Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-01-13
GOV. STANLEY5 MESSAGE.
The States Condition of Affairs
Reviewed in Detail.
THE REVENUES AND TAXATION
TIE pntsitc Institution. Prison Refor IN.
State Schools aad CoiioGes-R abroad,
Ecoaon,y In Expenditure. Urged.

1bG tSCNuL VGUltNttlliuLS III Tue NTo u
Cause for gcncral rcloiciag. AMI tic peope OF
CHS state by voice AMI act have given generous
support both ID the aGminist ration and its
policy.
No state ever realized In It's experience tho
sentiment contained In its motto more fully
than our Woarc reaching the highlands
OF prosperity. but we have surely come up out
OF tho iowlauds Of University. The period OF
speculation from 1888 70 1888 caused the inflow
Of large sums OF foreign capital. which were
largely swallowed up or forced to leave tho
state by the reaction aud depression which fol-
lowed; and rs o consequences wa were for the
first time In our history compelled To rely upon
our own resources During the speculative pc
Tiod Eastcra capital sought Investment In the
state--largely In the way OF loans On real es-
tatc-and when the reaction came ncarly all OF
our farms and much ~ our city property was
mort tagged. In many cases fos more Than actual
value and most OF the money obtaiucl' was In
vested md lost In speculation 10 seems
atrangc that 50 Intelligent p3oplo n our own
would incur such d large indebtedness rs they
did for few years prior to 1872. aud largely for
speculative purposes
The voting OF bonds by tho residents OF coun-
ties, townships and cities. the giving OF large
donations tn private enterprises anu the mort
gaging OF private property scanned more ilko
passion than the exercise Of reason; but Tor tho
time being it iniluanscd the people, and when
the craze SuOSlucu INC llilSUL'uicSS wiz si''iN'
I'm most cases for money or benefits actually
re eivcd and we all realized that there was but
one honest way to meat IL. and that was by
payment where pay ment was possible
The condition which confronted the people OF
Kansas in 1870 was diScourag!nS. ana wouiu
have deferred n people less COURAGEOUS. indus
trious and frugal than our own: but "'th the
readiness and willingness which 80 always
characterized them they proceeded to the work
OF discharging their indebtedness and building
up the waste places without the aid Ct outside
capfal-no longer obtaiaable turned 10 tne
tievelopmcnt of our natural resources and in
larger degree than ever. engaged In the t'llage
of our fields, the stocking OF our pastures ana
the working OF our mines. As result the
herds have been increasing. the cribs and gran
aries OF the farmer are we'll filed. labor is In
great demand and finds ready reward, the
statesman who piled politics as trade Is more
In evidence than in demand. AMI the vail OF
calamity has few auditors and no response.
The incurrng Of in lebtedness both public ana
private has largely ceased. and during the last
few years large sums OF private indebtedness
have been paid; public Indebtedness has been,
and is being, largely reduced, and it can be
safely sail that the end OF the long night OF our
folly is at hand, and when the morning comes
VIC will al. greet 1t the more cordially, because
even in the dark night OF our misfortune we
did not yield to tho clamor to compromise our
The report of the secretary OF agriculture
shows that for the past year the value of our
farm products was Sl3i 3S30O; live stock.
0if3 ri 9J3 co. making total OF $3.50, l'l, 7o60o
Agriculture and stock raising being our great
industries. this showing Is very tiattering>
We may get better idea OF this enormous
value when we consider that its equal distribu'
<ion throughout the state would give more
than sl9a 70 to every person, or, estimatin, nvo
members to O family, more than s9OoOJ 10
every family in the state
Hut while farming ID stock raising are our
great industries. they are not our only ones.
The reports OF other industries furnish vaiu-
able information. They show that we have
the largest zinc mining camp in the world. and
chat our COAL oil lead. salt. clay, stone. gypsum
and gas interests have been making very salts
factory advances. The output of lead and zinc
ores In the Galena and Empire City { tricts
exceeded ii, O00.0)) in vane for the first time
In 1895, but during last year tho output was
largely in excess OF $a,Oo 100 The value of the
other products above mentioned. last year. was
approximately as follows:
Coal. observation-disclosures. ........ st'OooooS
OIL ana gas. .....''''''''' 1870 $1,000
Building stone... ........'''.' i.o'oW
Salt. ....'.'''''' sSV'UOV
Gypsum ..'.''.''.'.'''''' . 5o'Vv
Clay products. .......'..' <'''oo'
Tota, 1000
no this add the value of the zirc and load
products AID we have more than W. 1000 MS
the value OF the annual productio- e. indus
tries, nearly all of which are OF recent Cevelop-
nent state of such resources and the won
derfuI possibilities they afford should be our
pride and its furthe; development our great
desire.
Our Public Institutions
The condition of our public institutions is not
entirely satisfactory. The management OF
them has been characterized by too much poll
tics and too little business The people of the
state, at large expense. have made provision
for the care of those who become pubic
charges, and nearly one-half OF the taxes are
expended in making provision for their COM
fort and support The caro- Of theS, persons Is
a trust too sacred to be neglected, and the
amount OF money necessary for their support
too treat to be placed at the disposal of pol
itical freebootcrs. Efficiency, rather than
parsy service should be the test OF fitness for
appointment to responsible positions In con-
uection with the management of our charitable
and penal in 'titutOns, and drunkenness vui-
garity and profanity should be bar to such
q ,pointm,nt and sufficient ground for dis
uissal made SO by law.
II shall be one OF tha objects of my admins
tratton to secure for our public institutions the
highest degree OF honesty and capability in
their management. and to give to the wards of
the state sue sympathy and care as their un-
fortuna C condition demands.
Prison Reform.
The management Of the penitentiary has for
wears been subject OF much difference OF
opinion Two theories have had their advo-
Gates: One, that the psnitentiary should bo
place for che punishment OF criminals, and that
Its management should only have In view the
safe-keep ng of those sentenced to confinement
st the minimum cost; the other. that the
reformation Of the convicts should be the
chief object to he attained and while economy
Is On important consideration, 1t is not the
primary aim Of prison management We have
been proceeding large upon the first theory,
and have looked upon the balance sheet at the
end OF each year as furnishing proof OF the
success or failure Of the cond ct Of this insti-
tuition.
In my Judgment the cost OF conducting our
prisons Is OF great, but not Of first Importance.
The good OF the convicts, their continual bet
torment, and their ultimate reformation, should
be the principal aim Of the administration OF
our penal institutions. Some system OF pro-
motion and change of employment ending in
parole and discharge | as reward for merit
-ccuh be inaugurated. that would set before
the convict the possibility of earning his own
promotion aud final release and from the
moment OF entering prison, furnish him an in
eentiye for obedieuce. faithfulncss and atten-
etc, IN dutu n desire to win tho favor and con-