The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-12-06
FEWER ELECTIONS.
Senator Cubbison Would Have on
GERS Hold One Term of Four Years.

GERS Hold One 1erm OF -Four Years.
j. X Cubbison. of Wyandotte county.
Republican senator elect, proposes a
constitutional amendment providing for
the election of all state and county off,
GERS at the same time once every four
years, for one term of that duration,
which disquaIifies all such officers from
a second term at any time following
their first elevation to the office.
This proposition is made by Mr.. Cub
bison with two purposes in view:
First-To extend the term of Office by
adding two years to the present term
and TO do away with second termers-
Sec0nd-TO abolish the annual cleo
lions which are now held and to cut
down the now heavy expense of cleo
tion@
This proposition was submitted to the
legislature four years ago when Mr..
Cubbison was a member of that body,
although a representative of the mi
nority. At that time the Populists con-
sentative Trueblood, of Usage. chairman
Of the house committee of ways and
means, supported Cubbison's BILL but
the Populists divided on the proposition
and it failed.
'.As the law now stands" said Mr..
Cubbison, there is an election every
year in Kansas. Once every four years
there is the regular national election
Every two years state officers are
chosen, and every fall there is an cleo
ton for county officers. This frequency
of elections entails a large expense,
which the taxpayers must meet.
There are 105 counties in the state,
and the election expenses run from 81 900
to $1,000 a fair average being 81 500 in
each county the state over. This would
make total of $157, 500 expended by the
state each year for elections.
This includes the printing and dis
tributiOn of ballots, rent of booths, rent
of polling places, salaries for judges and
clerks of election, special officers to
the expense which individual candidates
are at in hiring carriages and campaign
strikers Then there is also an expense
of the various partisan committees. all
of which comes from the people, di-
rectly or indirectly.
TT is customary to give state officers
q denomination when they serve a term
of two years. l am in favor OF making
the terms of the state officers four years,
and place them on a level with the
country officers so far as the disquan-
fjcati0n for q second term goes
Nowadays the completion Of one
election marks the beginning of prepa-
rations for the next. The Office seekers
keep up a continued agitation, as
though they believed that the only hope
of the country was in their election TO
some place of trust and salary This
agitation disturbs business. Less than
a month ago a prolonged battle was
brought to a close. Now we are facing
another in municipal affairs. This is
true all over the state. The plans of
the politicians are now being made for
the spring election. That ended, and the
county Office seekers come in for a sum-
mer round. SO it goes from one end of
the year to the other.
zone term and no reelection would
cause a man to work more for the in
terests of the people he represented than
for the upbuilding of an organization
to insure his denomination and re-elec-
ton.
THE changes which suggest will not
he vol Nf O
their living in political campaigns, but
the men who pay the expense will favor
it I am sure
Governor Stanley favors changes in
the election laws which will do away
with so many elections. He also favors
the extension of the term of Office. one
term making a man ineligible for a
second.
The indications are that Mr.. Cubbi-
sons proposed amendment will be sub
nofftnd