The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1895-03-15

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court at Topeka. The central division
of the same department is constituted
of the counties of Marshall, Geary,
Riley, Washington. Clay, Dickinson,
Saline, Ottawa, Cloud, Republic, Jewell,
Mitchell, Lincoln, Ellsworth, Osborne,
and Smith. with terms of court at Con-
cordia. The western division of the
northern department consists of the
remaining counties of the north
court at Colby. The eastern divi-
ision of the southern department
is made up of the counties of Miami,
Linn, Bourbon, Crawford, Cherokee,
Labette, NeoshO, Allen, Anderson,
Franklin, Usage, Coffey, Woodson, Will
son, Montgomery, Chautauqua and
Elk, with terms of court at Fort Scott.
The central division of the southern
department consists of the counties of
Lyon, Greenwood, Chase, Marion, Nc
Pherson, Reno, Harvey, Butler, Sedg-
wick, Kingman, Barber, Harper, Sum-
ner, and Cowley, with terms of court
at Wichita. The western division of
the southern department consists of
the remaining counties of the south
ern department, with terms of court at
Garden City. The judges appointed by
Gov. Morrill, few days ago will hold
their term of Office until January l,
1897. The law provides that at the
general election in 1896 their success
sors shall be elected by the people.
The salary of the appellate judges is
fixed at s., 500 per year.
WashIngtOn's Birthday.
House bill No. 137, which became a
law early in the session. makes Feb
ruary 22-Washington's birthday le-
gal holiday. For several years past the
public schools in Kansas have been OBJ
serving this day as holiday, but not
until the bill above mentioned was
passed has it been made a legal one.
The bill was passed during the first
three weeks of the session and was
signed by the governor about February
l, and was very generally observed as
holiday on the ed.
The legislature itself was perhaps
the first to be disconnected by its own
law. Within three weeks after the
bill became a law, the memorable
Washington's birthday found the Kan
sas lawmakers very busy in their at
tempt to rush legislation through, pre-
paratory to adjournment, and anxious
to occupy every moment possible.
Both the house and senate determined
at first that they would resolve them
selves into committee of the whole and
spend the first legal holiday in work;
but on the evening of February 81,
Senator Thatcher, known as the father
of the senate, arose and urged the leg
islature to refrain from being the first
to break its own law. He also deliv-
cred the opinion of several of the lead
ing lawyers of the state that any work
done on that day would be illegal.
The senate then voted to observe the
day, and the house shortly afterward
concluded to do likewise, and the day
was observed as holiday. The action
of the legislature also established the
precedent for succeeding ones, and
hereafter Kansas legislatures will OBJ
serve Washington's birthday as legal
holiday. The passage of the law ere
ates the seventh legal holiday for Kan
sas, as follows: January l, New Years !;
February -, Washington's birthday;
May 80, Decoration day; July 4; Sep
TENDER 4, Labor day; Thanksgiving
and Christmas.
For Western Kansas Sufferers.
One of the practical things done by
the session Just closed was that of
sending aid to the destitute in western
Kansas. During the cold, clustering
days of January train after train load
of coal left the state mines at Leaven-
worth bound for western Kansas,
where the destitute were suffering.
Two appropriations of $1,000 each was
made for this purpose in the enact
ment of senate bill and house bill
No. S62.
The sending of coal was not all the
aid rendered, however. More than
S1OO, 900 were appropriated for the pur-
pose of furnishing seed grain to the
farmers of the western part of the
state. The provisions of this appropri-
alton are such as make this seed only a
loan, and caused much dissatisfaction
in some counties, few of them refus-
ing to accept any seed from the state
at all under such conditions.
The railroad commissioners have
charge of the distribution of the grain,
and while they find numerous COM
plants as to the conditions imposed by
the state yet they have demands for
seed grain to the full amount of the
appropriation, and will have no diff
Guilty in distributing all they are au-
thorized to disburse under the pro-
visions of the bill, which is senate bill
No. SAL.
For the Grand Army of the Republic.
The Grand Army of the Repu bic has
no cause for complaint in the matter
of legislation. For several years that
organization has been asking for
room in the state house in which to es-
tablish a museum. Senate bill No. 365,
which was passed unanimously through
both houses of the legislature, pro-
vides for this very thing. The museum
is Ia be in charge of some one to be ap-
pointed by the department command
er. The only cost TO the state involved
is that of fitting up suite of two or
more rooms in the state house for the
purpose designated, after which all the
expense of retaining the museum is to
be borne by the G. A. r.
The law provides that in said rooms
shall be stored and properly displayed
such records, relics, flags, banners and
mementos of the service of individuals
and organizations who fought in the
late war of the rebellion as shall now
be or may come into the possession of
the Grand Army of the state of Kansas,