The Globe-republican., 1894-07-27

De deemed worthy OF credit or em1-
mating from reliable and trustworthy
source, whereby the management and
administration of the affairs of any
charitable, educational or penal insti-
tuition. or the official conduct Of any
officer IN charge of or otherwise com
nected with any of said institutions,
shall be called into question upon tho
grounds of corruption, venality, inef-
ficiency, misconduct, immortality, or
inattention to duties, an investigation
shall be had as provided for in the sec-
ond section of this act.
Sec. 2. The governor, the lieutenant
governor and the speaker of the house
of representatives of the state shall
meet at such time and place as may be
named by the governor, and they shall
proceed to select a committee of five
members of the legislature, the duty
of which committee when selected
shall be to inquire into the truth Of
the charges, investigate the affairs Of
the institution, or examine into the Of
fetal conduct of the officers named in
the complaint. The committee select
ed to investigate as aforesaid shall con-
sist of two senators and three repre-
sentatives, neither of whom shall be
from the district or county in which
the institution whose affairs are to be
investigated is located, or from which
the official so charged has been
elected or appointed. Hav-
ing concluded their investigation
the committee shall, under the evil
dence and by a majority vote of the
whole number of the committee. de-
termine the truth or falsity of the
charges. They shall make complete
report of their findings and transmit
the testimony in the case to the gov
ernOr. with such recommendations as
they may deem just and appropriate.
The governor shall thereupon either
dismiss from public service or reinstate
the officer or officers named in the
complaint. according to the findings
and report of the committee. He shall
also direct the encouragement in
cases where the laws have been vio-
lated to institute such proceedings in
the courts as may be necessary to pro-
tect the interests of the state and
punish offenders"
BY the above it appears that charges
have been made in the regular and au-
thorized way against the warden of the
state penitentiary.
At the time of the populist state con-
ventiOn. many of the delegates were
demanding an investigation. and
resolution was prepared asking that
the investigation be made. The gov
ernor promised that the investigation
should be made. and said that a resO-
luton was unnecessary, so the resOlu
ton was dropped. On the cath of June,
Mr.. Lewelling in a public interview
said the charges were worthy of in
vestigation. and that such an investi-
CATION would be made: but instead of
ordering the investigation as the
law requires. he referred it to the peni-
Tertiary board-a board of his own
creation, and which has no power to
act. And this was done in the face of
the fact that the parties making the
charge claim that the board is an ac-
complete in the corruption and mis-
management. But, notwithstanding
this. the governor insists that the
board shall conduct the investigation,
and the ed of July, 1894, is the date
set for said investigation.
The statute plainly states that:
1.-The governor, the lieutenant-gov-
ernor and spe aker of the house of rep
resentatives of the state shall meet at
such time and place as may be named
by the governor. and they shall pro-
coed to select committee of five mem
beers of the legislature. the duty of
which committee when selected shall
b. to inquire into the truth of charges,
investigate the affairs of the institu-
ton. or examine into the official con-
duct of the officers named in the COM
plant"
Why has not Mr.. Lewelling called
upOn Lieut.-Gov. Daniels and Speaker
Douglass and with them selected
committee of five members of the legis-
lature to investigate the charges made
against Mr.. Chase, as the law express
ly states he shall do? There can be
only one reson. and that is, if Mr..
Chase is guilty the governor wants to
cover up his guilt. Let the people of
Kansas demand that this Investigation
be made in the legal way. Let the
rottenness of Mr.. Chase be exposed. OF
his innocence established.
The populist party of Kansas has
squandered thousands of dollars in in
vestigations that were based largely
upon imagination, but now sworn
charges are fled against state official
by his former employees and members OF
his own political party and the governor
refuses to inve stigate the charges a.
the law provides. but refers the matter
to the penitentiary board, which j.
openly accused of being a party to the
officers guilt, and which has no au-
thority whatever to make such an In.
vestigation.
Let every citizen of Kansas make .
personal demand on the governor that
he make this investigation rs the law
requires. and if he refuses to listen to
their voice. let them hold him response