Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1901-10-16
HOW IT WAS DONE.
The ssInside'' of the Method Used i'm
Saddling the New County Printer
Law on the People of Barber
County.


There are few people who know what
great effort it required to saddle the
new county printer law on the county.
hence little light on the subject is not
out of place. The law was written by
Otis Lorton, the present republican
| candidate for the office, soon after the
election last fall when it was known
that the republican candidate for com
| missioner was defeated. When the leg
lslature convened the bill was given to
w. q. Mlliar with the request that it
be introduced in the house of repre-,
sentatlves. This was done and the bill
was referred TO the judiciary commit
tee. The committe took it up, but re-
ported it unfayorably on account of
the high rates, the county purchasing
agent clause and other leaks. The au-
thor of the bill was notified of the &C
ton of the judiciary committee and he
| made trip to Topeka in the interest
of the bill. When he appeared before
| the committee he was told that the bill
was too rank, ir couldn't be debated
and special bills were not popular at
best. But the committee asked MIR.
| Lorton to consent to so per cent re-.
duction of rates and they would make
another attempt to get it through
These terms were refused and Mr.. Lor-
ton left the committee room. The ma
Jorlty of the judiciary committee were
republicans. The bill was then taken to
Senator NoftZger with the request that
1t be introduced In the senate. What
Mr.. Noftzger said at the time is not a
matter OF publicity, but we are told
| that he advised secrecy on the grounds
that it could not be successfully debat.
ed, but that it would be an easy matter
to bunch it at the last days of the Sea-
sion with other local bills and railroad
1t through without reading. Whether
| that was Senator NOftZger's advice or
not, that is the way it was done. There
were only few members present when
| it went through. 1t wasn't read and
nobody knew that it was passed until
1t appeared in the papers a few days
before the legislature adjourned. At
ter the bill had been killed in the house
committee, the Index pointed to The
fact with great satisfaction that the
| outrageous tax breeding measure had
been squelched and we never even
| thought Of its being revived in the sen
ate and omnibused through, and hence
SlnriCn hn,
| of its passage. When the bill was sub
mItted to the governor he refused to
sign it, bat he didn't have the courage
to veto it. He simply permitted it to
become a law without his signature. HI
stated, however, that he did Lot ell
dorse 1t at all. He regarded it at the
| tim as bad law
Now, let us ask, if this law is good
one, as the republican candidate CLAMPS,
| why did his friends In the house COM
mittee refuse to report it favorably :?
| Why was 1t not even read in either
branch OF the legislature? Why wasn't
| there an opportunity given for debate :?
Why was it punched with SO other bills?
Why did republican governor refuse
to sign it? There is only one answer to
these questions. The bill was so mani
testify unjust that nobody could en-.
dorse it. 1t is strictly personal legisla-
zion creating special Office in single
county for the private gain of one
newspaper. Messrs. Lorton s. Axline
recognize this. They dare not deny it.,
and they rely solely on a republican
majority to pull Them through with
their private snap. If the county had
had more popullsts and democrats than
republi cans, the bill would never have
been passed. This is proven from the
fact that they had many opportunities
before to get such law, but they did
not care to try 1t until the county, In
their estimation, was safely republican.
| Usually when laws are passed affect
ing one county alone, they are first sub
mltted to the people but not so in this
case. The people are forced to take 1t
whether they want it or not The law
provides that the county printer shall
assume the office in January in the face
of the fact that the present county
printing contract does not expire until
May. So it will be seen that the pro.
motors of the bill are so anxious to get
hold of their graft they are not even
willing to permit others TO have what
is due them.
The question is,are the people of Bar
Der county going to endorse this bold
holdup. A vote for the republican can
dldate is vote to endorse it. A vote
for the Independent candidate is vote
to rebuke 1t. If the republican candi.
date is elected, our next representative
Will not be under any obligations TO
work for its repeal. If the Independent
candidate is elected, it's repeal will be
almost assured. Take your choice.
IHE republican candidate for county
printer says in his last weeks paper