Kansas City daily journal., 1896-12-08
COL. HARRIS VIEWS.
CONSERVATIVE POP ON NEEDED
KANSAS LEGISLATION.
NEW CONSTITUTION THE FIRST.
POWER OF CORPORATION SHOULD
BE RIGIDLY LIMITED.
Better to Give the Railroad Commis-
sion More Power Than 10 Pass 81
Maximum Rate BiII-Rasi-
icaI Mortgage LeSisIa-
tiOn Not Urged.

tion Not Urged.
Lawrence, Kas Dec. 7.-tspectalJ The
following statement OF 4 conservative idea
! of the legislation necessary by the Popu-
| lists in the Kansas Legislature this winter
was given out to-day Jy ex-Congressnlan
! W. \. Harris. of LinrsooG. now state son
ator-elect from the Third district anu a
leading candidate for the United States
! senatorshiD to succeed Senator Peffer:
In regard to the possibilities Of future
! legislation, anyone familiar with the mat
| ter must know that it Is greatly a matter
| of guesswork as 10 what will be put
| through and what will fall by the ways!de.
| The only evidence on the subject is the dis
position shown by a large number Of men
who will do the lawnakins. Certainly on
one point there is almost Unanimous agree
| ment, not only by the members of the par
ty in power, but it has beer indorsed over
and over again by leading members of all
parties in the state. Governor Morrill,, in
his message to the last legislature, recon-
mended in the strongest possible terms the
adoption Of the necessary steps for a con-
stitutional convention. He gaze no less
than twelve or thirteen strong reasons
why 1t snould be done and its being abso-
lutely necessary for the economy and wei
fare Of the state. Any opposition to this
measure now, on the part of Republicans,
| it seems to me, makes them ridiculous.
No reasonable, consistent man can object.
The necessity for a change in the home
stead exemption, the necessity fora change
in the method OF doing the state printing,
which L think should be done by contract;
the necessity for more secure limitation
and proper control OF corporations, are all
matters strongly stated by Governor Nor
rill, and against which no objection can be
raised.
In regard to corporations, | believe that
the constitution now is exactly the reverse
OF the correct position to take. So far
from corporations being prohibited by spe-
cial acts, l believe that special enactment
is the only way in whiCn corporate power
should ever be granted. An application
for this great and peculiar power should
50 to the legislature, accompanied by IN
questioned proof of the necessity and pub
Ire demand for ii. Not only that, but ap-
plICauOEs should be limited to a few well
defined subjects. the proper and successful
conduct of which cannot be ACCOMPLISHED
u.
of the artificial citizen, wihl'h We call a
corporation, has become too common, and
Is being used for thousands of objects
never contemplated or Creamed of when
the idea was first conceived. Then even
when the necessity has been shown, the
grant sh5u.d be ACCOMPANIED BY ample
limitations ard restrictions 50 that never
shall it be possible for the artificial citizen
TO become greater than its creator and alb
sotutefy defy the power that gave it birth
The constitution forbids the state to be-
come a party to any Internal Improvement
This limitation SHOULD apply as well TO
counties. A constitutional limitation should
be put upon both to create indebtedness for
any purpose
In the matter of taxation, as stated bv
Governor Morrill,, there are many Things
that suggest themselves as necessary TO
be done. The appoTtfonment of represent
atlVeS also requires changing and their
number should be increased. Instead of the
state university having regularly to go be-
fore The legislature seeking an appropria-
tlon, At should be amply endowed by A
h&ei tax under the constitution. In the
case of the supreme court no one questions
the necessity for an increase of five or
seven members
In the matter of tenure of office. I am
inclined strongly to favor increasing the
term of all state officers from two wears
TO four years, and l believe that that might
well be done in most of the county Offices.
and that the payment of all officers by
ices should, in every case. be changed to
a fixed salary.
Certainly. the question which is now
being put forward as the main or only one
to be considered. prohibition has GER
tainly become farce under the manage
ment of its most ardent. pretended friends.
And ii never can he satisfactorily adjusted
until once more passed upon by the people.
through convention.
In regard to railroad legislation there
should be, in my opinion. an effort made
to give our board Of commissioners some
power. They Should be allowed in some
way to enforce and carry out their find
lngs, or at least have the direct assistance
of the courts to that end or the state
should save the expense of such a purely !
ornamental body. Ii would be far better
to give the commissioners added power and |
ample discretion than to pass d rigid max
imum rate bill.
The readjusting of the state as to con-
Sressional districts. matter Of course |
will be fairly and properly attended TO- |.
| think that legislation on the Ene of |
BreidenthalS recommendation. both as to J
banking and loan and trust companies un-
questiOnably good. and will probably be |
adopted. / think We have some superhuous |
boards and offices. which might well be |
abolished Our mining laws. it is con |
coded, are more or less defective and I /
am IN favor of restricting the output of /
the penitentiary to the needs of state in /
stitutiOns, and to prevent in every way
possible the competition between convict |
labor and free labor. The railroads them |
selves VII probably be eager TO assist in .
the passage of an anti-pzss law. I think /
it Is possible that a department Of agri- |
culture might be organized, to include /
many Of the commits sSioners and boards |
that are more or less indirectly connected
with it.
Fair. honest and conservative efforts in
the direction that l have indicated GER
ta:nly cannot be considered as rash. ill
timed or in any way calculated TO fniure
the state. So far as the matter of real
estate loans IS concerned. l am in favor of
having il possible for parties 10 agree to
use practically the Missouri d. ed of trust