Barton County democrat., 1914-08-21
not a real initiative measure.


peka understand that their 'expla'
nations are not fooling anybOdy
back home. There is just one ex-
cuSe for voting against the initia-
tive and referendum that was kill
ed by the Kansas House last Fri
day, and that is the desire to pre-
vent the enactment of a real initi-
ative and referendum"
This reference to the legislature
of 1913 reminds the Press Bureau
of what William Allen White said
in his Emporia Gazette immedi-
ately after its adjournment. Mr..
White is the leading Bull MooSer
of the state, and what he said at
that time now makes most inter-
eSting reading. Here it is:
THEY HAVE MADE GOOD.
William Allen White, the Herd
Bull of the Kansas Moose pasture,
who has been spending the win
ter in La Jolla, California, SingS
The praises of the Kansas Demo-
cratic administration. The fol-
lowing editorial appeared in his
Emporia Gazette last Thursday:
mo open minded Kansan of
any party, socialist republican,
prOhibitiomSt, democrat or pro-
greSSive, can fail to realize that
the democratic legislature has
done excellent work in the session
recently closed. Most of the laws
passed are sound, wholesome and
needed. The Massachusetts bal
lot law, the school book publica-
ton law, the amendment to the
primary law, the payment of con.
Victs law, the white slave law and
a dozen other of that character
are equal to the work of any leg.
lSlature that ever assembled in
Kansas.
'And this is as it should be.
The work of the recent Rcpubli-
can administrations under HOch
and StubbS, had paved the way
for great work. The people of
Kansas have proved themselves
thoroughgOing prOgreSSiveS. 1t
makes no vast difference which
party registers the progressive spl-
rit of Kansas. And the party pro-
greSsive-th ProgreSSiveS with
a large P, of whom the writer is
One-are just as pleased with t. t
good work of the recent demccrat.
ic legislature as they were with
the four sessions preceding when
the work was done by r>publl,
cans. The chief thing is to get the
good laws passed and effectively
administered. If it can b dom
best by the democrats, we'll and
good. The progressive leaders
would much prefer to hav- the
democrats hold the offices if tht
democrats will make good, or the
republicans or the prohibItion.stS
1t is not primarily a matter oil
winning at the polls. 1t is a mat.
ter of making Kansas a good state
it is a matter of getting just laws
honestly enforced, that will make
living conditions in Kansas ap
proximately just and equitable
1t is a matter of putting Christian
principles into state government
That is the chief thing. The Dem
OcratS have done well-not as vel
as they might have done if they
had redeemed all their pledges
which were merely the progreS
Sive pledges in another form. Blu
every honest, forward thinking
citizen must feel that the demo
cratic legislature just adjourned
has done first rate work and i
entitled to the thanks of the peo
| pie for its sensible service.
ut may be noted in paSsinI
that it appropriated half a million
dollars more than the republican
legislature just preceding it. Tha
was right. The democrats honest
ly thought the state was being ex
ravagantly run. When they cam
into power they found they wer,
mistaken. They did what homes
men would do-they made tn,
necessary appropriations ant
faced the state with an increaSet
appropriation. The economy
ghost should be laid low now fo
several years. When a Statesman
goes up and down the earth say
ing that he is going to decreas
KoncoC ct0fa Al