Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-02-24
WILL STRENGTHEN BOURBON RULE
IN REPyBLICax CITIES.
IN LINE WITH STEPHENS PLANS
SENATE VOTES FOR STATE LICENSE
COMMISSIONERS
To Have Control of License Coliertion
in St Louis ard Kansas City-ro
Be Appointed by the Gov
eruor AND Receive
Fat Fees

Jefferson City. Mo-. Feb 2.-tSpeciaD
That the Democrats Of Missouri are deter
mined to build up strong political ma
chine In the large cities OF the state was
shown to-day by the action Of the senate
upon senate bill No. u This bill was in
troduced by Senator Lancaster, OF St LOU
is, and was ordered TO engrossment after
hot discthsion, by strict party vote As
originally drawn, its title read:
ITO create the office OF license comrIis-
sioner in cities having a population of co.
90 Inhabitants or more. and to provide for
the appointment and to define the duties of
such commissioner but after the failure
of attempts to amend IL so as to reduce the
compensation of the proposed commission
er, Senator Young, of Kansas City, offered
an amendment making it apply to cities of
100000 population or more. The original bill
applied only to ST. Louis. Now it is aDplica-
BILE to Kansas City. So far is known
here, there is no demand for a license
commissioner at Kansas City. and the ac-
ton of Senator Young could have been
prompted only by the desire of himself and
fellow Democrats to aid the governor in
Strengthening the political machine in Kan
sas City that he is accredited with intend
ing to build up.
This bill makes it plainly apparent that
1t Is the purpose of the Democratic leaders
of Missouri TO centralize the state govern
ment to the fullest possible extent. In or
der to do SO, the number of appointive Of
ficers is to be greatly increased Bureaus
to control the collection of revenues and to
INSPECT grain and insurance companies and
various other things are to be created.
Each head of the proposed departments or
bureaus Is to be appointed by the govern
or. and while the number of subordinates
will be limited at first, they will be grad
uaiiy increased With departments like
those provided for in the Lancaster bill 10
Gated in Kansas City and st. Louis filed
with Democrats and working in harmony
with Democratic boards of police commits
sioners in these cities, it is believed by the
Democratic state officials and members of
both houses of the legislature and the DEM
ocratic bosses in these cities that the Re
publican majorities can De overcome and
they can be once more possessed by the
Democracy. The honest citizens of Kansas
sorrow what it means 20 have its govern
meHt in the control of gang machine
claiming to act for the party.
The bill, as amended, provides that the
governor shall appoint, by and with the
advice and consent of the senate. license
commissioners for two years. their terms
of office TO begin on the 1st day of July,
1887. Each commissioner must give a bond
in the sum of sS9.000 to insure the faithful
performance of his duties, said bonds to be
cities. - '' ''' Va - NV -o9i'eo''''
The license commissioner is to receive, as
full compensation for his services. per
which he shall deduct and retain from his
daily collections and deposits.
He is also required to pay all expenses Of
his office out of his collections.
Section of the bill takes the collection
of all licenses except dramshop and water
licenses away from the. county and city
collectors in Kansas City and st. Louis.
This section is as follows:
THE said license commissioner or COM
missioners shall have m the sole authority to
and description which may be for any pur-
pose authorized, permitted or provided for
by any law Y, Of this ;, STATE IT, or BY any law or or
license may have or receive any right,
privilege or benefit to be exercised or en-
joyed in such city; and it shall be unlaw-
ful for any other person or officer to grant
or isue any such license, or for any person
to accept or receive any such license from
any other person or officer; and any person
shall be fined not less than $50 nor more
than $500, or imprisoned not more than
three months, or by both fine and impris-
Provided, that this act shall not apply
In any. respect to dramshop licenses or
collecting of which shall be excluded from
the operation of this act.
The avowed reason for introducing this
bill was that Colonel Zeigenheim, of st.
Louis had failed to collect all of the mer-
chants and other licenses in that city,
and for that reason the creation of the
office of collector of licenses for that city
was a necessity. Until after the close of
the debate not word was said about the
necessity of making the bill apply to Kan
the taxes there. Senator Young's amend-
ment was doubtless part of a prearranged
plan. of which none but those who had the
bill in charge, and who instigated it, were
aware It certainly was surprise to all
the Republican senators. Had they known
that this amendment was coming, they
the bill and to show that it was nothing
but a scheme to authorize Governor Ste
phens to lay the foundation OF strong per-
sonal and partisan machines in Kansas
In speaking for his bill. Senator Lam
caster said twenty clerks at an annual sal
ary of 81 .eoo each would be required by the
that the creation of the Office would result
in the annual collection of about s1OO00o
additional revenue from licenses in tha,
city.
Senator Gray contended that the Office
was not necessary. but seeing that the
Democratic senator's were determined to
create IL, he offered an amendment reduc-
ing the collectors compensation to per
cent of the amount of his collections. This
amount. he said. would make the Office pay
between $4,000 and $4,000 year.
He severely scored his Democratic coll
leagues for their evident determination 10
sauander the peoples money. He said that
they were elected after making bombastic
promises to reduce the running expenses
Of the state and county governments. .At
a time said he. when Democrats upon
the floor of this senate are trying to limit
the expenditure of moneys for the use OF
the public schools. and when there is a
manifest disposition among the Democratic
members of both houses of the legislature
to deny the state university a permanent
endowment fund upon the plea that the
state Is too poor to afford to spend the
money, we are asked to create an office in
st. Louis that will cost the people so. 900 or
$4,000 and 1t may be $4,000. a year. You
do this In the face of the fact that your
platforms, both state and national, pledge
you to the strictest economy"
Senator Gray's amendment and a substi-
tute therefor offered by Senator Davisson
providing for paying the collector salary
of 5000 per year, were voted down. 1t was
then that Senator Young offered his amend
ment which was adopted. making the bill
apply to cities of 100000 ard more popula-
tion. Senator Young's amendment was
adopted and the bill ordered to engross-
ment by vote of Is yeas to IA nays.
STATE MUST FOOT THE BILL