Arizona republican., 1898-03-27
KANSAS'S WILD GOVERNOR.


 paid a compliment to Governor 'Leedy of Kansas, saying that the cratic ex- ecutive, who had made a stir by his remarkable utterances in public docu- ments, had at last come to understand conditions better and was inclined to show more common sense. It was re- lated that the governor had paid a quiet visit to New York city and had become impressed with what he saw there, and by the removal of many wrong notions concerning conditions in the great city, that he was disposed to feel more kindly toward the people of the east and capitalists" in general. MT. Matthews expressed the opinion | that the governors personally-ob tained knowledge had the effect of moderating his extreme populistic views
 But Mr. Matthews was mistaken and Governor Leedy has broken out twice within a fortnight. He was very indignant because the supreme court of the United States had knocked out the Nebraska railroad act which restricted the rates for freight and passengers to be charged by compa- nies doing business in that state. The court, however, laid it down as it's opinion that the states had the right to 1egislate in the matter of railroad rates, but not to the extent of fixing maximum rates that prevented a rev enue sufficient to meet expenses and to pay proper return on capital in vested. Governor Leedy fairly boiled over in his abuse of the supreme court. saying that it's decision was "an un- clean verdict for the railroad con- panies and that no matter how care fully the robes of justice are folded about the personnel of the supreme court, those robes can no longer con- ceal the c1oven hoof of official malfea- sance and usurpation."
 All of which is amusing when it is considered that the decision of the supreme court, by what the governor called its Corrupt and rotten prac- tice," made it clear that states had the perfect right to legislate as to railroad rates, but that they must not do so in a destructive way against the railroad companies. Governor Leedy declared that the only remedy would be for the people to deal with the courts or to build railroads of their own The latter alternative is open to any state or any body of men that sees fit and there is nothing to pre- vent the state of Kansas from building a score or railroads through the length and breadth of that state and fixing and charging any rate that is deemed fit.
 By all means let Governor Leedy set about to build railroads. The taxpay- CTS of Kansas would soon discover that running railroad was an ex- pensive business even though the rates that now obtain be provided. The Kansas governor evidently did not comprehend the full meaning of the supreme courts decision. The victory was for the railroad companies in Ne braska, but it was also a marked vic tory for those who stand for state rights.
 Governor Leedy is also dissatisfied with the action of congress in stand ing by the president and with the course of the administration in strengthening the army and navy. He says that the increase in the army is not for the purpose of fighting Spain. but simply to procure a more formid- able standing army with which to keep down strikes and international trou- bles at home" Just what these "in- ternational" troubles at home are the bombastic governor does not specify. If Governor Leedy will cast his eye over the history of the country since he was able to read he will discover that the federal troops are not called upon to settle strikes as a rule until such strikes interfere with what are national affairs. A few regular troops were sent to Pittsburg in 1877, but they did nothing much there In 1894 President Cleveland did send regular army men to Chicago to preserve or der, and simply because the disorder that then existed there interfered with interstate commerce, with which the national government is closely iden- tifed. President Cleveland did what the governor of Illinois and the mayor of Chicago refused to do and the rest of the country was behind him. with the exception of the Debses and the Altgelds.
 The governor of Kansas is not evenly balanced. He is pretty much of jackdaw and his temporary return to sanity, noted by MT. Matthews, ap- pears to have passed over.