Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-02-21
KANSAS POPS sAvAGELY SCORED BY
"ONE oF,EM.,
SALARY CUTTING ATTACKED.
ANARCHIST CLEMENS MOVED TO
WRATH AND LITERATURE.
sInshinE of University Salaries His
Special Grievance-Rank Favor
ifism Chnrged-The Governor
Appealed To TO Veto
the Jumper Bill.

10 the Kansas senate to-day, in which he
denounces its action in passing bill TO re-
duce the salaries of the professors of the
state colleges. After issuing the letter, he
Joined Annie Diges and W. II. Sears in a
call for public meeting next Monday
night to protest against any reduction of
salaries at these institutions OF learning.
The Clemens letter follows:
Upon the Populists of the house and
upon Governor Leedy now rests the burden
of saving the Peoples party from the
wrath of a dsgusted and outraged people.
Imagine the next campaign, when it shall
be proven that we drove from our univer-
sity Professor Blake, man of eminence in
the scientific world, in order to save from
his salary few hundred dollars 10 squan-
der on some folly-what will the people say
10 US? Professor Dyche, known all over the
world as our Arctic explorer and a natur-
alist, gone because of our insulting parsi-
mony. What will Kansas say? Pointing
To the session laws of 1895, where the state.
in token of its gratitude 10 Chancellor
Snow. voted him the use OF the chancellor
residence for life: pointing to the fact that
fortune of $4,000, which might have been
Professor Shows. was given by his uncle
10 the university, and the nephew left
without dollar because the dead Spooner
had trusted the state of Kansas to be gem
erous to his nephew; pointing to the cold
drltDmellcal 1aCl lEaI lne CIldDCtllDE
ary of $500 was less than per cent inter-
est on his patrimony given TO the statest
and that having been induced by the graf
itude act of 1893 to settle down at the uni
versity for what years may remain TO him,
the state legislature knew it had Chan
-cellor Snow at its mercy, and in four short
years voted TO recall its gratitude and be-
Tray the confidence of the dead Spooner,
whose .bequest it retains-when pointing to
H-,f-
so point TO q cheap academy, WHARF, until
our party wrecked it, stood a noble. uniyer-
sity-what shall We say to an angry peo-
pie? z.s-'-
THE generosity and Inagnanimity of the
common people in revolt have extorted
praise from unwilling historians, have been
the proud boast of the leaders of revolu-
tions. By their exhibition we may know
revolution is really of the people. No
malicious or narrow-minded policy ever
yet emanated from the great common peo-
pie; those who pursue such policies do not
represent the generous masses. The peo-
pie of Kansas have never demanded illib-
erality toward the institutions of the state.
and they will never indorse the conduct or
men who, in the name of the people, have
destroyed or crippled the educational in
stitutions of the state
Il speak freely. for l simply defy these
men. / am in office, but am in Office for
the first time in my life, and have not yet
become used to ii. cap still leave 1t. No
Office within. the gift of the rnightiest po-
tentate on earth shall tie my tongue where
my own judgment and ySown conscience
show me it is my duty TO speak. The uni
versity has received its deathblow should
the bill which has passed the senate be-
come law. The PopuIist Samson has his
arms about the pillar of the temple whose
fall must bury him beneath the ruins. One
more effort and We shall hear the crash,
and see Samson no more forever"
THE committee which sprang this bill
upon the senate and rushed it madly
through evaded every effort of the friends
of the states institutions 10 be heard and
give Information. 1 myself sought an ap-
pointment to present facts concerning the
university, and was put off with mere
trifiing jests. Railroad and book trust rep
resentatiyes have been given full courteous
Populists Were even branded as lobbyists
because they dared try to save the edu-
cational institutions. and thereby, save
their party too. Let the Populists of the
state who know us both Judge between the
men-Senator Jumper, who applied this
epithet. and myself, to whom, in my alb
voice OF the people decide whether these
Z institution wreckers or G. C. Clemens. who
begged Tor the life of those institutions,
Il am not done. 1 distinctly charge that
members of the fees and salary committaa
showed 1avorlusm TO their particular pets.
Take one instance. Why was the attorney
generals Office. scarcely touched in the
general and indiscriminate reduction of
salaries? Why was the salary of the as
sistant attorney general left unchanped2
Because the senator on that committee was
one of the friends of the assistant attorney
general. who labored to secure his appoint
ment. He came with Judge Mckay 10 see
me with reference TO securing nv assist
ance; Why was the governors salary un-
nW~a.. 49,.
mittee an application for place not vet
acted upon by the governor? Or was the
governors salary left whole as an intended
brlbe 10 prevent a veto? / think / can an
swer for IL that IL will work the other way
From what know of his character I feel
absolutely certain Governor Leedy will
say: IT Is unjust 10 reduce every other
state officers salary and leave mine un-
touched. i shall not be a party To such
injustice. on that very ground, If on no
this bill. That he should do so as a man
think all men with a keen sense of honor
must agree Special privileges to none.
equal rights 10 all is our marty motto
Acting upon It. the Peoples party gov.
ernor must kiln this unjust bill, II the house
Look again, The consiitution t,i ,,,.,,os
nnchangeable during their terms the sal
aries of all the state officers elected last
fan. save one. The only salary the con-
stitution allows the legislature to reduce
Is that of Chief Justice Doster and Gree
reduced no future legislature can restore
=
six years Every state officer elected last
fall IL saved during his term and Judge
Doster alone Is marked out to be belittled
by the representatives of his party. VIII
the PoDulsts of the state indorsc this?
There have been frequent. unequfvocal In
VACATIONS that our people Ike Doster Nav
IL not be they will resent this 'economy?
Who believes that the supreme coilrt
judges should have their salary less Than
the governor? The reverse is the case in
a number OF states.
The senate bill reduces the compensa-
tion of two OF my assistants 10 $50 each.
j cannot get competent assistants at that
price. and IN my office the slightest lack
of competency shows at once and forever
upon the printed pages of the reports I
was appointed by the unanimous court and
by request of leading lawyers. regardless
of party. because Of my supposed peculiar
fitness for the office of supreme court re-
porter, and much is expected of me- I
am not at the mercy of the legislaiure
Ny compensation can be reduced hut 7
am perfectly free TO leave the office and
save my reputation. ] shall not take auy
chances by working with bargain counter
ability 10 assist me. / am not 'svorr7ps
about myself. but I would like to see INV
party live tin it gets past the teethia:y
period. at least, before 1t is killed by its
t1Nt