The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-01-09

officers of the courts. has reached such pro-
portions that tho e who practice 1t maintain
lobby to prevent legislation reducing fees or
substituting salaries for them. Something
must be done to stop the growing evil: II can
not much longer be endured A raplo1y-oe-
yeloping public sentiment demands that all
officers shall be paid fixed salaries reasonable
in amount. and not be permitted TO grow rich
in II term or two by fleeing the people. we
fees TO be turned into the treasury. and there
is really no more reason why justice of the
peace should do So The difference is only in
the amount involved in the litigation; and
one would suppose that if either should
charge fees it would be the district judge,
rather than the justice of the peace, who holds
a supreme court to the poor who cannot ap-
peal If judges should not charge fees, clerks
of the cOur- = should not. as they a part If
the machinery. Justice should be absolutely
free. A righteous government might with
thorough legal adviser for the poor
If it shall be said that litigation would thus
so eminent an authority as Herbert Spencer.
who has written at more length in support OF
the contrary opinion.
CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS.
The report of the trustees of the state chart
table institutions will be laid before you It
has not yet reached this office. In it you will
find complete and detailed information of the
needs of these various institutions, together
with information of general character for
the benefit of the public.
The institutions embraced in this report are
as follows: State Insane asylum, Topeka; In
stitution for the Education of the Deaf and
OF the Blind, Kansas City; State Asylum for
Idiotic and Imbecile Youth, Winfield Sol
dlers' Orphans Home. AtchisOn; Osawatoln1e
Insane Asylum, Osawatomie; and Industrial
school for Girls, Beloit.
The successful care and management OF
thee institutions should be matters of great
concern TO every intelligent citizen of the
state Ine1r existence marks an era OF pro
gress In The development of Christian CIVIL
cation, and desire to approximate perfection
in their administration should be the COM
mendsole zeal of true statesmanshlp. And
for this very reason it is of the utmost i'm
portance that the law governing these institu-
lions should be revised. There are many rea-
sons for such revision which cano5 be enum-
Grated here. but one of the most Imperative IS
the crying need that the control of all charity
organizations of the state should be entirely
nOn-partIsan. Should your honorable body at
the present time do nothing more than rescue
these institutions from the influence of parti-
san pOlitIcs, you will have at least done that
which should commend you-to future genera
lions
THE eENITENTIARY.
The report of the directors, warden and
other officers of the penitentiary will furnish
you with detailed statement of the receipts
and expenditures, as well as the req uirements
and condition of the Institution, with such
recon IN endauieus as in their Judgment Sc m
necessary TO safely and prof ably operate the
institution During the biennial period jul It
ended the peni1tn tiary has at times reached
the point of being self-suppo ruing. 1t is your
province to ascertain at whose expense and
the correct sOluJlon of that question will sug-
gest urgent reasons for remedial legislation,
Involving contract labor. com petition with
free labor, especially mining labor, and the
"a SOOLSty W OGPI1NS oven COAf1CS VI
the fruits of his labor
In dealing with the crime problem, the facts
are overwhelmingly against further legisla-
ton that is purely punitive in its objects and
results, or that takes cOgn1Zance of the OHenSe
to the exclusion of the offender. Ii is time
that foundation was laid for a nobler super
structure than that which has for its corner
stone thu elements of vengeance, retribution
ana retaliation. The imprisonment OF the Of
fender Is primarily for the protection of So
c1ety, and reformation is the surest and safest
mean OF protection.
The correction of the evils surrounding the
me thods, and the establishment of proper re-
fOrmatOry influence for our crime-class, viii
neceS state wise legislative action, involving
d revision OF our penal laws and criminal pro-
cedure; a knowledge OF the best methods of
prison reform demonstrated by modern
prison science, such as the practical workings
system; the compile ion of the State Reforma-
tory at Hutchinson, and oaher matters of
should your many duties prevent your Civ
ing this subject consideration sufficient to nc
SATISFACTORY TO yourselves and the de-
mSnds of equity and justice, you
should at least create a commission au.
thorlzed and empowered to prepare and re-
port to you plan for the improvement and
government of this important lnsti ution, to
Inc end that the best interests of society may
be subserved, and our state take first place
among those commemorative whose best
thought and best energies are expended in an
effort to pracLice broader humanity and &C.
compllsh much-needed reform.
THE STATE REFoRMAToRY.
The legislature of 1885 made enactment
providing for state reformatory for male
Criminals between the ages of l6 and Is. A
structure at Hutchinson exists in unin-
ished condition, although $4,000 has been ex.
pended in its erection
There can be no question as to the wisdom
of Is establishing such Institutions when the
financial resources of a state are sufficient TO
justify the cost of erection aud maintenance
An appropriation should be made sufficient
Tor The completion and occupancy of the pres
emit buildings.
INSURANCE.
The report and tables of the insurance com
missioner disclose some interesting If not
startling facts. They snow that the people OF
Kansas paid, during 1895 premiums to foreign
insurance companies doing business in the
state as follows.
For ire insurance. .................$1929 9l56S
LIE insurance 125 ,s 8 s
Total e. s-7 -oI a.
| During the same period the losses incurrec
by foreign companies in the state were a!
follows:
Fire 06S Al *
Accident, etc NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 1919 Al
Total losses incurred. 81 ,64O, A
Excess of premiums over losses in
CURED 81, Ill ,295.3
Some comparisons may aid US to understand
| what these figures really mean. The excess o
| premiums over losses incurred, not paid
| ton OF The State house as it now stands in
| little less than one year and two months. L
eXceeuS Dy more IMAM % per cent the tota
state tax levy for 1894. 1t exceeds by nearly
$2UO,000 the aggregate of appropriations for the
| fiscal year 1874. 1t exceeds by more than 500,
UUU double the amount of the entire bonded
debt of the state at this time. Suppose thi
large surplus were retained in the state o.
| the encouragement of home companies, would
it mean nothing TO the people? And the re
! port OF the commissioner shows that the ex
cess of premiums over losses has been sub
Stantially the same annually for a pc riod o
eight years; so that, during the period sine
1886 we have sent out of the state for insurance
more than SIS UUU.UOO more than has come bacl
for loSsess While we paid TO foreign com
| panie5 $3,35l,7O6 40 in 1895, the total income o
| hume mutual fire Insurance companies wa
| $94,Uy4 81 and the premiums paid The Kansa
| company for life insurance aggreg gated $139
800 u; total paid to home com panies, S2@3
! 600 Us.
! In view OF these facts, 1 cannot agree will
| the commissioners recommendation tina
corOners should Investigate fire losses. l
seems to me We should not assist TO eigi
companies TO still further increase the nones
pSi,S-.S 20 -, -. - -.