The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1898-08-26
ALL PLEDGES BROKEN
populist Platform Of 1906 Repudi-
ated by Its Representatives
Promises ofthe Abilene Convent ion shame
fully Disregarded and Every Measure
Demanded Defeated by Popuiist
Votes in the Legislature.

Before referring to the platform
adopted by the populist state conven-
ton yesterday the value OF this new
| platform may be indicated by compar-
ing the last state platform adopted
with the record of the populist legis-
lature, that party having two-thrds
majority in the senate and large
working majority in the house.
The platform adopted by the abb
lepe convention which nominated
Leedy and Doster and the present state
administration, said:
We condemn the republican house for failing
and refusing TO pass the bills sent to them from
the populist senate. which provided for the
taxation Of judgments the reduction OF the le-
gal rate Of interest and providing penalty for
usury. placing credits upon an equality with
| other property for the purposes Of taxation,
the anti-Pinkerton law. the exemption Of the
| personal earnings OF wage-workers and the
maximum freight law.
We favor the enactment OF maximum
freight law and the election OF a board OF rail-
road commissioners by the people
We demand laws which shall prevent the
product Of convict labor from coming nso COM
petition with the products Of free labor and re-
ducing its reward
We demand that oil public salaries shall be
reouced to correspond with prices Of labor and
Its products
We invite the prsyerful considera-
ton OF all readers Of the Capital TO
these specific pledges in their order as
adopted by the Abilene convention.
|. The taxation of Judgments This
was proposed in the last legislature in
n bill introduced by Senator Forney,
populist 1t was defeated in the SEN
ate. But getting scared late in the
session, the Legislature passed the bill.
IL has been held null and void by two
Kansas district judges.
. The reduction OF the legal rate of
interest A bill to this effect was in
troduced in both houses of the last
Legislature. 1t was Overwhelmingly
defeated after full discussion, by pop
ulist votes.
3. Placing credits upon an equality
with other property for the purpose
OF taxation. This was proposed and
urged in the senate and the bill was
defeated by populist votes
4. Passing over the buncombe anti
Pin kerton resolution, the exemption
OF wages was defeated by the house.
5. The maximum rate bill. Repub-
Leans had BEEN denounced in every
populist platform since 1890 for de-
feating populist efforts TO enact such
law. In n caucus of the populists OF
of the senate in the last legislature,
the % populist senators being present,
motion to strike out the maximum
clause in the Harris railway bill was
adopted by l5 votes TO 10. The bill,
with the maximum clause stricken
out, passed both houses by practical
~ unanimous vote and was vetoed by
the governor.
6. The election Of the board Of rail-
road commissioners by the people.
This was introduced in the senate
and was voted down by populist votes.
: Z. Preventing the product Of convict
labor (coal, in this state) from coming
into competition with free labor in
the open market This could be done
without the enactment OF a law,
merely by the consent of the state ad-
ministrat!on and its appointees in
charge OF the penitentiary coal mine.
But penitentiary coal has not only
been sold in the open market, but il was
sold at a price below the market rate.
1t was thrown on the market at the
time of the coal strike. Furthermore,
vestigated the penitentiary manage
ment and recommended that peniten-
tiary coal be restricted TO the use of
the state institutions and the Leaven-
worth market The recommendation
was defeated by populist votes
s. The demand that public salaries
be reduced to correspond with prices
and labor. Not a salary of a state
officer was touched. Salaries of the
chancellor and professors of the state
! university were severely cut Salaries
r of the faculty of the state normal and
q the agricultural college were materi-
. ally reduced, though the board of
, regents of the latter institution since
], il was de-republicanized have
= paid higher salaries than are
provided in the bill. When the sal
1 aries bill was up Il motion was made
{ by populist senator, in accordance
: with the platform, 10 reduce the gov
o ernor's salary from SS, 900 TO 81, 500. 1t
0 was overwhelmingly voted down by
{ populist votes. No further effort TO cut
salaries was attempted. Senator
j Jumper stated in debate that the oh
5 ject could be attained by leaving the
;. salaries alone, but reducing the specific
4 appropriations This was done. He
:. added that owing to their fidelity TO
5, reform principles the reform officials
5 would accommodate their drafts on
g the treasury TO the amounts appropri-
r Ated The result is that every official
+ whose salary appropriation was re-
I duced drew his customary monthly al
= lowance until the total annual appro-
priation was exhausted and expects to
g get the balance of his usual salary
i when the treasury is flush. Ed Little
). drew the entire yearly appropriation
K for his Office in nine months and then
e went TO war HIS successor finds no
/ money, but is counting on the next
]. legislature to reimburse him for work.
r ing for nothing. A score and more OF
3. state officials or appointe tees are IN iden-
N tically the same position.
=. SO much for the eight principal