The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-10-22
For First Time in Fifty Years
in Kansas.
BRICKS WILL SURELY FLY
Plenty of Weak Places in
BreaStWorkS.
1t Is Mighty Hard Work to
Reduce Taxes.

For the first time in nearly 80 years
Kansas Democrats must next year
take the stump to defend their own
record, and this reversal of the po-
litical responsibility of the state will
probably keep all of the available
Democratic campaign orators busy
during the prediction fight. Already
both the Democrats. Republicans and
Progressives are planning a fight next
year that has been equalled in Kansas
only during presidential campaigns.
In former years when the Demo-
cratic orators took the stump, they
threw bricks at the Republican state
and national administration, criticised
extravagances and promised relief as
soon as the Democrats were placed in
power. For at least 5 years in Kan
sas it has been the same story. Each
cam paign the Democratic orators told
the same old story and promised the
same brand of relief. These promises
became a sort of natural and required
part of every Democratic state plat
form. But each election the Demo-
Gratis fell few thousand votes short
of the election of IL governor or need
ed a few more members to give them
control of the state legislature. Con-
seQuently the economy plea was care
fully wrapped in moth balls and stored
away for the next campaign
Those Economy Promises.
None of the trainers of the 1912
Democratic state platform thought of
adJOurning the party council until the
harmony promise had been made an
ironclad part and parcel of their par
tvs pledge to the Kansas voters. By
the time the 1912 platform was writ
ten a good many of the Kansas Demo-
Gratis really believed that the economy
promise was the one sure curse for
the things that allied the states po-
litical ills. And, as subsequent results
demonstrated, good many Republi-
cans believed just as the Democrats
did.
All up and down the state there was
a we'll founded, deep rooted conviction
that the state institutions were costing
more money than they should cost and
that the heel of oppression was beng
ground deeper into the necks of the
already overburdened taxpayers. The
Republicans and ProgresSives-hu
died together under the emblem Of
the eagle-explained as best they
could. But for every explanation the
Democrats made two promises. And
the voters, according to Kansas po-
litical history, believed the Democrats.
Reducing Taxes Is Hard Work.
But last winter when the legislature
came to town, they found that reduc-
ing state taxes without putting pad
lock on the doors OF the state institu-
tions was a difficult problem. Yet the
Democrats made a valiant effort. They
put competent and reliable Democrats
at the heads of the ways and means
committees. They appointed special
committee to investigate the salaries
of a half dozen girls who held SIS jobs
as state house stenographers and
worked while their political bosses
were out in the state visiting the con-
stituency. After four weeks of ar
duous investigating, this special COM
mittee recommended saving of about
s125 a month in the salaries of state
house stenographers, janitors and gen.
eral employees. At the time this spe-
cial committee was at work reducing
salaries, the ways and means commit
tee wrote it's o. K. on a bill for $125,-
600 for irrigation experiment work in
western Kansas, spent S235,0O0 with
which to experiment on the publica-
ton of school text books. increased dp-
preparations to all state educational in
stitutions and spent $3.50, 900 more than
the 1911 legislature.
Then came the figures. The Demo-
Gratis looked them over with real
alarm. They had started on their leg
islative work with real hopes of saw
ing money. And after trying it for one
whole session. they admitted that the
states running expenses were just as
low as tney could be made without
positive embarrassment to the stata
departments and institutions.
But the Democrats must explain.
There is their solemn and sacred
promissory note to the people, wherein
they pledged to reduce appropriations
and to lower taxes. And to explain
these matters to the voters, the Demo-
Gratis are making plans for n campaign
next year in which they will press into
service every available speaker and
will send a call for help to the cam
paign orators in other states.
So, with the Democrats on the de-
fensive. the Republicans will take ev-
cry advantage of the situation. To be
sure, the Democrats will benefit by the
present split in the Republican ranks.
But the Democrats will be called upon
to defend their record. It is up to their
orators to convince the Kansas voters
that the 1912 platform pledge meant
nothing at all, or that there is no such
thing as tax reduction and decreased
appropriation and at the time
induce the voters to believe that their
hopes for future political salvation is
in the Democratic party.
New Democratic Laws.
1t is a big job. Yet the Democrats
will tackle it with a smile. They will
point to the legislatures passage Of
the recall resolution, the Massachu-
setts ballot law, the repeal of the in
heritance tax, creation of the educa-
tional administration board, law abol-
ishing rs deputy oil inspectors, state
motor car tax law, fire marshal law,
ten per cent garnishmeut law, revision
workmen's compensation act and a
dozen other bills of real merit.
That will be the Democratic defense.
Only important changes in the man
agement of the state affairs can
change the issues
To be sure, there is the United States
senatorial bugaboo. And it is a matter