The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-11-19
POLITICAL GOSSIP
Some Suggestions Are Made by
Ex-COngressman Br0derick.
Would Have The Primary Law
81 ghtly Changed.
AFTER THE TAX LAW
RumOr That Effort Will Be
Made to Repeal 1t.
Not Likely That Movement Will
Get Far.

Case Broderick of Holton, former
congressman from this district and one
| of the <'elder statesmen of the Re-
| publican party, in a letter to the State
| Journal makes some suggestions for
! the consideration of the members of
| the legislature which will assemble in
January. He says:
| Now that our legislature is elected,
| the layman can exercise his right of
petition and suggestions for the con-
| sideration of that body when 1t assem-
bles for legislative work. The Repub-
lican platform expresses the judgment
of the party upon the importan ques-
| tions of state policies, and these ques-
| tiOnS will doubtless receive proper at
! tention. The changes and new laws
| necessary for a young and progressive
| commonwealth can not be crowded
| into a political platform. This is my
| excuse for few suggestions.
'It appears to me that the primary
law should be so amended as to do
away with the petition, by substituting
| a reasonabl entrance fee for a candi-
date. Further amendments should be
made to protect each party at the pri-
mary from imposition by members of
other parties.
'"The tax law should be amended by
further restricting the levying officers.
A large surplus of public money leads
to extravaganza or graft and some
times to both.
'The improvement of the road law
is of vital concern to every resident of
the state. The present district is too
large. 1t takes too much time for the
overseer to go to and return from the
| remote parts of his district. The
smaller the district the more direct
interest the overseer will have in the
road, and the more work will be ac-
complished. Two sections is enough
for district. Highways are for the
in
making them good. The most costly
public institutions for the whole peo-
pie are bad roads
I'm the interest of peace and per-
sonal security there should be a law
requiring dealers in deadly weapons,
revolvers, daggers, sling-shots and
knucks, to keep a record of sales sim
liar to that required by druggists in
the sale of poisons.
I'm the interest of domestic tranquil
lity and decency, the law should make
1t misdemeanor and punishable, for
a married man to abandon his wife or
family without legal grounds and pub
lie notice for at least thirty days of his
intention of abandonment. Where
there is proof of a divorce proceeding
of abandonment, without excuse, the
court should be empowered to prohibit
remarriage by the guilty party.
Provisions should be made for a
chair of forestry, in the State Agricul-
tural college"
Neither the Republicans or Demo-
Gratis have yet made that promised
statement about the receipts and dis
/ burSementS of the campaign. Both
sides have given an estimate on what
the campaign cost, and Chairman
Dolley has announced that as soon as
the bills are all in, he will furnish the
/ newspapers with detailed, sworn
statement of receipts and expenses.
The Democrats said they were go
in fO mako nI1hIiC a LIST 0f reCei0tS G
both before. and after the election,
but they didn't.
Now the question is whether the
next legislature will pass law re-
quiring committees to make public
their receipts and expenditures.
1t is understood that another effort
will be made at the coming session to
repeal the new assessment and
taxation law. 1t is not likely to get
much further than a similar effort did
at the special session.
In spite of the fact that the Demo-
Gratis made an tissue" of the tax law
in the campaign, it is not believed that
the Democratic members of the Iegisla-
ture will be in favor of repeating the
law w. S. Glass, the Democratic mem
ber of the tax commission, and one of
the ablest men in the Democratic party
says:
II do not think the Democratic mem
bers will be generally in favor of re-
amendments"
The fact is generally recognized
among Democrats that the tax law fight
was brought up purely for campaign
purposes, and that 1t is time now to
drop it. Even during the campaign the
Democrats were not enthusiastic in
fighting the law. 1t is said that sew
eral of the Democratic county chair
men burned up the anti-tax law liter
ature sent out from Democratic state
headquarters.
The explanation of how it happened
that the E. s. Waterbury independent
ticket received only two or three hun
dred votes in Kansas, when Mr.. Wa
terbury filed petitions bearing 5000 sig
natures asking that the independent
ticket be placed on the ballot is possi-
bly, found in the fact that Mr.. Water
bury paid 10 cents apiece for signature
He hired men, in some localities at
least to circulate the petitions, and the
rate of pay of these circulators was 10
cents per signature. An affidavit has
been made by one of Waterburys
agents in Wyandotte county, in which
he says that after circulating the petit
tion he turned it over to A w Stubbs
cousin of w. R. Stubbs, Republican
candidate for governor. The Democrats
infer from this that W. R. Stubbs was
putting up the money to back Water
bury, in the hope of splitting the vote
of the Democrats with the independent
movement.
1t is generally supposed, however,
that Waterbury's work In Kansas was
bU w r Hearst and fba Tn