The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-04-09
9ailu Ea9le
NJ. NJ. MURDOCH. Editor.
THAT INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE.

lNNEOltTAIlN(T
Politically speaking, of course, the av-
erage Pop is abnormally pig-headed, .f
not obtuse Believing in the principles
Of his party. he blindly adheres in faith
and loyalty to his leaders. The average
Pop does not believe. for instance, that
Governor Leedy had any Interior mot
ives in vetoing the railroad bill. The
trusting Pop can see no inconsistency
in Governor Leedy tearing his hair over
the failure of the legislature 10 butcher
the railways and in the very next mo-
ment accepting free transportation with
all expenses paid for a junketing trip
covering thousands of miles. But there
are some things which the Kansas Pop
will be compelled TO recognize and ad-
nit One Of these is the fact that their
legislature of last winter contained
some unworthy men, boOdlers whose
proper place should have been in the
renitentiary rather than in the halls of
legislation. This fact became SO Op IL
and notorious through admissions OF
j
house and senate as to compel the ap-
pointment of an investigating commit
tee. which committee was authorized TO
hold its sittings after the adjournment
of the legislature, whereupon comes the
Pop attorney general Of the state with
the filed opinion that said Investigating
committee has no power 10 send for
persons or papers or to compel the at
tendance of witnesses. Consequently
the entire proceeding falls to the ground
little less than a disguised farce. The
boodlers are protected, even if the pub
lie is not hoodwinked.
But the hypocrisy of Leedy nor the
lribe takers and their subsequent suc-
cessfrl protection Of themselves by the
appointment of Q whiteWashing COM
mittee without power to act can hide
ctter thiags now coming to the light. |
The average Pop may. as We intimated |
in his blind partisanship and through |
his prejudicas overlook all of these |
things, but he cannot get around a much |
graver one in its results. As is known |
.he state house at Topeka this winter |
was filled with extra clerks and assist |
ants of various characters, all under |
pay of the state, many Of which posi- |
tons were filed by sisters. wives, |
daughters and sons of members of the |
legislature and Of other state officials. |
Some Of these people have been guilty |,
Of the gravest possible offense. in short, |
of an outrage for which there may be |
no adequate punishment. As the time |
approaches for the laws passed by the /
legislature to take effect, it is discover
ed that the most important ones are in
operative beca1 Sc of the omission of
vital clauses. The members who pre-
tend TO have -pt a general run of these
right when finally passed. Others de-
clare that the bills were not only prop
erly engrossed but correctly enrolled.
All the same. the bills as signed by
Leedy are defective, and not worth the
paper they are written on. 1t is thought
that these flaws and changes are the
work of clerks who had been tampered /
with while the members of their COM
mittees were rocking after Doodle in
ether directions. But whoever and
whatever. the fact remains that several
of the sO-called most important acts as
they stand attested by the presiding
officers and signed 10y the governor are
utterly imperative and void, and tie
PopuliSt party OF the state stands out
ragged and defeated Of its will by its
own representatives and officials, them
selves, or by their hireling clerks.