Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1913-11-21
OFFICIAL COUNTY PAPER
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Convicted Of juggling the figures
and suppressing the truth as to the
comparative amounts of the appro-
priations made by the Republican
legislature Of 1911 and the Demo
cratic legislature of 1918, the Topeka
CAPITAL snarls at the Press Bureau
like a dog driven into a corner.
The Capital is not able to contro-
vert the now established fact that
the total appropriations made by the
Democratic legislature OF 1913 were
mot larger than those made by the
Republican Legislature of 1911.
The Capital is not able to contro-
vert the fact that under every Repu0-
. acan administration for the past ten
years, the state tax levy has been
materially increased, and that during
the first year of his administration,
Governor Hodges has succeeded IN
preventing an Increased tax levy for
state purposes, although the Stubbs
administration took $685., 900 Of 1913
taxes in December, 1912, TO pay 19H
bills, and although the Hodges admin
1gtra&ion had to pay $115,S1S of def
cts and s192,5OO in the shape OF
building shortages, which It INNER
tied. from the Stubs administration.
The tax payers will thus see that a
shortage Of sS55,OOO i'm funds, due to
!the extravaganza Of the last admins
tration, Governor Hodges has done
mighty well to keep the state tax
..tevy from being increased, to get to
within a month and a half of the end
ct the year, without having to
stamp state warrants, Unpaid for
want of funds, and only cheap dema-
gogues are talking about state taxes.
'Bven the Capital has never said that
the appropriations made by the legis-
jature of 1913 were too large; and it
will not say so.
The fact is that Governor Hodges
has rubbed salt on a Republican sore
spot and the Capper Publications are
doing lot of flinching.
Some Of the opposition papers hav
had a good deal to say about the so
called Kansas Civil Service law. Our
readers may be interested in knowing
the exact nature Of this law. In the
tirst p lace it will be born in mind
hat it was enacted by a Republican
legislature at time when practical
Y all the app0imteeS were Republ-
cans, and was evidently made for the
purpose Of keeping them in office IN
case something unforeseen should hap
pen in the political world. 1t should
also be borne in mind that nOtwtth-
standing this boosted civil service
law, scarvely a Corporal's guand Of
Democrats ever got employment I'M
der 1t. No one ever heard of any
body taking examinations as to their
qualifications and appointments to fill
vacancies we've made ON political
grounds, and there is nothing in the
law which forbids that course Of &C.
ton. Not only that, bur the trainers
ct the law were very careful to pro.
vide that every employee in every
State Institution could be Just as
active politically as he wanted to be,
and that he should not be discharged
therefor. And yet lot of so-called
. CetOgmers have the nerve to assert
that this social Civil Service law
was enacted for the purpose Of keep
ing politics out Of our state insti
&utaOns. Let us see how it worked
Down at the school for the deaf al
Olathe, Superintendent White and
Billy les worked openly and vig@'
oqsly worked for Stubbs and Capper
At the Agricultural College at Man
haitian II is said that a Capper press
bureau was maintained by Superin
tendent Of Buildings, Lewis; and
am also told that he was abby assist
ed by Mr.. Chas Dillon, Professor Of
Industrial Journalism. Down at the
Hutchinson Ref0matory, Amrine per
United the holding Of political meet
mgs within the walls Of the instatu.
tm and called a meeting Of the Of
Ulcers for the purpose Of making an
assessment to raise a Republican
campaign fund. Over at the Kan
sas peniteutiaEy Warden Codding 4
son presented the officers with re
ceipts for campaign contributions
signed by State Chairman ]. N