The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-01-03

enworth and Topeka win be through
Delaware High Prairie and Alexander
townships into Jefferson county. and by
any route agreeable to the Jefferson
The same plan viii be followed in Sc
lecting a route in Wyandotte. Douglas
and other counties. BY this plan 1t is
believed that the bill will receive the
active support Of all the members Of
these counties. Mr.. Henley, state SEN
ator from Douglas county, is interested
in the road Improvement plan and mas
informed Mr. Ballard that he viii look
after the road jm9rOvement bill in the
senate.
Mr.. Ballard has made a personal can
Vass Of the farmers living along the
proposed new road in the three town
ships of his county. and all except Ollie
was found to be in favor of it. This
man was against improvements of any
kind Every farmer talked to by Nh .
Ballard agreed to furnish rock for the
macadamizing of the road for half mile
for nothing. One farmer agreed to fur
nish rock for a mile, double the length
of his farm. The farmers win not only
furnish the rock, but help haul It with
their teams.
A number of farmers will come to To
peka and help Mr. Ballard push his
measure.
Warden Jewett. however, is knocking
on the plan of using convict labor. He
says it is not feasible, Notwithstanding
the fact that it is success in some
other states.
In the first place" said Warden Jew
ett students of the convict question
have long ago reached the conclusion
that the degradation of a convict does
not make him ~ better man. 1t makes
him worse. In building roads, the
hang men, the life prisoners and the
desperate men could not be employed.
1t would be too hazardous to take them
out. The only cOnvicts who could be
taken out would be those who are in for
short terms As Tule,a these men are
Capa BILE of being reformed A remark
ably small per cent of them ever come
back for a second term. They have self
pride left and it would be a deep humii-
iatiOn to them to be put to work out on
the roads where they would come in
contact with the travelling public As
a result it would tend to drive them to
the bad to stay. The system would
necessarily mean that the state would
have to furnish a small prison on wheels
for each squad of convicts sent out.
This would be a big expense. 1t would
take additional guards. COnvicts can
not be forced to do as much work as
free laborers. They take their own time
to do things The proposed scheme has
been tried in other states and proven q
failure. The only place where it is a
success is in the south, where the con-
victs are mostly negroes. They are
driven as slaves used to be.
Then there is another important OBJ
lection to the plan" continued the war
den. There may be some sentiment
in favor of 1t among the country people
now But just let 4 convict in one OF
the gangs on the road escape and plum
der or murder a farmer or ravish his
wife or daughter, and see how quickly
sentiment would change. It would veer
in a day. This, in my opinion is one
Of the most important points for tho
farmers to consider in regard to this
question"
Justice II. F Mason win probably bG
the first of the new state officers to Ii,
sworn in. The supreme court is due tt
begin its January term at 9 o'clock OF
Monday morning. January II, and Mr.
Mason viii be sworn in before that time
so that he can take his seat on the su
preme bench when the court opens
Governor Bailey and the other state of
ticials VIII not be sworn in until moor
at the time the Inauguration ceremonie
take place.
Chief Justice Doster will retire from
the supreme bench at the instant tha
Justice Mason is sworn in At the tim,
Judge D0ster retires Justice W A
Johnston will become chief Justice b.
reason of his seniority in service on th'
bench.
For this reason Judge Johnston will b.
chief justice at the time the other stat
officers are sworn in. and as that dut.
generally devolves upon the chief justicl
he win be called upon to do it.
The friends Of E. w. Hoch deny tina
he is the candidate of the Burton fac
ton for state printer, or that he is thl
candidate of any faction for that mat
ter. They say he is simply running OF
his own merits and is not a factiOna
Kansan. Judge Peters paper. which ii
supporting Long for senator. is alst
supporting Hoch for state printer, ant
it saws
4.rrJ,aro ara soy,,e v,orso,,e a,,7 ,,s.,,s,,-.
in the state trying to make it appear
that Ed Eoch is the Burton-C Curtis can,
didate for state printer. All this is be-
ing done in the interests of some othe'
candidate for that position. Ed Hocf
is the candidate of no man or set OF
men, but he is the candidate of the Re
publican party of the state The masses
Of the ReDubHcans of the state are fOl
him because he is the most deserving oil
all candidates and because he has beer
an active party worker and campaig ignei
for thirty years. He is practica
printer and practical newspaper man
He is a good clean man, and has moi
now OF mas he ever had an Office. H.
has the active. unqualified support Ol
members of the legislature who are fOl
Long, for Stanley, for Curtis, for Cal
derhead, for Bowersock. The senatorial
1 question dces not enter into the state
printer contest. and the candidate OF
] is-Iriends who tries to drag it into tina.
ngnt VIII regret it until his mind fails
] t-1AA idS EluuB4 Dleu&6S 10 nominate
nlm and then some. He has made his
/ fight good clean one, ana has taken
/ no part in the sena torial contest. Sena-
torlal combines might embarrass him.
/ but they cannot beat him. Hence any
/ proposed or present combine had bet
ter leave the state printer question out
Here it is as seen by the Beloit Ca
The To9eka papers see the writing
+ on the wall They are not now filled
clear uo every day with sugar fer
curtis and curses for the other fellows
Hey see that Curtis and Barker are out
I OF it, and are getting ready to light with
the winner PrinGle win be elected
speaker without opposition. and Stanley
4 Nlt Undoubtedly be the senator"
NO COAL AT OTTAWA.
All of the Dealers Out Save One