Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1895-03-21

49, 49,
THE IRRIGATION FRAUD.
1.-THE republican state convention
resolved in favor OF encouraging irri-
cation. The legislature carried out
this pledge by apprOpriating $4,000
for experiments. Rest assured, that
the $4,000 will be expended on expert
ments, at the end of which irrigation
will be as far off as ever, and hot winds
and drOulhs will not suffer In health.
Of course, q new board was created to
squander this money, composed OF
three members, who are to receive
81 900 each.
ILL-TREATMENT OF COL. HUGHES.
1.-The sacrifice of Colonel Hughes
was another act of piece with the
general policy. The man appointed
adjutant general Is a good man ana
deserving, but that is not the question.
Another man might have done as
Hughes did In the emergency, but that
does not enter into the case. At a
very critical moment Colonel Hughes
refused to sustain a revolution, even
atthe command of his superior officer,
and, it is conceded, by his course
averted bloody riot. That he acted
right has been decided by the courts
and endorsed by his party. For that
act he was court martialed and dis
graced by the party in whose interest
he refused to aid usurpatiOn. His own
party owed it to him, to themselves,
and to justice, to Vindicate him at the
earliest possible moment.
AS TO STATE PRINTER.
"AnOthe new office was created with
q salary of 81 500 a year, called state
accountant The object of the Office
is, first, to provide q snug berth for
some neutrality-suspicious. member of
the legislature that created it. Sec
ondly, the duty of the accountant is to
receive 81 500 a year for examining the |
books of state officers who receive |
&, 500 a year, to see if they are straight. |
Nothing like business in running the |
affairs Of a government +"
NO RAILROAD LEGISLATION.
In telling why there was no railroad |
he says:
1.-THE RAILROAD lawyers that are al
ways sprinkled through the legisla-
ture are too well mp in their business
to permit anything Of that sort.
SIN nothing are the people of Kan
saS more Outrage0usly imposed upon |
and robbed than in the matter of in |
shrance. A bill was introduced, or per-
haps several Of them, that were very |
binding upon insurance companies.
Not one Of them passed. The insur-
ance lobby was tor influential
He then calls attention to the failure |
of the Legislative committees to inves-
tigate the Kansas City stock yards, the |
the state penitentiary management |
and the state insurance department t,
and the failure to pass a congressional
appOrtlOnment bill.
Much credit is claimed for the leg
islature, because it abolished six judi
cial districts, although ii created six
offices more expensive in their place.
But it is claimed that the act is not |
constitutional; that there is no power
to legislate judge out of Office. The
act is to be tested before the supreme
court. So that even this saying may
not materialize.
THE MISCELLANEOUS STEAL.
"But the elimination and summing
up of all scandalous legislation is to be
found in the miscellaneous appropria-
tiOn bill, the last act passed. 1t is
freckled with steals. Every fraud, |
steal, extOrtiOn, bogus claim, illegal |
charge Is found there. The only won
der is that two or three steals, but more
legitimate than any that were allowed,
were cut out.
I'VE have not space to enumerate
the scandalous allowances made in
this bill.
"As a fitting wind-up of the legisla-
ture, when it adjourned, hundreds,
perhaps thousands of dollars worth of
state property was raked up and car
ried away by members, officers, clerks,
sups, pets aud hangers-On, in the way
of paper, pencils, inkstands, muCilage
bottles, erasers, rubbers and other
articles purchased for the use of the
to be used as needed. 1t
was equal to raid Of bandits upon a
frontier store.