Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1901-01-10

the society Of labor and Industry. The
more important legislation urged. is:
First. An arbitration and Cancellation law.
Second, A chlld-labor law. prohibiting the
Of age in factories and workshops, except
under certain conditions prescribed by
law. Third, A free employment agency
law, under the control OF the labor bu-
reau. ! submit these questions for your
consideration, with the assurance that
you will give to organized labor such
recognition as Its interests may require.
To Reimburse Railroads.
An appropriation Of $1,000 is urged to
reimburse railroad companies for haul
ing the Twentieth Kansas volunteers
from San Francisco. A high tribute Is
paid the volunteers who enlisted for the
Spanish-American war and it would be
very fitting II the state could make suit
aJle recognition of the high sense OF
,.lty which prompted the enlistment OF
inese regiments, and their willingness to
s,.ve in any capacity In which the coun-
ny might call them.
For v New Election Law.
One of the great objects to be attained
In popular free govc..ln Is an loness
election where every nan shall cast bal
lot as he desires, and have 1t counted as
he casts 1t. In 1898 this state pas. Il the
law CDIHUlOIlIy huOWH dt tIC huSts stidh
ballot law" which in some form go, rms
elections In nearly all Of the states of the
union; and while this law has prevented
many Of the frauds practiced before Its
passage, its requirements are not thor
oughly understood by all Of the voters.
and this lack Of understanding often re-
suits In the elector falling to cast his
vote for some Of the candidates ior wnom
he desires to vote. The law should be
amended that the elector SO desiring
might by single mark cast his vote for
all of the nominees of a particular party.
The counting Of the ballots In the large
precincts requires so much time, that 1t
Is often not completed until the day AFTER
election, thus requiring the services OF
judges and clerks for two days. Iwo
sets Of judges and clerks with two ballot
boxes, SO that the ballots might pc
counted each hour, would result In the
counting of the vote shortly after the
close of the polls, with little, If any, ad-
ditional expense. Honesty in elections can
hardly be expected where duplicity is
openly practiced In the nomination of can
didates and when the ballot 10 Dc cast
at the election Is deception. some
higher motive ought to characterize
political party than the desire for office,
and this Is hardly possible where the
fusion of opposing elements actuated by
no higher desire than the spoils OF Of
fee, is permitted. Deception and pre-
tense in nominating conventions ana III
the arrangement of the ballot Is as mucn
fraud upon the rights of the voter ana
is as great a menace to an honest elec-
ton as any other species OF fraud y
candidates name appears once upon
the ballot, it gives every elector an OPP
portunity of voting for him for the office
which he seeks, and 1t should appear only
once Fusion is fraud and should NOT De
tolerated. Fusion, OF principles IS I'M
possible. A law should be enacted pro-
viding that no mans name should appear
upon the ballot more than once az can
didate for the same office
The Klondlke Evil
In 1896 the government established near
the city of LeavenwOrth soldiers nome
for the care of the soldiers and sailors
of the civil war who, by reason OF IN.
trinity or misfortune, were. dependent
upon the public for support. Many OF the
inmates In this home are pensioners, ana
the aggregate amount received as pen
sions Is very large. Men and women wltn
no regard either for the rights OF tnese
dependent people or the laws OF tne sag
opened up and established houses OF IN
fanny and places for gambling and the sale
of intoxicating liquors, and at the time
of the Oayment of pensions these people
congregate in large numbers ABOUT the
home for the purpose OF obtaining tnis
pension money. Efforts have been maae
to suppress these resorts, ana Whiie mu-
menced and many Of these haunts tenn.
porarily closed, the efforts of the ad,
rninistration so far have been ATTENDED
with only Indifferent success. A law
making the keeping OF intoxicating nq-
uors with intent to sell the same WITHIN
certain distance Of the home, mis-
demeanor, prescribing penalty, ana pro-
viding that the finding OF lntoxicatihg o ~,
within such distance should be be pre-
sumptiye evidence that the same were
kent for unlawful sale, might be en-
forced, and greatly assist In suppresslng
the evils which have mentioned: ! most
earnestly urge the enactment Ol such =
law, with view OF the suppression Vi
thnse Infamous resorts.
Assessment and Taxation.
The entire law governing assessment
and taxation should be revised. Inc
present law provides that az property
shall be assessed at Its actual value
SCISSORS of the different counties meet In
their respective counties before COM
mencing their work and consult as to
the best methods Of avoiding this statute:
The limit fixed by law for the session OF
the legislature does not AFFORD sui1cient
time for a thorough revision of the tax
law. Should the legislature make pro
vision for the appointment OF COM
mission to revise the present law tnelr
renort TO be presented to the next legis-
lature, the desired purpose might be ac-
complished
State Printing Extravaganza.
There has been great extravaganza In
this department. So much so, That not
withstandng liberal appropriations have
uniformly been made for public printing,
there have always been large deficien-
cies. Thousands Of useless reports are
published every two years, many by rea-
son of the requirements of the statute.
The constitution provides that all public
printing shall be done by the state print.
err, and, as a consequence, not only al
reports but all blanks used by ths diff
.,- r,u Ins,uutIuns are SO printed. rr1nt-
ing offices have been established at a
number Of the state institutions and but
for the requirement Of the constitution
above mentioned much Of the printing
could be done at these institutions at
Lltle expense to the state, and all OF the
printing could be done under private
contract at much less than Is now paid.
.
amendment to the constitution provid-
ing that all printing should be placed
under the direction Of the executive
council, to be done under such direction
and at prices to be fixed by contract.
The Good Roads Movement.
Interest in the question Of good roads
has been growing and numerous meet
ings have been held In the state to dis
cuss and study this subject. The report
of the secretary of agriculture shows
that we raised in Kansas last year more
than 200 100000 bushels Of corn and wheat.
1t is safe to say that more than 100000
900 bushels of this crop found its way to
market, and was hauled to the nearest
station In wagons.
Little has been done to improve the con-
iition of the public highways In the
state, In manv localities the condition
Of orr natural roads Is good, In others,
bad. Therefore the need for good roads
NAV be very much more pressing In one
locality than another. II the county and
township boards were given additional
power In the collection and expenditure
Of public money for the purpose of i'm
PROVING the highways In their respective
counties and townships, II would enable