Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1912-04-20
CAPPER ADVOCATE
OF REAL ECONOMY
Against the Fxtrayagant Expenditure
of the Peoples Money.
WOULD KEEP OUT LttcHfs
Candidate for Governor Fsvors Man
agement of State Affairs on Same
Sound Business Principles as
Private Enterprises.

(From an address by Arthur Capper
at Garnett, Kas., October II, .1911)
1 look upon the Jvernorship of
Kansas exactly as l look upon the
management of my own business. /
ask you as one of the stockholders
to nominate and elect me to the states
business management rather than to
its governorship- The fact is the peo-
pie of Kansas simply delegate the
business management of public af-
fairs to one of their own members for
a limited time. It=is their business
your business-my friends, to select
capable business manager
l am an applicant for the position
of business management because l
pretend 10 deep knowledge of
the science of politics, nor because
pose as a great statesman, but be-
cause l believe that l can administer
the affairs of your state with honesty,
with econbmy and with efficiency. If
1 cannot do that you will make a
mistake in employing me- You ought
to apply to me the same tests that
you apply to any other applicant for
a position of trust and responsibility
When l am seeking an assistant in
my own business l want first of all
| to know that the man under considera-
| ton is clean and honest. Then l want
| to know about his ability-his bility
| to do things well; and his ability to
| produce results on an economical
basis. And | believe that is what the
people of Kansas want. With the
intelligence found among the people
/ of this state we ought to have the
cleanest and best state government
found on the face of this big, round
! woodland we ought 10 have it with
out taxing the people to death to get
/ it! And that brings me TO this ques-
| ton of taxatioR-a problem that af-
! fects every citizen of the state, and
| which l regard as the most important
question before the people of Kansas
| at this time. Your name may never
appear on the tax duplicate, but none
the less you are daily paying your
share, and maybe more than your
share of taxes in increased cost of liv-
ing and increased expenses, when
| taxes are excessive.
For Strict Retrenchment.
Many people think that the tax i'm
posed upon the property of this state
is unnecessarily burdensome. We al
know that taxes are increasing enor
mously from year to year-particular
1y as to cities, townships and schoo
i districts. l am not here to say thai
any one is at fault. But the fact re
mains: We are compelled to pay
heavier taxes every year.
l want you to know that l stand fol
retrenchment and THE STR1CTESI
ECONOMY IN PUBLIC EXPENDI
TURE. l am not going to indulge il
1l4
taxes which is the chief stock in trade
OF the cheap politician. You hardly
| ever heard of a man running for of
fee. without making profuse promises
about reducing Therapeutics thai
are easily made and more easily for
gotten. / do not believe that the PEG
pie of Kansas are niggardly or stingy
Kansas is going to take no backward
step; our people are willing to pay
for what they get, but they want ant
4 we must insist upon A DOLLAR
WORTH OF SERVICE FOR EVERY
DOLLAR OF THE PEOPLES MONEY
. EXPENDED.
The way to reduce taxes is to cleo
honest men and capable men at ths
administration of public affairs-mer
who will neither steal nor waste you
money 1 promise you that if elected
governor l win give the people of thii
state business administration, will
economy and efficiency as its watch
words. The expenditure of publ,
money shall be given the same stric
attention as to economy that / Civ.
my personal business. l want tn,
people of Kansas to know that / shall
do my best to see that the taxpaye
gets a square deal, and that the bust
ness of the state will be run in hon
est, open, above-board fashion.
shall use my utmost influence upol
those charged with levying taxes an,
with expanding the proceeds for rea
] economy in the use of every dolla
and every penny which passes through
their hands-not only in the state, bu
in county, city and township. Til
J present fee system in this state, as
applies to both state and county. OF
. fcials, is wrong; there is too grea
an opportunity for graft.
Dollars Worth For a Dollar.
Twill do my best to conduct the al
fairs of this state, in every depar1
ment, large and small, with real bus
ness efficiency; to work out method
that will save the peoples money an
: insure a dollars worth of service 70
. every dollar expended l believe TIL
! PUBLIC DOLLA. SHOULD GO A,
: FAR AS ANY OTHER DOLLAR
If Iesbecome governor / propose t
| hire for the state just the same kin
/ of men I would hire for my own bus
ness They must be clean. homes