Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-12-07
VACRANT ACTS.
Gov. Lewelling Publishes a Ro-
markable Letter.
UNCONSTITUTIONAL and WRONG.
He Dllates on What He Terms the Injus-
tics of Compelling Certain Mon TO
Leave Town or Sending
Them TO JaIL

TOPEKA, Kan, Dec 5.-Gov. LEVEL
ling yesterday gave out one of the most
remarkable circular letters ever issued
by a state executive. The letter Is ad-
dressed 10 all boards Of police commits
sioners in the state and will probably
cause an endless amount Of talk. The
letter is as follows:
EXECUTIVE LETTER
To all Boards Of Police Commissioner:
In the reign OF Elizabeth the highways vere
nleu win the throngs OF the unemployed poor
VINO were made 10 move on" and were some.
tunes brutally whipped sometimes summarily
nanBeu' as sturdy vngranL" "incorrigible
Nagaoonds In France Just previous TO tho
revolution the punishment OF being poor
and out OF work was, for the arrt
onense' term Of years in the galleys. for the
second onense the galleys for life In thia
country the monopoly Of labor.saving ma
SINNER ana It's devotion to selfish instead Of
social use, have rendered more aud more human
beings superhuous, until we have a standing
army OF the unemployed numbering even in the
most prosperous times not less than i0OlOOO
Aple'Dodied men yet until recently Il was tho
prevailing notion, as II is yet the notion OF ali
the Work-people themselves and those Of other
classes given 10 thinking, that whosoeyer be.
ing able bodied and willing TO wo Il can alvav.
hnd work to do and section 57i OF the general
statutes OF 1859 Is a dsgraceful reminder how
savage even In Kansas ha been our treatment
OF inc most unhappy OF our human broth RS
Inc man out OF work and penniless f. by
this legislation, classed with Confidence men -
Under this statute and city ordinances Of Fiml.
lar Import thousands OF men, guilty Of no crima
Dut poverty, intent upon no crime but that Of
seeking emplovmonL have languished In the
city prisons OF Kansas or performed unreauit-
Ell toll on rock piles" as municipal slaves, be.
cause ignorance OF economic condiiIon, had
m rNa
po T and humble, for whom police courts ara
courts ~ last resort-they cannot give bond
ana appeal They have been unheeded and un.
cared Tor by tho bus world which wastes no
time visiting prisoners In jail They have been
too poor TO liIigate with their oppressors. ana
thus no voice from this underworld OF human
voc has ever reachsd the ear OF an appe late
court because II was nobody's business To be
his brothers keeper
But those who sit in tho seats OF power ara
bound by the highest obligation to osperially
regard the cause OF the oppressed and heinleas
poor The first duty OF government is 10 ,ba
weak Power becomes ion1ish II It be not the
protector and sure reliance OF the friendlesA 10
whose complaints all other ears are dull II a
my duty 10 see that the laws ore faithfully
executed" and among thase laws is tho con.
sttutional provision that no instrumentalitv
OF the state 'shall deny to any person within
is jurisdiction the equal protection OF the
la"a' And who needs TO be told that equal
protection Of the laws does nos ureyan
where This inhuman vagranoy law liz en-.
Tor edf l. separates mcn into two distinct
classes, ,difcrenu ItOd as those who are renpilesa
ana those who are not, and declares the former
erminals Only the latter are entitled to the
liberty guaranteed by the constitution To bo
found In city "wlthout visible mola, Of sup,
port or some l. gltiinate business" ia the IN.
voluntary co1dltiol Of some million, nj this
moment, and under tho law we proceed 10 nm.
hal ufa ffya,
which We as people have forced upon them.
nave noticed In police court reports that
slttpng IN box car" is among the yarietlea
OF this h"innus crlins OF being p11r Some no.
ice Judges have usurpcd sovereign power not
permitted tho highest func aries of the state
or oi the nation, AMI victims OF Industrial con.
diuons have been porempt9rly Ordered 10
leave town" "
The right TO so freely from III zee 10 place IN
search OF employment or even obedience to a
mpre whim, II part OF that personal liberty
guaranteed by the constitution OF the JTnI,ed
Sta,cs 70 every human peing on American
sol. II Diogenes prefer p verify II a Co
lumbus choose hunger and the discovery of n
new race, rather than elk personal comfort
by engaging In "som0 lpgitlui tte buslness.a
am aware OF no power In the lcgl l., turs or
In oily councils TO deny linn the right 10 seek
h'ppiness In his own way SO long as he harms
no other person
II men commit onensos let them be arreated
aud punished, whether rich or poor, but lei
simple poverty cease to b. a CT me
ln some cities It Is provided by ordinance that
u police tourI hnes arc not paid or secured the
,ulprit shan be compelled TO work out the
lmount as q municipal slave and rock piles and
Dnl pens are provided for the enforcement Of
ihese ordinances And so It appears that this
saver Is not Imposed IA Punishment but
solely as means Of collecting debt
Such cit ordinances arc in fiagrant violation
u constitutional prohibitions The rock pile
ma bull pen would never have been used Let
lhese twin relies Of tho departed auction block
IRA cease TO dlsoraco the cities OF Kansas And
ct the dawn OF Chrl' mas daY fnd the 'rock.
'le' the oull pom" and the crime OF being
homeless and poor obsolete In all the CT les OF
Kansas governed by the metropolitan police
Yet FEf
II confidently expec'e ed that their own re,
'ard Tor constitutional lih ,rty and their human
impulses will Induce police Commissioners 10
larry out the sprit as well as the letter Of the
oregoi suggestions
l. d. LEwFLLING, Governor