canvsssing board as
above described?
A. Because the law directs that they
shall. (Sec. 1896. G. L. 1897
O. How can it be that the law is so fool
ish as to direct that all this be done when
the governor Gas tCe are told by the
populists) has the right to recognize"
whoever he prefers as composing house
or senate, and to enforce his ''recogni-
ton" by calling in the militia?
A. The populists who perpetrated the
recognition" trick-all of them, from
the governor to the most insignificant
member of the minority in the house
broke the law and tried to do what they
had no sort of right to do just that they
might have things all their own way.
The governor has no more right to say
what the lawful house is than the house
has to say who the lawful governor is.
In case of dispute it is the business of the
supreme court to settle such questions.
That is what the court is for and without
such referee for such disputes the
state might reasonably expect to be
flung into bloody warfare whenever
close election cast any sort of doubt on
the result. The law tells how legisla-
lures shall be organized and conducted
and how governors and other state Of
fcers shall be seated. and the moment
dispute arises as towhich of two Legislative
bodies, or which of two state officers is
the one rightfully in place, just that
moment the supreme court is available
for an authoritative settlement of which
of the two is right and which wrong.
Without such an arrangement the state
would always be in danger from the
action of bold and INSCRIPTIONS men
who might attempt to have their way
by force rather than by right. Such
men as Governor Lewelling do not like
courts unless they can have the making
of them, as in the case of the Hughes
court-martial.
Q. But to return to the canvassing
board, what is done with it's report?
A. It is filed with the secretary of
state, recorded in book, certificates of
election issued. and the whole matter be-
comes a part of the state archives.
(Sec. 1898 G. L. 1889.
Q. After it is filed, recorded, &C.,
what is the first use made of it?
A. A copy of it is put before each
branch of the legislature at given hour
in accordance with Sec. 1899 G. L. 1889
which reads as follows: "Upon the day
fixed by law for the assembling of the
legislature, the secretary of state shall
lay before each house list of the mem
beers elected thereto, with the districts
they represent, in accordance with the
returns in his Office"
Q. What is meant by laying before
each house list &c?
A. It is meant that the secretary
shall do as Secretary Osborn did in the
case of the senate put a list into the
hands of the presiding officer.
Q. Did he put such list in the
hands of the presiding officer of the
house?
A. He did not. A majority of those
holding certificates of membership in
the house decided by vote who should
preside over them, and the secretary did
not leave the list as directed with such
officer, but on the contrary declined to
do so in order that the senate and the
governor might have chance to try to
help the minority in the house overcome
the majority. His action was rank vi
olation of the law.
0. is the result of the examination
by the canvassing board transmitted to
the governor?
A. No; the law seems to think that
it is none of the governors business who
is elected. Who belongs to given leg
islative body is determined first by the
certificates Of election, second by the
body itself, and finally by the supreme