The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-03-30
KANSAS SIRE Is

I Kansas" declares an article in
/ the always truthful Capital, lis
Watching Topeka"
! Say-ain't it the truth? And
| for why2
Well. il Kansas didn't watch To-
/ peka, Kansas would find herself
! paying taxes to support the To-
/ peka police force Every time the
! legislature meets along comes some
: Topeka slicker with a bill to make
J the Kansas taxpayers pay for To-
peka paving. or Topeka real estate,
! or Topeka schools.
Kansas has to watch Topeka. It's
/ the only way we fellows out in the
country are able to pay for our
board and clothes out of our earn
I ings.
Kansas sure. is watching Topeka.
-Emporia Gazetae.
/ That IS an editorial from the pen
of William Allen White. Presumably
the author of What's the Matter
With Kansas" has been spending too
much time in Estes Park watching
the grass grow. His suggestions to the
voters to Watch Topeka" should at
least permit him to secure member
ship in the Taxpayers League and
might induce him to make a trip to
Topeka.
One time Mr.. White sat in his edi-
torial office in Empor.a and smelled
pork as he shifted the Kansas atmos-
phere. He wrote an editorial to the
effect that there was a pork barrel
organization in the state senate Gre
ated to rob the taxpayers and corrupt
White to Topeka to testify in a little
inquiry as to the corruption. In his
sworn testimony before the senate he
gave each of the members a personal
endorsement for honesty of purpose
in law making. His only explanation
of his dream was that when I smell
smoke I yell firei"
Now. Mr.. White is again yelling
fire. Possibly. tho. the fire is in EN-
poria rather than in Topeka.
If Topekans ever succeeded in COL
lecting a loose nickel off the state
legislature. none of the city's inter-
ests ever saw the money. Does Mr..
White know that for more than
twenty years Topeka tried to induce
the legislature to pass an appropria-
ton bill which would reimburseN this
city for the paving which was laid
around the state house square? Does
Mr.. White know that this city as
sumed a portion of the expense and
entered into a contract with the state
to furnish perpetual juice for the
white way and flood lighting system
at the state house? Does Mr. White
also know that before even this gen.
erous contract was made by the Iegis-
1of hoF
enter into a stipulation to waive all
claims for the paving bills which To-
peka. taxpayers had absorbed?
Has Emporia done as we'll? Does
the city OF Emporia light the state
normal grounds free? Does she pave
streets along state property free?
Then. too. Will Mr.. White kindly ad-
wise the taxpayers in one of his fire
alarm warnings just how Emporia
really secured the appropriation for
the Plumb memorial hall? Will Mr.
White also tell the taxpayers-for
whom he feels so concerned-just
what part Lyon county's own legisIa-
tors have had in the making of pork
barrel legislation in the last fifteen
years? Will Mr.. White also write a
little piece and tell the burdened tax
payers how certain members OF the
Lyon county delegation have in recent
years been advised to get right on
certain legislation or lose support for
their appropriations? Then, too, did
Mr.. White approve these little manip-
ulations. combinations. Legislative
trades and pork barrel tactics?
Topeka is open for inspection s65
days in the year. She is the common
prey OF every four-flushing. grand
standing politician who, seeks to adj
vertise his vote getting reform. or
course Topeka should be watched.
She will be watched and always has
been watched. Maybe. too. the state !
would like TO hear something about
Emporia.