The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1913-05-22
At the State Capi tol.

AsSS~ASsssSS 80
tendent Revelle, are receiving th,
congratulations Of the people Of tn,
State upon the excellent and business
like manner in which they have beef
handling the fire insurance problem
An outqrowth Of the fire insuranc,
imbroelio may be an experiment il
State fire insurance. Wisconsin ant
some other states are successfully ex
perimenting with State life insurance
on a limited scale, and some Of the
Democratic leaders here are known
to be seriously studying the PROPOSE
ton to establish limited system Of
State fire insurance. It is argued
that a portion of the ten million dol.
lars which is paid out by Missourians
every year in fire insurance pre-
miums may as well be saved to the
people of the State.
Missouri has been having good
deal of experience with the initiative,
but until this time the referendum
has newer yet been given test. 1t
now seems probable that the referen-
dunn will be applied to some of the
acts of the last legislature. The home
rule bill, the county unit bill, and
some of the railroad Legislation are
the particular laws which may posi-
bly, be brought before the people of
the State in this way. The Demo-
cratic administration here is taking
no part up to this time, and will not
likely do so. Governor Major and
the Democratic legislature simply fol-
lowed the dictates and the pledges of
the last Democratic State platform,
and if the opponents Of any of these
measures feel that the people will. not
support this Legislation they have
right to put the matter to popular
vote in the next general election if
they can secure enough petitioners
for that purpose. II will then be up
to the people to decide, and will not
be partisan matter.
The new State Board Pardons and
Paroles is making good. Governor
Major has shown his confidence in
he Board, as we'll as in the spirit of
he law, by stating that he would fol-
ow the recommendations of the
Board in all cases. It is apparent that
rom now on the pardoning power is
!oing to be used in the interest of the
,eople of the State, and for the relief
# the unfortunate, and not for the
purposes of building up a political
machine. m
The interests of organized labor in
his State were recognized by Gov
rnor Major when he appointed John
:. Fitzpatrick of Kansas City to the
ffice of State Labor commissioner.
[r. Fitzpatrick took Office on the
5th inst, and he has for his chief {
.atician an old newspaper man, A.
. Edmonston of St. Louis. The {
ewspaper men of the the State were
gain recognized when the Governor {
few days ago appointed Sid. John /
IN of St. Louis to the office of State r
lctory inspector.
The State penitentiary is running !
noothly under the new manage :
ent. Warden McClung has already 9
stituted many valuable and much !
seded reforms in the management \
this gigantic institution and will in
lgurate others as rapidly as circum-
ances allow. When it is remember
that the Missouri penitetiary is the :
rgest in the United States some a
ca may be gained Of the magnitude Y
the task which lies before the new e
arden. But McClung's previous
cord has shown him to be equal to
'ery responsibility, and there is no Il
'ubt that his management of the big
'ison will be one of the talking II
,ints" for Democracy at the end of q
e present administration. v
Although Republican newspapers
ID politicians are trying to stir up =
satisfaction over the distribution of |.
ltronage in the Democratic party,
e effort is not succeeding. The :
amer in which the offices are adj =