The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1897-09-24
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Republican papers have spsnt much
-ims this summer pointing TO what they |
,sll the corrupt, disFeputabie record OF
she last Legislature. AS usual they
have nothing to base these yarns upon
except that a few msn elected by popu-
list votes are alleged to have sold their
votes snd influences. This was a very
disFsputabis proceeding. these papers
say, but they scrupulously avoid any
to the fact that every mem
Der who was accused Of selling out
voted with the republican minority.
They cannot hope TO develops any pO-
litical capital by showing that men
we're hired to support the republican
position while no one has even 50 much
as intimated that any undue influence
vas brought to bear On any member to
secure bis support for populist meas
ures. There is also profit somewhere
for somebody in public measures which
are adopted as a result of bribery. An
other fsvOrite charge which is being
continually reiterated by the republi-
can press is that the legislature was
sxtFsyagant, that the legislative halls
we're filed with hoard Of unnecessary
employees and that public money was
| reeklessly sqaandered. The facts are
shown by the state auditors books
There a record of the money drawn
and The names Of the persons who drew
it, can be found. These records show
that in 1895, the republican legislature
had 335 employees, 204 of whom we're OF
the house pay roll and 13l on that Of
the senate. In 1897, with both house;
controlled by popnlists, the house pay
roll contained I'D names and the ssn
sts's S8, making q total Of 200, which
was 1876 less than ia 1895. If the legis
latufs Of 1897 had a lot Of useless en-
ployes, what about the republican
army of employees in 1895? Now, as to
the actual money paid out at each SEES
sion. In 1895 the total payments Of
legislative expenses were s86,229.47
while in 1897 S72,O291O was paid out
When figures on legislative expendi
lures are made it should be borne in
mind that the salary and mileage Of
members is fixed By constitutional en-
actment, and is, therefore, a matter over
which the members have no control
If the amounts paid for this purpose
are deducted the remainder will show
the amount expended over which the
legislature did have direct control
No compilation of the amounts draw
for salary and mileage by members o.
the 1897 legislature has yet been made
but in 1895 the amount drawn for this
purpose was s36327. The number 0.
members and of the districts remain
unchanged from year to year, so tina
the salary and mileage account can mo-
vary very much. It is reasonable Il
assume that the 1885 figures are a fail
average. Deducting s56,327 from $50,
292.47 it appears that in 1895 s49, 965. L
was expended over which the members
had control The deduction Of the
same amount from s72,059.1O show;
that in 1897 the amount was S35, 79l.80
In other words, where the republicans
spent $500 the populists spent s2.14
making a saving of almost one-third
The 1895 legislature republican, which
was in session sixty days, cost 1892 5
per day, while the 1897 legislature (pop.
ulist), which was in session sixty-fOuI
days, cost s557.S4 per day, showing an
actual saving of s274.91 for each and
every day of the session. In the mat,
ter of daily expense the pOpulists cost
was a few cents more than 500, where
the republicans spent $500. These
! figures being taken from the state
auditors records of the money actual.
ly paid out are absolutely correct
This is the sort of a record pOpulists
we're pledged TO make. It is the sort
of record that is necessary to relieve
the taxpayer. It is what the people
may expect as a result of continuing
| populists Ia Office.