Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-01-13

Executive Clerk. Observation-Disclosures. Lex
State Accountant ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. ZOO
Stenogriphrr.T yp''"~iter and Messenger l,30t
Rewards and Arres'S INSTRUMENTATION. 2,0)(
Salary OF Lieutenant Governor. ........ zoo
Contingent Fund Observation-Disclosures. 8.O)C
IOtai elV,UV
believe the appropriation for the ensuing
| year may safely BE- limited to
SALARY OF Governor. ....................S 3,OoO
Private Seer starry. Observation-Disclosures. 2,OO1
Rewards ana arrests. Observation-Disclosures. 2,WJ
S,enogr~ phcr. Typewriter and Messen-
ger '.''. .,oOu
Lieutenant Governor Observation-Disclosures. zoo
O. ntingclt Fund. .,......... 5,0C
Total. ............... ....Sll ,UOO
This reduction added to the saving OF the ex-
pense OF tie Board OF Pardons would result II
an Approximate saving in the executive off q
OF more thnn S7,0Jo, and 1 believe like but
probably not proportionatc reduction could
DO made in other Offices and departments with
out impairl ~ their efficiency.
Convict Labor.
The employment OF c)nyicts should be Mt the
basis of good prison management. Keeping
'isoners in ideness would certainly be at
tended with disastrous results. To put the
products OF convict labor on the open market
In competition with free labor would BE- unjust
and to the greatest possible extent 'ou!d be
avoided; but even such competition would be
preferable TO supporting the convlcts in idle
ness. as nothing is SO demoraizng rs i'd mess.
especially when it Is enforced.
Employment being necessary, aad rs the con-
vict can ony be employed in production, the
question OF the disposition OF the products OF
his labor becomes u serious one. II the state
withdraws from the market as a pr )duccr, it
should be al owed to withdraw from the market
as n consumer: ii not permitted to g INFO the
market as seller. IL should not be required 10
enter the market as buyer. The wrong OF the
statc-if wrong at all-in placing the product OF
its mine on the market Ia competition vita the
product OF the mines supported b. FIRE, LABOR,
has been greatly magnfied and misunderstood.
II the state furnishes employment to Its con-
victs, Us 1t must, and Is forced to retire from
the market us u producer, IL must supply, so
far as the product OF prison labor can do SO, Its
own nee IS.
The fuel necessary for the state institutions
ss-Nuad h, sunplied rs has been done. nv prison
labor- The labor not necessary iUr sucu pur-
pose could be used in furnishing the stat, with
its supplies. The convict labo. could be used
in this way TO the fullest extent In the manu-
facture OF many Of the arti les for which the
state pays ont annually large sums of money.
and after time our prisons could be made
practically self-supporting by saving 10 the
state the price OF the supplies furnished an
amount equal to the cost OF conducting these
penal establishments.
The cost Of establishing the plants for the
manufacture Of the different articles would ia
considerable, aud until this was done there
would be large d ficlcncies; but In the end our
convict labor would be employed In uSesu' pur-
suits without coming into competition with the
free labor OF the state except In supplying its
own demands. This system has many alvac-
tages
First--It eliminates convict labor as com.
pcttor OF free labor
Second 1T employs convict labor In useful
pursuits.
Third.-The state creates special market for
the product OF prison labor.
Fourth--lt affords such opportunity for tNe
classification OF labor as TO render promotion
easy and make it desirable for the convicts.
The inauguration Of this system would be
attended with large expense, and its full devel-
opment would take time. but when fnlly es-
tabishe H. would, In my Judgment, be Of profit
TO the state and Of benefit to the convicts.
The Special Session.
On the 18th day OF December last my prede.
cessor issued his proclamation converting the
legislature in special session. The constitution
provides that the governor may on cxtraordi-
nary occasions convene the legislature by pro-
clamation. 1t is hardly necessary to s1y that
at the time OF the issuance Of the proclaim tion
most liberal Interpretation that can be given
these words is that they mean n pressing nec-
essity If any necessity existed fer legislative
Q ton on the 18th day of December 1888 it ex-
listed with equal force during the last regular
session. and would have existed with equal
force at the converting Of the Legislature in reg
ular ses ion less than thirty days atterward
No intelligent person can be deluded into the
belief that an extraordinary occasion was the
real cause for calling the members of the legis-
latnre .geteer
The cen .caton Of the legislature such q
short time before the regular session. and such
n short time after the people had rendered their
verdict in collation. Of the spirit If not the let
ter of the constitution, to perform legislative
acts every one Of which would be Of doubtful
validity. was establishing n dangero S prece-
dent and was menace to the cause of popular
government There is q widespread sent mcnt
that the calling Of the special session was not
within the limitations Of the cor 'tltution. II
this should hereafter prove to DO tr'le, then all
tho laws passed at such session would be un-
constitutional and void, and the ISIS ance of he
proclamation stand without JL tication or OK
uuse.
legislature to the call OF the governor was q
treat compliment to that body, and u strong
illustration of the adaptability o; our system
of government to changing ondit ons. A large
number-if not large majorty--of the menu
hers did not believe in the wis ION OF an extra
session and did not think the extraordinary oc-
cnsion mentioned in the constitute existed:
and yet this coordinate ordach OF the state
oovernment gave prompt obedience to the
Proclamation Of the executive. yielded It's own
will and obeyed the call without questioning
the right. "
To See shooting stars.