The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-10-09
Emporia Novelist Tells the
Story Of Stubbs.
COVERS THE GROUND
Goes Back Over Twelve Years
of Kansas Politics.
Would Justify Square Deal
From Attacks of Machine.

and reform writer, after a vacation
spent in Europe resting from his la
bors in the Long-Bristow campaign.
has again entered the storm center OF
Kansas politics with an exhaustive
statement on high taxes in the shape
Emporia Gazette.
He makes the whole matter a
straight issue between the regulars and
the square deal. He defends Governor
Stubbs against all corners and takes a
stab at Senator Curtis by intimating
that the senior senator is a railroad
candidate.
He gives a great mass of figures and
comparisons covering some twelve
years of Kansas politics and closes by
declaring. that the cost of reform is
only a drop in the bucket of benefits.
opening statement M. Write declares
that neither Senator Curtis, Governor
Hoch or Auditor Nation now contend
that the legislature of 1909 cost the
state more than that of 1907" Yet in
today's papers Auditor Nation states
that the appropriations of the 1909
legislature were $651,65o more than
that of 1907.
As a writer of fiction Mr.. White is
unsurpassed in the west, but he has
used so many figures in his article to-
day that they are bit confusing. Hero
is his editorial. under the head of
Counting the Cost:''
Counting the Cost.
Nothing has happened before in
years in Kansas so thoroughly bene-
fetal to the people of Kansas, of all
parties and factions as the recent con-
troversy over the taxes. The contro-
versy comes when the people are not
blinded by partisan bias; it comes at
time when no other local issue is
up to divert them, and the matter has
been so thoroughly whipped out that
the Taxpayers know, more than they
hafnra ms cta de
with them and the state of Kansas as
a business corporation. Every tax
payer-indeed, every citizen-is a
shareholder in that corporation. He
has right to know how thirgs ere
going. But never before has the
truth come out so clearly as it has
come out in this controversy.
Appropriations Not Higher.
LAS nearly as one who tries to be
fair can get at the facts of the con-
troversy they are these: The state au-
ditor in order as he says to throw a
scare into the legislature issued a
statement last winter in which he in
dicated that the tax levy made the
year before would not furnish suffi-
cient funds to run the state of Kan
sas until the taxes for this year came
in-next. December. There is no
question but that he was entirely cor
rect in his estimate. Moreover it was
a sensible thing to do. And as a re-
suit of the scare the legislature kept
it's appropriations down. They are
virtually the same as those of the leg
islature of 1907. UP to this point ev-
cry one agrees: Senator Curtis. Audi
tor Nation and Governors Hoch and
Stubbs. No one now contends that
the legislature of 1909 cost the state
more than that of 1907. Now after
the legislature has appropriated the
money, it becomes the duty of the
state tax commission to make the
levy. The state tax commission in all
good faith, seeing that the levy of
the previous year-made in the Hoch
administration-wou be insufficient
to run the state until December made
the levy high enough to cover the
coming deficit. That levy. made not
ture, but by the tax commission. in
creased the state taxes something like
$4,000 1t was the second levy
made under the new law and the mis-
take was a natural one-one which
will not cost the taxpayers a penny
in the long run; for whatever over
the states needs is left in the treasury
will of course go toward reducing the
taxes next year. And in all the
charges and counter charges no one
has shown where a single penny OF
the states fund has been spent dis
honestly; no one has contended that
any specific dollar of the states mon
ey has been spent Illegally or extrav-
concerned no one has found a single
valid specific charge against him.
Those who have abused him have
confined themselves to innuendo.
broad allegation and the peddling OF
suspicion.
Therefore it may be assumed that
Kansas is honestly governed, and
wisely administered. It has been so
administered under the previous ad-
ministration- For whatever Mr.
Hoch's faults-and they were few
he did name clean effective men for
appointees, and he did get the states
work done at a reasonably low rate.
To Discredit Progressive Measures.
These things must be conceded in the
tax controversy. And they are so plain
to the average voter whatever his fac
tionaI alignment. that the managers OF
the machine in Kansas have retreated
from contention that Stubbs increased
the taxes. They have tried to discredit
Governor Stubs, and Governor Hoch
and have failed. Now they are going
sive measures adopted by the people
of Kansas during the past FIVE years
And that also is a fair subject for de-
bate. 1t is always well to ask what has
this progress cost? If it has cost too
much-let's abolish it, II 1t has not
yielded sufficient returns let us do
away with it. Those who have fought
in the state and county conventions for
six years for these measures are WilllnB
to accept the challenge of those who
opposed them. If reform costs more
than it comes to let's go back to the
machine Now what are the facts?
Same Old Gang.
Those who opposed the new laws ana
the new attitude of the people to the