Omaha daily bee., 1903-06-18
Kansas Aid for Kansas

as the condition upon which he will call the
legislature into special session. The poll
ticians about the governor have in some
way arrived at the conclusion that Il would
be bad politics" to extend state aid to the
suffering Kansas people. They were will
ing enough TO spend the peoples money in
giving Jobs to hundreds OF useless pie
eaters and ward heelers in the recent ses-
sion Of the legislature, but they are not in
favor Of giving n dollar Of state funds for
the relief OF starving women and children.
II the Kansas legislature assemblies in
special session and fails to contribute of
the riches Of the state to the crying needs
OF her water-ruined farmers and working
people II ought TO be accepted by the world
as notice that Kansas prefers to be a beg
gar, at the roadside rather than a prideful
and generous commonwealth. 1t has grown
TO be a custom in all the states OF the union
to extend public aid at times of great mis-
fortune. Kansas pretends 70 sneer at the
civilization OF the south, but the politi-
clans Of Kansas should take note that
floods along the Mississippi are always met
with generous appropriations by the state
legislatures. Kansas has herself been the
beneficiary of large sums voted to her re-
lief by the legislatures Of other common
wealths And IL the politicians OF Kansas
now In the saddle have no feelings Of pity.
they ought at least to be moved by the
motive OF pride.
Governor Bailey declares that several
hundred thousands will be needed after
the generosity of Kansas has been ex-
hausted. He proposes to get this by ap-
pealing to the generous people OF other
states. He confesses that Kansas Is rich
and prosperous; that her people have some
thing like sS0OOo,00O in bank that they are
practically out OF debt: that for the most
part the industries of the state are -four
ishing-yet he affirms that such a people
cannot raise for charity a few hundreds
of thousandsl
Admitting that Kansas cannot raise this
sum by voluntary contributions is there
any good reason why It should not be
raised by compulsory contributions II
the legislature should appropriate S4Oo, 900
TO the relief of flood sufferers, II would cost
the voters in the way Of taxes only q
little more than 81 each. without the
quiver Of an eyelash the politicians voted
more than one-third OF this sum in order
to make "a show" at the st. Louis exposi-
ton. Without the quiver OF an eyelash
they created at the last session of the legis-
lature useless offices with salaries more
than sufficient to meet the interest pay
ment on such an amount. At the last
session Of the Legislature they increased
the expenses Of the governors office alone
in sum sufficient to pay the interest on
$4,000. Yet we are informed that Kansas
cannot afford to give public aid to her
food sufferersI .o
Kansas will have to give public aid to
her flood sufferers II Governor Bailey is
correct in HIS estimates. He says that
after the generosity of Kansas has been
exhausted several hundreds of thousands
will still be lacking Well the governor
can set 1t down as reliable that the hun
dreds Of thousands will not be contributed
by outsiders when It is known that Kansas
refuses to take the ordinary means to help
herself