Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1897-01-20
GOVERNORLEEDY' MESSAGE
FIRST DOCU MENT OF THE
NEW EXECUTIVE,
DEFENDS STATES CREDIT.
Legisiature Urged to Pass Maximum
Freight Rate BiII-No Mention Of
Prohlbition--Condit of All
Branches of the Government
Reviewed-Strict Econ
Omy Urged.

TO the Legislature: With profound re-
sret for the misfortunes of our more pre-
tentous sisters of the East 1 congratulate
tne state OF Kansas upon the many simple
dressings that have fallen to us in these
sdverse times. While those who clarnor
tOr 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
Orlngs sad calamity to the chief capitals
"here fortunes accumulate, the less i'm
posing but quite as useful repositories of
Kansas savings are giving gratifying evil
nences OF stability. While according To the
press OF the nations most populous metro
polis her children linger in the streets I'M
tdugntexcept in the lore of the pavement,
unted 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 a
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
scnool room for every Kansas child and for
such struggling waits as come to us from
where penury and parsimony stalk side by
slue' 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-
lenges admiration, Grub street scribblers
on venal press, which panders to the
most vicious instincts of semi-civilized for
elBn colonies like New York CITY and Chi
cago, with semi ba Ibaric splendor at the
apex, ana mi-barbaric squalor at the base
Oh thelr social life, have offered their puny
ana preSumptuouS criticism of those whose
shoestrlngs they are not worthy to un-
loose. The dogs of Egypt have barked 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 well know that Kansas was a
pillar OF cloud by day and pillar of fire by
night, before an oppressed people IN the
oauon's darkest hour We shall keep those
hres alight in our camps and that smoke
ascending from our hilltops till this is in
need government of the people and for the
people and by the people.
For she failed you not in the ca .ly day
ana 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.
In full and exhaustive report the state
treasurer sets forth our financial condition
@hlch shows that at the beginning of the
iscal year, July l, 1894, there were SS42-
IZo23 on hand, and that the receipts dur
ng the fiscal year ending June 80, 1895 and
lo96, were S4,S9S, ,O9l.S3, making total of
i5,740,410.O6. The disbursements for the
Two years named above were S5,135, ,SS9 90,
eaving balance in the treasury June 80
1896, of S6O4 529.10 The report for the
rear ending December 81, 1896, shows that
The balance on hand was 1868 $685. and
mat the permanent school fund amounts TO
H,016, 993 10
January 1, 1895, our state bonded indebt-
sdness was S7SS, 300 On March I5 1895.
maid Tt1t
200, which leaves at present a bynded in
aebtedness of S6S2, 900: S449 900 of these
bonds are owned by the permanent school
fund. $4,000 by the permanent university
fund and the balance, 1924 900, by individu-
ais and corporations. On July l. 1897 and
Iuly 1, 1898. 1920 900 in per cent bonds be-
come due.
THE state treasurer in his report recon-
nends that the whole amount be refunded
n 4 per cent bonds and sold to the perma-
lent school fund. The suggestion meets nv
lpproval for the reason that any increase
~ our state levy at this time TO meet these
bonds would work a hardship on our tax
payers, and the further fact that, in these
lays when many unsafe and unquestionable
bonds are being hawked around, an invest
nent Of this kind will protect this fund that
laS been set aside for the educational pur-
poses of our state
Charitable Institutions.
NO 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. vet
all OF them are human and born in the like
ness of their Maker. Their care and COM
fort are 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
nn axra md fha arlyt ,NE, At
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 consider IL 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 bv
as good talent as the state possesses; in
short, that the gravest duty that we have
to discharge is in the care of those who are
unaOle Us care IOr the mSelveS 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, APP
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
ters that need your consideration. The
principal one is. that the property has sus-
tanned serious damage which demands re-
pairs. and unless these are accomplished at
the earliest possible moment great injury
will be done the institution. Not having
had an opportunity to visit and make per-
sonal examination of this matter would
call the attention of your committees who
visit the different institutions to this report
Insane Asylum Mt Topeka.
one of the largest appropriations that
viii have to be made by the present legisla-
ture Is for the care of the destitute insane
over the state, who could not be accommo-
dated at the Topeka and osawatomie
asylums
For the present, believe that the asylums
at Topeka and osawatomie should be COM