The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-06-09

/ ing more and more apparent to the
people Even some of the leaders are
tacitly admitting it. T. 7. Kelly. who
dictated through the senate, the worst
actions of the legislature, was upheld
! by the boss busters and outrages were
committed in the state convention in
order to secure his denomination, while
Governor Bailey, an honest and up
right official, was made the special OBJ
ject of a venomous fight, although he
advised against the very things for
which the legislature was condemned
W. r. Stubs, the leader of the boss
/ buster movement, is now beginning to
acknowledge that an injustice was done
Governor Bailey. In an interview he
says:
Governor Bailey was swept aside
/ last winter, not because he is a bad
man. for he is not Governor Bailey is
a most excellent man, but he came to
the Office of governor at a moment
when the people, outraged by the gratis
of the legislature of 1908, were aroused
to indignation, and he was the most
conspicuous object in sight. The legis-
lature of 1908 was the climax of bad
methods. 1t ripened a whirlwind of
quarter of century's gathering, and
Governor Bailey reaped it's harvest"
tains the real reason why Governor
Bailey was not renominated. The. peo-
pie became incensed at some of the ac-
tions of the legislature. Il. T. Kelly
and his pals raised the cry that Cover
nor Bailey was responsible for them.
1t was the cry of stop, thief" They
wanted to divert attention from them
selves. Governor Bailey was the most
conspicuous object in sight and Kelly
and his faction were particularly anxi-
Gus for the defeat of Bailey, for he
stood in their way.
Mr. Stubs himself was not accorded
the leadership in the house to which he
thought he was entitled, nor did Gov
ernor Bailey give him the recognition
to which his ability probably entitled
him, for Stubs was new and unknown
in politics. He had not demonstrated
his ability in statecraft He was ripe
for a revolt against the governor. Kelly
and his crowd had to work under cover,
for the public was suspicious of them,
but Stubs came out in the open and
was made the leader of the new move
ment."
Now ME-. Stubs says the first re-
forms to be inaugurated by the next
legislature will be to cut down the
state printing expenses and to cut off
the state treasurer's gratis, both of
which measures were strongly advised
to the last legislature by Governor
Bailey One of the strongest features
of the governors message to the legls-
lature was advising the passage of a
law which would give the state the in
terest on state funds in the banks, in
stead of allowing it to go to the treas
urer The house passed two measures
of this kind but is well known, both
were killed in the senate at the dicta-
ton of State Treasurer Kelly. And
here is Governor Bailey's recommends
ton in his message concerning the
state printing:
Il call your attention to the lavish
waste of rubIic money in the printing
of useless and unnecessary public doc
uments. The law, in many instances,
provides for the publishing of reports
and documents far beyond any demand
or necessity. and, as result, the store
rooms of the capitol building are rapid
Nv filling up with this matter that is
worse than useless. I am sure care
ful inspection of this accumulated ma
terial will convince any legislator of
the necessity of reform along this line.
Another thing for which the last
LEGISLATURE was condemned was its
lavish employment of employees. The
senate was worse than the house in
this regard, but the Kelly crowd made
the people believe that the house
alone was responsible. The employe
question was not an issue when Gov
ernor Bailey wrote his message, but
he cautioned the legislature against
the waste of money. His closing
words in his message were as follows:
1.-THE natural pride every citizen
has in his state suggests at once that
the institutions of the state should be
maintained upon plane commensu-
rate with the dignity and growth of
the state That is commendable; but
there is another interest that should
be sacred to every one charged with
responsibility. and that is the duty we
owe to the burden bearers, the people
who pay the taxes. The people will
Justify a generous support of all the
great interests of the state, but they
will condemn any profigate waste of
public money"
1t might be suggested that Mr.
Stubs was a member. of the legisla-
ture and had more to do with the ac-
lions of that body than did Governor
Bailey but he did nothing whatever
about carrying out the governors
recommendations regarding cutting
down the state printing expenses, nor
did he utter a word of protest against
the extravaganza in employees, al
though he was a prominent member
of the ways and means committee. In
fact. Mr.. Stubs has said he was too
busy looking after the interests of the
State university in the ways and
means committee to make any fuss
about the employees. although the