The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-01-31
A VOICE HEARD.
From "the Great Southwest"
Asking Recognition
For the Republicans of South
western Kansas.
LETTER FROM FINNEY
Dated Garden City, January %,
on the Subject
Complaining of Getting No APP
pOintments.
LETTER FROM FINNEY

The Republicans of Finney county
want recognition from the state admin
istration for the great southwest
which they claim has been overlooked
by all except the Lewelling and Leedy
administrations, in the distribution OF
Offices
The Republicans of that county, rep
resented by their chairman, have sent
to each member Of the Republican state
executive committee, the following let
ter. dated Garden City, Jan. IS:
Il believe that Governor Stanley ap-
preciates and would appreciate what
You say to him ON party policy in the
matter of appointments and offer the
following suggestions as to why it is
good politics to throw at least ore
principal appointment to southwestern
Kansas and poor politics. yea, danger
Gus politics not to, towit:
''First-Southwestern Kansas is a. dis
tinctive locality, and has always been
true, furnishing a larger per cent of Re
publican members of the legislature
than any other part of the state, and
has not thus far received a principal ap-
polntment at the hands of the governor
or any other state officer.
Second-State printer is not an ap-
polnt1ve office when the legislature
States senators; besides none of these
are now held by southwestern Kansas
and never were so held.
Third-While southwestern Kansas
forms part of the big Seventh district,
yet 1t does not thereby lose its identity
either as a distinctive locality, or other
wise. And the principal appointments
by the governor and other state officers
thus far have been thrown to other
parts of the state than southwestern
Kansas. Without complaining, the fact
is that the appointments already made
to the Seventh district are all on ex-
IRENE eastern end thereof. over 200 miles
from the western line. The Seventh dis
tr1ct comprises almost quarter of the
territory of the state and locality and
territory are kindred terms. In virtue
of the large vote of the Seventh the
state has an-at-large; if we
are to apportion the appointments by
the congressional vote then who shall
get the pro rata of the eighth congress-
man? If the state had been redistricted
for congressional purposes as the law
required and requires, is it likely that a
single principal appointment now made
by the governor and other state officers
would be within the southwestern dis
trict? And answer, no. And on the
last mentioned basis there would only
be one state officer in the southwestern
district and he on the extreme north
line thereof.
''Fouth-wanace county, Graham
county and Lincoln county have each
been recognized by this state admins
tration, viz: Assistant superintendent of
public instruction. assistant secretay
of state and director penitentiary-
these are all northwest. Southwest has
e000.
.Fifth-The Pops under Lewelling
and Leedy took an adjutant general
from Garden City (Artz);a railroad COM
missioner from Stafford Campbell; a
warden for the penitentiary Nandis);
governors private secretary (Lewis),
and several others from southwestern
Kansas.
I'm conclusion I would ask you as
one having the welfare of the party at
heart, to think over these things not
withstanding you may have Endorsed
everybody else but southwestern appli-
cants for appointment, and kindly but
emphatically ask that you insist that
justice be done southwestern Kansas
The party can aford TO De just to US,
before through a blind generosity and
unreasonable selfish appeals from 9TH
erS. it makes it impossible to be just.
Il also want to call your attention
to the fact and the law, that under the
constitution of the state of Kansas and
the statutes of Kansas, the only district
locality either expressly or implicitly
prescribed in the making of principal
appointments is the senatorial district,
because such appointments are made by
the governor with the consent and ad-
vice of the state senate. OF course, the
choose their assistants from wherever
they please, and the average of the sal
aries of their first assistants is larger
than the average of the salaries of the
officers appointed by the governor with
the consent and advice of the state SEN
ate. And so far none of the three south
western senatorial districts have re-
ceived any appointment at the hands of
either the governor or the other state
officers by way of a principal appoint
ment, but all of the appointments which
have been made are east and north of
southwestern Kansas
Before. at and since the Hutchinson
convention to last November's election
inclusive. our party promised that every
publican in each and every part of
the state should and would be treated
fairly and promises and pledges of this
kind should be kept in both the letter
and the spirit.
7 have not intended to directly or in
directly make any threat in a portion
of the above letter. for when I said
dangerous politics, I meant that any
action not good politics would be poor
politics and the result thereof would
not be beneficial, hence liable to be
otherwise"
PROTEST AGAINST IT.