The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-12-17
SHERIDAN'S WORD.
PaoIa Leader Urges Democrats to
Make Retrenchments.

Rarnev Sheridan. editor of the Paola
Spirit. and a Democratic leader in Sec
ond district politics, has written d
blistering arraignment of the state
patronage system under the Stupps
administration and declares that the
Democrats, to save their own political
hides must take retrenchmentS. Sherl-
dan urges Governor elect George ii.
Hodges to reduce the accommodations
at the pie counter eand calls on the
1913 legislature to trim the approprla-
lions to Kansas educational institutions
in an effort to reduce state taxes.
The Democrats must make good on
their tax reduction policy, sheridan
urges, or there will not be enough Dem
ocrats in 1914 to shoe the flies from
the sugar barrel. This is sheridan
warning to the voters of his own po-
liticaI faith and to the state admins
tration:
THE Democratic party of Kansas re
presented in the office of governor ana
in the legislatu must cut down eX-
penses. Retrenchment IS the Watch
word Useless offices must be abol-
ished and the heretofore extravagant
appropriations to the Kansas unlVer-
city. Emopria state normal and the
agricultural college must be reduced.
Probably the reduction will be slight
for the agricultural college but the
truth is that the higher educational
wild on expenses.
THE only way to cut down taxes is
to decrease the appropriations and re-
duce the levy. Governor Hodges ana
the Democratic Legislature must do
away with scores of useless officers
or the Democrats will go out of power
in 1914 The charitable institutions
have been made political headquart-
ers where extravaganza has run riot
Families are quartered upon the state
49, in
peka and Hutchinson, Winfield and
Beloit, contrary to law, simply because
the state board is now and has been
for many years a political machine
OF course the welfare of the patients
must first be taken into consideration
and ample provisions made for their
treatment, their SuStenance and their
care, but the thousands of dollars OF
political graft must be Topped off
ALREADY there are ten appncantS 1or
every place, perhaps twenty applications
to the place, and in some instances the
argument is put forth that these places
having been already created, the Demo
Gratis now should nave the benefit OF
them. Not so. Three men can look atteI
the edrcati institutions just as well
as the eighteen men now looking after
them. and in nearly every department OF
the state government, similar reductions
can be made.
ECONOMY rigid economy. must prevail
or there will not be enough Democrats
elected in 1914 to shoe the flies out of a
house of graft and political machination
and SO is every other state institution.
In addition TO the extravagant approp-ia-
tons assessments were laid upon en-
ployees and they had to turn their peck
cts wrongside out to the Progressive
tsrtv committee that conducted the cam
paign this fall and met overwhelming de-
feat.
TT is an old saying. You can't eat YOUR
cake and have it, too There must be a
new departure. The knife must go to the
bone to remove the cancerous SrowthS III
the body polite. There will be lamentinE. |
some of il by the Democrats. but the time
has come for retrenchment, for sim
pIicity and honesty in the management OF
public affairs in this state