Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-12-08
KANSAS NEWS OF RECENT DATE.
court of visitation knocked Out.


Court of Visitation Knocked Out
Judge Hook, of the federal court, |
rendered decision holding unconsti-
tutional the law fixing maximum tele-
graph rates and also declaring uncon-
stitutional that portion of the court of
visitation law which conferred judicial
powers on that court. The two laws
were the creation of the populist leg
islature in special session, called by
Gov. Leedy, after his defeat for re-elec-
ton. The telegraph law reduced the
rate of 25 cents to Is cents and placed
the enforcement of the law under the
control of the court of visitation.
In summing up the points he held
that the telegraph law was unconsti-
tutional because it required the send
ing of messages at less than cost and
therefore deprived the telegraph COM
psny of its property without just COM
pensation. As to the court of vista
ton law he held that the legislature
attempted to clothe the court with all
three governmental powers, legislative,
judicial and executive. In other words,
the court fixes rates as a legislative
act, determines their RESPONSIVENESS
as a judicial act and then enforces the
rates as an administrative act. He held
that the court could not sit in judg-
ment upon its own acts under the four
teenth amendment of the federal con-
stitution.
Believe 1t VIII Promote Matrimony.
The Elmwood club, a fashionable
family club. opened it's club doors at
Topeka last week with an informal re-
ception. The home of the club is the
fine residence of the late Judge C. G.
Foster. One of the rules of the club
permits one-tenth of the membership
to be single men. If a single man,
however. fails to marry within six
| months after joining the club he will
be dropped from membership. It is
believed that this will promote matri-
mony.
VIII Not Tell Their Names.
Officers arrested two men who are
charged with robbing the Bank of
| Bluff City. One was arrested at Win
| field and the other at Arkansas City.
| They refuse to give their names or talk
! of the robbery. When captured one
| man had $500 in gold and $500 in bills.
| The corners of some of the bills are
| torn off and they correspond to the
| pieces of bills found in the bank vault.
| The numbers correspond and the bank
cashier identified them as the same.
| OId-Fashioned Temperance Work.
| There is a revival of signing of tenn
perance pledges in Dickinson county.
| Chapman has been having meetings
and fully 300 signed the pledge, many
| of them hard drinkers. Chapman is
| the place where the reward for evil
| dence recently caused the arrest of two
| joint keepers and there has been fol-
lowing boycott of the supposed in
former. Much bad feeling has been
engendered, but the present meetings
are expected to restore harmony.
| The Jury Could Not Agree.
At Independence after four days de-
| liberation the jury in the case of
| Nicholas Shockman against the M, K.
| & 7. Railroad company for SIS, 900 dam
| ages reported that it could not agree.
| This is the third trial the case has had
in the district court and it was once in
the supreme court. The first trial re-
suited in verdict of $4,000 for the
plaintiff, who is boy ten years old.
! He lost his left arm in an accident on
the road four years ago.
Here Is Real Romance.
Stephen E. Burch, who eloped with
| Mary Greenawalt, of Atchison comfy,
November 20. turns out to be a wealthy
| farmer from Olathe. He feared to marry
woman who knew of his wealth, so
he started out to find girl who would
love him for himself. He disguised
| himself as farm hand, and for a few
days worked for Peter Greenawalt near
Huron. He fell in love with the daugh-
ter, and they eloped to Kansas City.
Kansas State Temperance Union.
7. E. Stevens, secretary of the Kan
las State Temperance union, has issued
the following call:
The seventeenth annual convention Of the
Kansas State Temperance union will be held at
the First congregational church, Topeka, jan
uary 10 and IL. All churches, Sabbath schools
young peoples societies and other religious
temperance organizations are entitled to three
accredited delegates each. In addition all per-
sons contributing to the support OF the union
and all interested in aggressive temperance
work are cordially invited to attend.
VIII Serve Only q Few Days.
Gov. Stanley appointed w. j. Gregg
as judge of the new common pleas
court of Cherokee and Crawford coun-
ties Judge Gregg will serve until
January 8, when the recently elected
judge, Edward Sapp, will succeed him.
Z. w. Brown was appointed clerk, of
the Crawford county division of the
court and E. T. Tucker clerk of the
Cherokee division.
Too Much Excited to Eat
Louie Ostertag, an Atchison boy who
Eerved on the Olympia, says it is all a
lie about Dewey's ships drawing off
from the fight while the men ate a
hearty breakfast. He says the ships
drew off all right, but the men were
!, too excited and exultant to eat a mouth
D full.
Could Hear Gas Roar . Nile Away.
A strong gas well which was drilled