The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-11
WACCENER TALKS
The State Senator From Atchi-
son Gives His Views.
Was Opposed to the Special
Session.
FAVORS BANK LAW.
Suggests Other Legislation Be-
lieves Beneficial.
Latter Day Saints Sowing
Seeds DiscOrd and Discomfort

state senator B. p. Waggener, who
is in town today, said a number of
things of timely concern and interest,
particularly as he will take a promi-
nent part in the special session as
senator from Atchison, and as he is
a banker and railroad attorney. He
expressed himself carefully and in
cisively as follows. speaking of the
work before the session:
while 1 was opposed to a special
session, because of the great expense,
yet 1 recognize that there are some
laws which may be passed that will
be of benefit to the people Of Kansas.
The special session, however, will be
greatly handicapped. The latter
Day Saints will be playing for posi-
ton in the game of politics. There
are many statesmen in each house. In
each house there are many candi-
dates. In one house there is one can
didate for many offices. All this in
triguing will interfere with and OBJ
struct the work, and prolong the ses-
sion
The Present Tax Law.
1.-THE tax law as now in force is
wrong, and a fraud upon the people.
1t opens wide the door for all kinds
of graft, and should be amended in
many particulars. Notes and mort
cages should be exempted, or provi-
sion made to render them void, unless
listed for taxation. All farm machin-
cry in use, and household goods to
the extent of at least five hundred dol
lars, should be exempted. Until it is
known what the new valuation will
be, the levy should be made against
only twenty per cent of such new val
ter, but the house would not stand
for it.
A Wide Open Primary.
81 do not think a primary law will
be of much value, unless simplifed In
its terms and operation so that all
will understand it, but, in view or
present conditions in the state, 1 am
in favor of what the governor calls a
twide-open primary provided 1T is
passed quickly. and made effective at
once so that it will supersede all
conventions, state and county, Whlch
have been called, and include all Of
ficers, from United States senator
down to road overseer.
I'm the senate of 1905 L presented
and secured the passage OF Dill TO
provide for the election of a United
States senator by direct vote, or rath-
er to obtain an expression OF opinion
from the people of their choice for
senator. 1t was unceremoniously
killed in the house, of which Stubbs
was speaker, by referring 1t to
committee which would not report 1t.
"a primary law, to be eHectlVe,
should be carefully prepared, but
with few limitations and restrictions.
NV Judgment is to throw down the
bars, and let the people settle the
questions which have been raised IN
the midst of financial disaster and de-
preston, in order that gang of lat
ter Day Saints may continue to SOW
the seed of discord and discomfort. A
primary law passed now, which does
not take effect at once, and supersede
all conventions which nave Deen call
ed, will be simply a device to deceive
and defraud the people. If ever there
was a time in the history of this state
when 'wide-open' primary was
needed it is now
Whacks Reform Leaders,"
1.-THE thirty-six thousand railroad
employees who have been denounced
as unworthy of public confidence by
reform leaders because they were
railroad employees. will, under such
law, have an opportunity to express
their opinion of these Latter Day
Saints who thus attempted to dis
credit and disfranchise them, and the
people generally will have chance
to express their opinion of the man
or men who took Doodle from cor
porations to pay campaign expenses,
and concealed the facts from those
whose will they were trying to thwart
at the polls. 1t will afford an oppor-
tunity for the decent, conservative e1e-
ment of the state to measure swords
with the political highwaymen and
blatant demagogues who imagine
they were called by the creator to be
the guardians and protectors of the
peoples rights.
A Bank Deposit Law.
s'The bank guaranty deposit law is
| a wise measure, if it can be made to
Ill tot 70 a
and safe-guarded with proper restric-
tions and limitations. 1t should be
made unlawful for any bank, directly
or indirectly, to loan any of its funds
to any officer or director or the bank,
or to any firm company or corpora
ton in which such officer or director
is interested, as stakeholder or other
wise. More than ninety per cent of
bank failures in twenty-five years may
be traced directly to the fact that the
funds of the bank had thus been used
by the officers or directors. BY such
provision, a better guaranty will be Sc
cured than any fund which may be
created, but with both combined, the
banks will become fmpregnable, and
there will be no more panics in this
state.
'sThe rate of interest paid by banks
to depositors should be restricted to
| two per cent, and any depositor direct
| ly or indirectly receiving a greater
| rate should forfeit any right to claim
protection from the guaranty fund. All
interest received from the banks on
account of the funds of the state,
counties or municipalities, deposited
with such bank should be paid into the
state treasury, to the credit of the
bank guaranty fund, as an accretion
| to that fund.
| These are all questions of great
moment to the people of Kansas. and
| should, as I have no doubt they will
receive most thoughtful and careful
| consideration, if politics and political