The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-12-25
POLITICAL GOSSIP
Democrats Have Big Contract
in Legislature.
They Are Pledged to the Re-
ductiOn of Taxes.
CAN THEY DELIVER GOODS?
Flanagan of Decatur in the
Harness Again.
That Was County That Helped
Hodges Most.

There are some big contracts for the
Democratic house and senate to fill
this winter. And no matter how faith
full that Democratic legislature may be
TO it's platform promises, the members
will go home with some element of
their constituency seeking their pOliti-
cal wishbone. There was never a more
opportune time for trouble than at this
session. And if the Democrats can
dodge it, they have a magic organiza
tion.
One of the things that really elected
the Democrats was the promised tax
reduction. For four years they have
pledged and promised, but the voters
continued to vote the Republican tick
ct and with as much regularity. taxes
continued to increase. Perhaps the
Republican party wasn't to blame. Per-
haps no political organization in the
world could have stopped the growth
in state expenses. But suddenly the
taxpayers did realize that there had
been a big growth in the tax business.
And forthwith they voted the Demo-
cratic ticket.
Now the Democrats are coming to
Topeka pledged to cut holes in the ap
preparations, reduce the expenses of
state departments and to reduce the
taxes. Can they do it? If they fail
the voters out in the rural districts
Will want reVenge-and will probably
get it. If the Democrats really reduce
the taxes by cutting down the appro-
priatiOns for educational institutions.
there will be a song of complaint from
the rah rah boys and college profess
sors that Will shake the state.
Then again, there is the Democratic
pledge for a law that will not compel
a man with a 1000 equity in a $1,000
home to pay taxes on both his equity
and mortgage and the mortgag or to
pay taxes on the mortgage. To put
this law on the statute books, means
TO reduce to the amount of a good
many thousands of dollars the taxable
property of the state.
And again, the assessed valuation of
railroad property in 1884 may be
reduced rather than increased.
recent investigation of railroad prop
critics shows that the Union Pacific,
at least, is paying taxes on nearly SIG
oOO,O 900 greater valuation than the
actual worth of their Kansas holdings.
And it is quite likely that next year
they will want that valuation reduced.
Those are some of the difficulties
which the new legislature must face
in its effort to fulfill sacred plat
form promise. And it will be quite in
teresting to follow the course of the
big, fat appropriation bills through the
committee rooms and the two houses
of the state legislature.
]. D. Flanagan to the legislature, was
largely responsible for the defeat of
Arthur Capper for governor in the re-
cent election. The Democrats were
we'll organized in that county and they
made a most effective school house
campaign in the three weeks before
the election. Decatur county is nor
mally $50 to 200 Democratic. But
this year it ran wild. Stubs was de-
feated for United States senator in
that county by 529 votes Capper was
more seriously beaten. Hodges ma
jOrity in the county was 551.
In the campaign Flanagan did eff
fective work for the Democrats. So
did Judge McFee and T. b Wolfe,
prominent in Decatur county Demo-
cratic affairs. In the PODuIiSt DAYS
these men were leaders. And in the
recent campaign they demonstrated
that they had lost none of their old
time cunning and the fight was one
of the most stubborn the county had
witnessed in recent years. fractional
differences existed in the Democratic
ranks at the beginning of the cam
paign, but these were adjusted and the
county this year gave a number of
Democratic majorities in excess of the
500 mark.
Enemies of those two big reform meas
ures-the initiative and referendum and
the recall-a-e planning a strategic fight
on the measures in the coming session of
he legislature. 1t will be an entirely dir
ferent fight than the one waged in Tie
senate two years ago, but may be almost
as deadly as were the harpoons which
Price, Brewster, Read and other Regulars
threw into the administration s pet meas
ureS.
In the 1918 legislature, the attack ON the
]. and r. will be in the effort of the op-
position to load the bill down with OBJ
iectionable amendments IF we can pull
its teeth early in the game said one
avowed enemy of the measures. the
the opposition at this time to attempt an
absolute defeat OF the measure unless |
they can secure some additional recruits |
But if the measure passes in a badly |