Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1898-09-15

entitled TO any special credit Mr.
Stanley neglected to state that the
people took Il different view Of this
matter and felt that in view OF the ut
ter failure Of his republican prcdeces-
sors TO do their plain duty, that spc-
cial credit was really due to an officer
having proper regard for the interests
Of the people, Mr. Stanley juggled
the figures showing tho income from
this department under the present and
preceding administrations, IN such n
way us to really make it appear that
McNall had not turned into the treas
ury many thousands OF dollars in cx-
cess of deposits Of his republican pred
ccessor OF course Stanley's hearers
did not take these figures seriously as
there was probably no one present who
was not more familiar with the facts
than the speaker
Considerable time was spent in show
Ing that the valued policy law was en-
acted by republicans and that republic
can superintendent had invariably de-
clnred for the enforcement Of the law.
Mr.. SANKEY'S lack Of knowledge Of
Kansas affairs probably accounts for
the fact that he omitted reference to
the fact. that republican superintend.
ents had merely stated that the law
should be enforced and then spent
their time taking life easy, while all
of the companies that chose to do SO,
violated the law without restraint.
Mr.. Stanley was deeply grievcd be-
cause the populsts had reconstructed
their state plank on the railroad ques-
ton to conform to the decisions of the
United States supreme court, He has
discovered that this was u very unwise
thing for populists TO do, notwithstand-
ing that he and his present associates
always insisted that u maximum freight
law was not only unconstitutional, but
that it would be ruinous to the rail-
road interests of the state. He cited
the act that in 1893 Mr. Grcenlce, Of
Reno county, prepared u bill, which in
some respects covered the same ground
as the plank in the 1893 populist plat
form, and claimed that populists voted
against this bill. OF course he knew
that ut the timo the United States SUI
preme court had not declared squarely
against maximum freight laws, and
that populists were honestly cndeav-
oring to enact legislation in line with
their platform pledges.
Mr.. Stanley should pOrenthetically
observe at this point OF his speech that
it was utterly impossible to get the
Douglas house railroad committee to
report this Greenlee bill until after the
Dunsmore house committee came in
and the railroad committee was in
creased in number in order TO give
the populists representation. Stanley
neglected TO cite any record OF the
house of representatives showing that
the members Of the house elected by
the populists voted against the Green
lee bill.
Mr.. Stanley admitted that the school
book law had many good qualities and
also admitted that there was some vir-
tue in the stock yards law. He has
evidently been down among the peo-
pie to the extent that he has discover
ed that these and most all other laws
passed by the populist legislature were
so popular with the people that he
could not afford to speak of them in
disparaging terms.
In his reference TO national politics,
Stanley claimed the credit for the con-
struction of the navy under the Iar-
rison administration. But Stanley
will learn when he has made some.
thing of study of public affairs that
| the construction Of the present navy