The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1912-1984, 1918-03-29
WHAT THE LEGISLATURE DID

The people of Kentucky seem TO
be more than ordinarily we'll satisfied
with the work of the General Assem-
blv which concluded its labors last
Wednesday night without finding IL
necessary to set bacs the clock and
without indulging in those wild
scenes of disorder that marked the
closing of mary previous sessions
The liquor folks and those who
are not in favor of prohibition are
about the only persons who are reg
istering kick, backed up hy meri.
torious argument. They have no COM
plant to make Of the Legislatures
action in submitting statewide pro-
hibition to the people. They were in
favor of doing that, but they do de-
clare that 1t was wrong to indorse
the national prohibition amendment
without knowing certainly the views
and wishes of the people of this COM
monwealth upon the question.
Until the people have had an OPP
portunity to vote upon the question
the gentlemen who occupied seats in
the Senate and House during the ses-
sion just closed have no means of
knowing Just what is the view of the
HliSSCS. ICY hIlOW Vic VIEWS VI DOl-
iticians, preachers, brewers and dis
tillers, and the views of some of the
business and professional men. but
they do not know the view of the
people as a whole.
The sincere drys and vets alike
approve the action of the General
Assembly in refusing to permit the
political prohibitionists to put rider
on the anti-shipping bill which would
have perpetuated the bootlegger and
all that he represents in the saloon
class localities of the state and pre-.
vented an honest expression of the
voters when they come to ballot on
the prohibition amendment in No
vember, 1919.
The negroes are praiseful of the
lawmakers for having submitted to
the people also, in November, 1919.
an amendment to the constitution
under which there can be an enact
ment whereby Judges and Sheriffs
who fail to protect their prisoners
from injury or destruction at the
hands of a mob may be removed
from office.
The Republicans feel that they
have been more fairly treated by this
General Assembly than by any pre-
vious Legislature since the adoption
of the present constitution. which
needs to be supplanted by newer
and better one. They wer, given
both senatorial and legislative rcdis-
friction. and should have better OPP
portuntiy to increase their represen-
tation in both houses for the 1920
session. Senator Hiram Brook and
Representative Jack Oliver worked
untiringly for this accomplishment
and the success in large measure is
due to their efforts.
The Democrats. with the oxcer;ion
of comparatively few intensely an
-administrationists, are so well
pleased with the results that they
are promoting a get-tOgether move
rent with the expectation that it
Will eliminate in gathe ing at
which the party will be united for
the fights it will have this year and
reyt with the Republican party.
which until very recentlv seemed to
be holding a strong han1 with the
independent voter.
As Senator w. F. Rogers put it
in the course of conversation with
the writer the other evening, the
democratic party's accomplishments
under the present administration
have been such as will enable Gov.
A. O. Stanley, when he goes out on
the stump next fall in support of
nominees for United States Senator.
Congressional Representatives and
Judges of the Court of Appeals. will
be able to take in one hand the DEM
ocratic platform of 1915 and in the
other hand the Kentucky Statutes
and say to the people: every pledge
we made to YOU in the last campaign
has been written into law"
The appropriations made by the
General Assembly at the session Just
ended aggregate $1.150, 900, but, I'M
like the action at the session of 1912
which was responsible for much of
the heavy deficit inherited by the
present administration, provision
has been made for payment. The
largest appropriations were made to
the educational. charitable and penal
institutions. There was no wanton
passing out of the peoples money.
The Appropriations Committee, of
which Senator Webster Helm, of
NC" pOll' WIS tndlTTldn, was very
painstaking in it's work and trimmed
closely. The adoption of the budget
system and the reform in the tax
levy were two big pieces of legisla-
ton that make for progress in the
states affairs, while a third is the
enactment for the enlargement of
the University of Kentucky's work
and the providing of the means with
which to do the work.
The budget bill was one of the
recommendations made by the State
Tax Commission in it's report to the
Governor, and Chairman NJ. M. Lo-
gan, his associates on the commits
sion and all its employees, to employ
an expression made by one of them,
feel under renewed obligations" to
the state by reason of the support
rendered to the commission by the
General Assembly.
The County Tax Commissioner.
who suppliants the County Assessor,
is in the future to fill the most i'm
portant Office in every county, and
the compensation which is provided
is sufficient to encourage good bust
ness men to seek it. Those who last
fall were elected to the office of AS