Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1895-04-13
SOME REFLECTIONS.

gress and the various state legislatures.
It is not because it is believed that the
mass of the representatives are dishon-
est, but because there are always
schemes on foot by men in and out of
the congress and the various legisla-
lures to bleed. some interest.
This was exempliied last fall in To
peka.
Prior to the meeting of the legisla-
ture, became acquainted with a num-
Der of schemes to blackmail various in
terests in Kansas The men getting up
these schemes belonged to all parties in
and out of the legislature. including
many newspaper correspondents of pa
pers, mainly outside of the state.
During the month of December. one
who was posted on these schemes could see
evidence of it in letters appearing in va
rious papers, denounclng oleomargarine,
freight rates, stock yards. and the man
agement of corporations generally.
According to these correspondents the
poor farmer must be protected against
oleomargarine.
The simultaneous cry was started,
particularly in the western part of the
state, over the burdens of freight rates
over the railroads of the state. AS soon
as sufficient time had elapsed to get
these letters out before the people and
in the hands of the manufacturers of
oleomargarine and railroads, ETC., GER
tain sleek, oily gentlemen turned up
in Kansas City and visited the manu-
facturers of oleomargariue, and the
stock yards, and deplored the fact that
there was SO much feeling growing up
in the state against their interests, at
the same time intimating that they
would set the machinery to work to de-
feat any such legislation; charging, of
course, sufficient to cover their expenses
and nice profit to them. But the cleo
margarine manufacturers saw through
the scheme at once, for they had been
there before, and as near as can learn
all parties decided then and there that
not cent should be paid. during the
last session, to defeat legislation, adverse
to their interests. They said if the peo-
pie of Kansas did not want them to use
their capital for the purpose of making
cheap butter for those who wanted it,
they could use that capital for other
purposes, or move out of the state
with it.
All who have kept posted upon the
proceedings of the legislature know
what wonderful amount of oratory,
buncombe and wire pulling was done on
these subjects, and know the result
There was no legislation, and [ am as
sured and believe it to be true that not
dollar was spent to stop it.
The same scheme was tired on the
railroad companies. At the very time
that our railroads were carrying food
and clothing free to the people in west
ern Kansas, bowls we're made from all
parts of the west about excessive freight
rates; this, not with the expectation Of
getting any adverse railroad legislation
through, but for the purpose OF getting
money and passes to stop it. The
scheme to reduce railroad earnings at
this time was wicked. Most of the rail-
roads of the state were in the hands of
receivers, as they are now, not paying
anything above operating expenses, and
some of them hardly doing that. There
was also the usual raid made on insur-
ance companies, which do business in
Kansas. I venture the assertion that
every law that has been passed in Kan
sas to cripple insurance companies, has
resulted in increased cost to the in
sured.
All the legislation needed in relation
to the insurance companies, is to see to
it that none but bona fde and good
companies could take risks in the state,
and then let competition do the rest.
Instead of this a very large sum of
money is collected from the insurance
companies for various reasons, and
turned over to the state, all of which
comes out of the parties who insure
their property. The blood suckers man
aged, last winter, to get through bill
taxing insurance companies doing bust
ness in cities of the first class per
cent. on their gross receipts, which is
to be turned over to the fire department
in those cities.
While the fire departments are meri-
torious institutions, is there any earthly
insure their property should pay this
2 per cent. charge: The keeping up OF
the fire department should come from
all of the properties Of the cities and
not from the few who insure their prop
erty.
There was heap of buncombe legis-
lation gotten through one or the other
of the houses last winter, which could
not have passed if they had not been
certain that the other house would de-
feat them. [ do not care to name these
measures or to criticise either party, for
both parties, to a certain extent, are to
| blame.
It seems to me that these subjects
should be discussed at this time and
right along during the next two years.
or until the legislature meets again.
The people should know and understand
the buncombe talk in and about the
capitol, and should see to it that in the
] future representatives are sent to Tope-
- errt1,s will see that justice is done to
- tsszna.,a as we'll as f0 individ11a1c