Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1897-01-21
FIRST DOCUMENT OF THE
NEW EXECUTIVE.
DEFENDS STATES CREDIT.
Legislature Urged to Pass q Maximum
Freight Rate BIll-NO Mention of
ProhlbltlOn-ConditIO of All
Branches of the Government
Revlewed-strlct Econ
Omy Urged.

greet Tor the mtStortunes OF our more pre-
tentious sisters of the East, I congratulate
the state of Kansas upon the many simple
blessings that have fallen to us in these
adverse times. While those who clamor
for aims in the streets Of the crowded cities
are many, those who seek assistance from
our ready public bounty are few. While
the failure of great commercial institutions
brings sad calamity to the chief capitals
where fortunes accumulate, the less i'm
posing but quite as useful repositories of
Kansas savings are giving gratifying evil
dences of stability. While, according to the
press of the nations most populous metro
polls, her children linger in the streets un-
taught, except in the lore of the pavement,
unfed except at the hands of charity, un-
housed, except in the kennels they dispute
with creatures scarcely less miserable, the
commonwealth of Kansas, rejoicing in
public school system which is the most
grateful heritage we receive from our faith
'ers, and the best legacy we can leave to our
children, finds ample house room and
school room for every Kansas child and for
such struggling waits as come to us from
where penury and parslmony stalk side by
side. There are no tramps in Kansas, ex-
cept those birds of passage that fit by us,
grim reminders of conditions in older COM
munlties.
with cheerful audacity that almost chal-
Ienges admiration, Grub street scrlbblers
on venal press, which panders to the
most vicious instincts of semi-ciyilized for
eign colonies like New York city and Chi
cago, with semi-ba lbaric splendor at the
apex, and semi-barbaric squalor at the base
of their social life, have offered their puny
and presumptuous criticism of those whose
shoestrings they are not worthy to UNI
loose. The dogs of Egypt have barkcd at
the Pyramids unanswered for fifty CEN
turtles. When the accused doge stood before
the Venetian council he said: My defense
IS your accusation. Let Grub street rail
on. They we'll know that Kansas was a
pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by
night before an oppressed people IN the
nations darkest hour. We shall keep those
fires alight In our camps and that smoke
ascending from our hilltops till this Is in
deed government of the people and for the
people aud by the people.
For she failed you not in the ea.ly day,
and she failed you not in the late.
Nor forgot you how the balance was
poised on our youngest state.
"And how with the fate of Kansas was
linked the nations fate.
Financial Conditions
I'm full and exhaustive report the state
treasurer sets forth our financial condition,
which shows that at the beginning of the
AloIdA JCdLg Ouly Il 1OJft luGLG MSIS pOtGf-
| % on hand, and that the receipts dur
ing the fiscal year ending June 80, 1895, and
1896, were S4,89S, 091.93, making total of
1910, 410.06. The disbursements for the
TWO years named above we're IS, 1876, 899. 90,
leaving a balance in the treasury June 80,
1885, of 1904 5291O. The report for the
year ending December 81, 1896, shows that
the balance on hand was 1868 $685. and
\ that the permanent school fund amounts to
! S7,016, 993 10
january /, 1895, our state bonded indebt-
edness was S78S500. On March Is, 1895
S36, SEQ was paid and on July 1, 1895, S70,-
900, which leaves at present bynded in
debtedness of S692O00; S449, 900 of these
bonds are owned by the permanent school
fund, $4,000 by the permanent university
fund and the balance, S224,00O, by indlvidu-
ais and corporations On July 1, 1897, and
July l, 1898, 100000 in per cent bonds be-
come due.
"The state treasurer in his report recon-
mends that the whole amount be refunded
in per cent bonds and sold to the perma-
nent school fund. The suggestion meets my
approval for the reason that any increase
of our state levy at this time to meet these
| bonds would work hardship on our tax
payers, and the further fact that In these
ldays when many unsafe and unquestlonable
bonds are being hawked around, an invest
Sment of this kind will protect this fund that
has beens' side for the educational pur-
poses of our state.
Charitable Institutions.
mo class of people should receive the
pity of their fellow men more than the In
mates of our charitable institutions. Many
Of them have been reared In luxury, some
of them are waits of the street and the har-
vest of our present economic conditions, yet
all of them are human and born in the like
ness of their Maker. Their care and COM
fort are a sacred duty imposed upon us by
humanity and all the better elements of our
nature. Some of these institutions are
filled with those to whom the sunlight of
monday and the darkness of midnight are
the same. Others are unable to enjoy con-
versation with their fellow beings, and
nothing takes the place of the senses,
which are most gratifying to humanity.
Some of them are bereft of reason and
struggle through hallucinations against i'm
aginary evils. Some are born into the
world bereft of reason or sense and are
thrown upon our pity and charity from the
beginning. I consider 1t one of the most
essential duties of the executive and the
coordinate branches of the legislature to
see that the best of treatment be accorded
them, that those who care for them should
be kind, attentive and take an interest in
their work, that their food should be clean,
wholesome and plentiful, that the sanitary
conditions of the buildings where they are
confined are conducive to their health, that
the professional duties be administered by
as good talent as the state possesses; in
short, that the gravest duty that we have
todischarge Is In the care of those who are
unable Is care for themselves and are placed
in the institutions of our state as wards of
the state.
"a visiting board for all the charitable,
educational and penal institutions of the
state, with power to come and go and report
abuses to the governor would be a good
thing.
The Asylum at OsawatomIe.
AT the last session Of the legislature, ap-
preparations were made for the rebuilding
OF the central building at this institution,
erection of boilor house, electric light plant
and several minor improvements These
Improvements have all been made, yet, from
The reports of the superintendent of this
Institution find that there are several mat
iers that need your consideration. The
principal one is, that the property has sus-
aimed serious damage which demands re-
pairs, and unless these are accomplished at
he earliest possible moment great injury
viii be done the institution. Not having
mad an opportunity to visit and make per-
konal examination of this matter, would
call the attention of your committees who
visit the different institutions to this report.
Insane Asylum at Topeka.
one Of the largest appropriations that
Mn have to be made by the present legisla-
lure 10 for the care of the destitute insane
bver the state, who could not be accommo-
dated nj the Toneka ana Oqawatov,ga