Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1905-02-01
LEGISLATIVE OBSERVATIONS.

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The republicans haye no intention Of
being fair in any way with the demo
Gratis. An example of this unfairness
may be observed In the sample ballot
which is in the Session Laws of 1905
The law states plainly that the party
receiving the second highest vote shall
be second on the ballot, but In printing
the sample ballot which is in the ses
sion laws. the democratic party is not
mentioned. The prohibitionists and
socialists are on the ballot, but the dem
, ocrats are ignored. Every lawyer has
the session laws and he can see that
this is true by taking glance at the
ballot printed therein.
~
1t Is amusing to watch the republic
cans dodge after making bold front
on the negro question. Recently Book
er I. Washington, the noted negro ed
ucator, was in Topeka. The republi-
cans were all very glad and very proud
of it. The republican papers printed
column after column about what
great man he was. This was all right,
out the republican legislators went far.
ther. They got excited over the fact
that bright negro was coming to
town, and they decided to give him
luncheon at the Copeland hotel. The
wise solons thought they would emu
late Theodore Roosevelt and eat with
Booker L. Washington. Strange to say,
their courage failed. AT the last min.
ute the luncheon was indefinitely post
poned. The word was sent out that a
state printer had to be elected at noon.
and on this account Booker L. could
aOt eat with the members of the legis.
lature. 1t might be noticed that one OF
the republican papers IN Topeka made
mention of this fact. It is understood
that the feelings of Booker T. were
very much injured, and that be said
few things to the people of his race
about the great buffers of the Kansas
legislature.
SO far the present legislature has
done absolutely nothing but draw pay.
1t may be that before the session is ov
er few bills will be passed, but it is
safe bet that no legislation of great I'M
portance wlll.get through. The mem
bers do not seem to know where they
are located. They 60 galloping around
the ring and then come back and start
again. They have no boss who knows
how to run them, and the result is they
can't do thing.
~
One of the most laughable incidents
ID the present legislature was the bluff
made by the republican members at
passing bill providing that the mem
bers who rode on passes could not draw
mileage. OF course the bill was never
even introduced, but there was a great
deal of talk about it, and the republi-
can papers made great deal over the
proposed legislation. The strange part
of this mileage business Is this: It is
legal, according to the law of the state,
for member of the legislature to draw
mileage, and it is not legal for them to
accept pass. 1t is bribe If the re
publican members of the legislature
want to do something perfectly honest,
why do they not pass law preventing
the giving Of passes and providing for
reduction of railroad fare? 1t would
be better # they would add three cents
to the mileage allowance and leave out
the passes.
The great talk the republicans made
of reform" legislature has come to
nothing, just as was predicted by the
democrats. Republicans made many
long and loud talks about how they
would save money for the state this
year. There would be no extra clerks
and there would be short session.
This they prom sed the people, and ey.
en- had lot of such talk In the platform
adopted at Wichita. Last week the re.
publican members could not keep up
their bold front of honesty, and fell ov.
er each other in passing a resolution
allowing each senator clerk. 1t does
not matter whether the senator is
chairman of committee or not, under
the resolution he gets q clerk, and the
clerk draws So a day, and will do no
work. This means that the state will
pay $40 a day for useless clerks in the
senate. 1t is certain that not one half
of the clerks will come to Topeka ex.
cept to draw their salary. The house
still keeps up its show of virtue be.
cause the members are slightly afraid
of Speaker Stubs, but they will break
loose in few days, and do just as did
the senate. The temptation to roD the
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