Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1905-01-12


of the Public Records.
TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE of
REPRESENTATIVES,:
Section 5, of article /. of the state con-
stitution, in defining the duties Oh tno
governor, says that he shall at the COM
mencement of every session communlcate
to the Legislature lin writing) sucn IN
formation as he may possess IN fea1ai ara
recommend such measures as ne may
deem expedient." In harmony WIN thls
constitutional requirement ! have the
,honbr to submit herewith this pleniiiaA
message.
THE STATE PROSPEROUS.
l wish at the threshold to congratulate
you upon the ausp.cious circumstances
Under which YOU meet. The state you
have assembled to serve in the iaW-aplio- ~
ing capacity Is enjoying Wonderlul 9e-
gree of prosperity, as whole, IN sPite
OF the overtowing waters Wplcn uurins
the past two years have inundated many
of our fertile valleys, entailing great , l0ss
in town and city and country. Ine
mortgage debt which 15 years ago eggrSs-
gated $250, 900 has been liquidateo Win
remarkable rapidity until It IS now ny
longer a serious burden upon our peo-
pie. Our banks are overfioWing Win
money. largely the accumulation OF our
prosperous farmers. Our laborers COM
mand renumerative wages and all OF our
business interests are prosperous. That
YOUR legislative labors may advance
rather than retard this upward movement
l am sure will be your highest amDltlon'
as II is my most earnest desire 10 suD-
serve these good ends 1t will be my very
great pleasure to cooperate with you Ill
every way possible.
LEGISLATIVE REFORM.
MY own legislative experience together
r,yft fact that large majority OF
YOU will serve for the first time In this
capacity, will be sufficient apology,
trust, for the frankness with which l
shall address you concerning matters
purely within your own province, and
hope that my words may not be coRg
cred impertinent or intrusive, but u
you will receive them in the kind
spirit In which they are uttered. " u
easy for one political party to condemn
another, but 1t is a rare exhibition Of
courage and virtue when political or"
gahlzation condemns the acts of Its own
members. This was freely and frankly
done In state convention by the party to
which most of you belong In reference 70
certain acts of the last Legislature. II
is only fair to say of that body that It
was at least an average legislature IN
ability and character; that 1t included In
its membership many able and exGellent t
were highly commendable. The evils
justly complained of were the flower and
fruitage of an unworthy custom when
had been growing for years. The multi
plictty Of useless offices and extravagant
waste OF the peoples money through
these channels was the natural outgrowth
of this perniClous custom. l hope you
will not consider me officious in saying
that the people expect you to reform this
abuse, and ] warn you that II you do
not do It your failure will justly incur
seVerest popular condemnation. l believe
many thousands of dollars can be saved
to the state In this way without detri-
ment to the efficiency Of your honorable
bodies.
EXAMINATION OF PUBLIC RECORDS
Serious charges have been made in
the public prints which are Of great pub
lie notOriety, concerning the business In.
terests of the state. / Invoke the aid OF
the legislature, that a thorough and Inn
partial investigation OF the public rec
0rds be made and the real facts ascer-
tained. These charges and discussions
relate not only to imperfection of pub
lie accounting, but affect private charac-
ter as well. Private character on the
one hand and the states interest on the
ether are too sacred 10 remain under
the shadows Of suspicion and uncertain
ty. 1t is my purpose, II aided by your
generous assistance, to have an examina-
tlOn made Of public records which shall
be so thorough and complete that no
doubt win remain as 70 the real condi-
ton of things when II IA done. In this
connection / think Il may safely be said
that whatever may be the facts as to the
more serious matters. the gyetem Of pub
very imperfect and needs Improvement.
To subserVe all these ends Il ask your
cooperation IN an appropriation of not
less than $4,000, or so much thereof as
may be necessary 70 make the examina-
tion and Improvement referred to.
PRIMARY Law.
In ronuhIto ItLa n.tra 49,. -a,,.-
eighty lnheres In Its private citizenship,
where public officials are mereA minis
tiers Of the popular will, political parties
are an essential part OF the machinery
Of government. Since government, there
fore. comes to US through parties ltlmust
have its Initiative In party prinAaries
where candidates are selected. The pri-
mary, then, Is the beginning OF govern
'ment, and as the character Of a stream Is
determined by the character Of its foun-
tain. so a government will be no pufer
than its source. II would seem ntrarne
to a though .ll person that while We
carefully guard the ballOt-box at the reg
ular election, we have paid but little at
tentlon to the real source OF elective
poWer-the place where candidates are
selected. Many states have adopted pri-
mary election laws, perhaps the most
recent one being the state OF Wisconsin.
Among the provisions OF the law In that
state, as ! understand II, IL one prac-
tically providing for the election Of
United States senator's by the people "a
contamination deyoutly to be wished here
as everywhere), the law providing that
candidates for that office must run for
nomination at the primary election, and
the candidate who wins at the primary
will be recommended TO the legislature
as the party's nominee. OF course, this
reeomnfndAtion IL not compulsory BE-
cause kho constitution Of the United
States prog gioas that senators shall Be
chosen by the legislature. but Il is hard
lyi probable that a legislature would b
found which would diaobdy the wishes
Of the people thus expressed l sincere
~ trust that this subject win receive
your careful attention and that q wise hill
will be finally agreed upon and promptly
enacted into Law.
RE-APPoRTIoNhEET.
The re-apportioumenf Of the state into
Conversational districts q one Of the I'm
perative duties of this legislature. Thf
last territorial apportiolmenf was madc
IN iE1 a. which tine the state vas en-
utied 70 4 repfalaufaflou ~ seven ln the
congress 81 The uniied States. In 10
rnmI rrrmrrmrNNTmm - nIIrffrN 70 Amwa