The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-04-02
INVESTIGATION FAI
George w. Martin Objects to the
spasm of Investigation.
P. A. ROHRBAUGH'S VIEWS OF IT.

Thinks There Are Much WefGhtfer
Matters Which Demand Looking
Into.
Not all of the Republican leaders in
the state are in sympathy with the null
titude of legislative Investigations which
have been inaugurated by the present
administration. Under the caption, ''The
Investigation Fad" the Kansas City
Gazette of George w. Martin, who was
a candidate for governor when Governor
Morrill, was nominated. says:
stP. A Rohrbaugh, member of the leg
islature from Wichita, expresses some
very sensible objections to the spasm for
Investigation now going on at Topeka.
We suppose the conduct of Warden
Chase had become SO bad that some
action was necessary, but when the con-
tract is extended SO as to cover every
Pop, of big and little degree, left over. it
looks as though the public service had
become subservient to the job of making
holes as means of relieving the great
pressure of promises. 1t seems to US
that business (the quotation marks
are Sol Mlller's,) administration might
lind weightier matters to look after. The
assessors are at work all over the state,
and in d few months their work will
reach the state board of equalization for
final review
THE personal property of the state is
gradually slipping off the tax roll, while
small taxpayers are assessed at one-third
great corporations get off with one-twen-
tieth and One-t1ftieth valuation, and all
are squealing about and 6 per cent
taxes The law says that property shall
be assessed at its full value, but assessors
in 104 counties are doing it in 104 differ
ent ways, the motive of each county be-
ing to beat each other and to beat the
state. The assessment and tax system of
Kansas has degenerated into brainless
middle.
"There never was a greater opening
in tAe world for a business administra-
ton than there is in Kansas today in ad-
justing taxes 30 as to get all there is due
and thus relieve everybody some. This
is contract so big that it seems to US
there is hardly time for such petty rows
as are being blocked out To attend to
business first might delay some of the
Republican boys in getting in, but if we
do business right they will stay in long
er when they get there.
''The Peter Kline literature last fall
was no good, and the campaign thunder
likely to come from Householder's chin
tickling performances may appear thin
and fat along eide the stories we hear of
protection paid for last fall in Kansas
City, Kan, and which is not being de-
livered
"But here is what Mr.. Rohrbaugh says
in the Wichita Eagle:
"Yes, see that the administration is
about to investigate the earth as it was
under Populist rule, they are after the
board of charities, warden of the peni-
Tertiary, Senator Rogers, the officials
of the insane asylum, etc. l have
no doubt but that the administration
is honest in its attempts to purify :the
political atmosphere but my observation
has been that the investigation of the OPP
position is always characterized by
partisan spirit, which initiates against
the party making the examination, and
the general rule is a wasteful expendi-
ture of money, and failure to convict
anybody The Botkin Investigation, the
COffeyville investigation, and others of a
like nature are fair samples of this kind
of politics. The people in free country
soon get information of rottenness in any
party and their verdict at the ballot box
is the most successful rebuke. The only
proper way to investigate is for a politi-
cal party to investigate it's own officers
when necessary and thus retain the con-
fdence of the people in the integrity of
the party managers"
There are many ways of baking-Dr