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liX 9 '." fflSH .Af)r-vsr.JrJ : 5 """-ih,r npT4I? JOT A Yi, m i ItROlBTKR, l!TAHL!B!titn 1R66. C0URANT, KSTABMSHRD 1883. U2M00UAT, ESTABLISHED 1888, KLSMOUK KA.QLE, KtTJLnuanBO 1890. BAVONiiuna rnooKKss. ebtabmbukd isbi. Iola, Allen Ootjnty, Kansas, Friday, April 26, 1901. vol. xxxv. No 23 A FEW MOKE COUItT HOUSE RE MARKS. With tho fairness and courtesy SURREYS TOP BUOQIES 3 $75.00 to $180.00 $38.00 to $125.00 : characteristic of Its editor tho La- Harpo News prints in full tho recent arttclo of tho Register on tho court houso question, and in tho spirit of REGISTER V Elt New Car Load of Surreys, Spring Wagons and Get My Prices Before Buying. I IBTVaSv Jr Wfi XJ r ff ff 2 AND CARRIAGE REPOSITORY. E2 iiiiuiiuiiiiiiiiiiuuiiiiiiiuiiiiuiiuiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiaiimiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiaiiiiiuiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiii: VHFS T11K UltBEN OITS HACK. In sprlnu when the irrccn Bits hackin the trees Ami tlie Hun comes out mid stays. And ycr boots pull on with a tlclit wnieezo And you think of your barefoot days: When you ort to work and you want to not: And you and your wife agrees It's tlmo to hp.ido up tho Harden lot When the wrecn sits back In tho trees Well, work is tho least of my Idccs, When tho urccn, you know, gits back In the trcos. When thoKU-cu gits back in tho trees, and boos Is a buwtn' nround urIii, In that kind of l.uy "go-ns-you-plc.iso" Old unit thoy hum 'round In; When tho ground's nil bald whoro tho hayrack stood; And the crick's il, and tho breeze Coaxes tho bloom In the old ilugnood And tho green nils buck In the trees I like, ns I say, In suob sccnos ns these, The time w hen tho green gits back Jin the treos. When tho whole tnll featheiso' winter tlmo Is all pulled out and ("nc. I And tho sap It thaws and begins to climb. And the sweat It starts out on A feller's forrcd, n Blttln' down At tho old spilng on his knees m I kind o' like jes' loafln' round, When tho green Kits back in thotrces Jcs' a pottcrln' round ns I durn please When tho green, you know, gits back In tho trees. James Whltcomb Riley. EDITORIAL NOTES. ..H" Hon. John Francis was chosen ' chairman of tho tux revisloucommltteo which Is now nt work in Topeka. As a result of tho recent rovlval thero tho Presbyterian church at Hia watha will havo to build a now church. Tho Bo3" war lias already cost tho 13 ri lsh government moro than one third what tho Civil war cost tho United Statos. The Stato of Kansas is now pro prietor of u gas well. It was put down in tho grounds of tho Insane Asylum at Osawatomlo. Gen. CoitniN is going to tho Philip pines this summoiy-probablytotendor in person his congratulations to Brigadier Goneral Funston! CAitrtiK Nation and Coxoy Carl Brown aro to debate tho prohibition question at Fort Scott April 25. Tho bills donotstatopartlculars, but wo pro sumo that tho bout will bo undor Mar quis of Queensbury rules. "I think wo ought to havo a court houso, but I don't think wo ought to go In debt for It," said a conscrvatlvo farmer tho other day in talking tho matter over with his neighbor. And that Is tho strong point of tho proposl ' tion now under consideration. Thero will npt bo a dollar spent on tho now court houso until tho money Is In tho treasury. By this plan we simply say to tho county commissioners, "Savo up monoy onough to build a court houso," and when tho amount is saved io build it. Not a bond is issued and not a dollar paid out in interest. Thoro 'could not bo, a moro con servative business way of going at a thing. SM&mMprw-n jTjMi 7 tW&351PfiFirJPrfymFBA &L-pLf 3VfJ JLjaJlJLK ZdjfJfLMJLH f Is thero any way to hurry up a de cision of tho Supremo Court on tho biennial election luw? There aro it lot of peoplo nround tho Stato who aro mighty anxious to know whether thoy aro going to run this year or noxt. Tin: HoerB unnounco that thoy can kcop up tho war two years longer. And thoy hnvo demonstrated thus far their ability "to make their announce ment good to such an extent that this last 0110 will not bo sneered at oven iu England. It must havo boon a groat surpriso to Mr. Bryan to rocoivo an Invitation todollvor a Fourth a'. July addross. Less than a year ago, you romeinber, ho declared that If MoKinlcy was elected thero wouldn't bo any more Fourth of Julys. IT cost u maff$110dar7da year in jail to sell somo whiskey In Kunsas without having paid tho Government tax. There wouldn't bo much troublo about enforcing prohibition if tho Government didn't accept payment of tax trom persons wishing to do bust ness In a prohibition Stato. That actlvo Christian work is not Incompatible with success In business or politics has another illustration in tho record of E. W. Cunningham, one of tho now Associate Justices of tho Supremo Court, who is just entering upon his thirty-second consecutive annual term as superintendent of tho M. E. Sunday School at Emporia. President MoKinley has again demonstrated his mastery of political diplomacy by appointing Hon. W. M. Jenkins Governor of Oklahoma. By making this appolntmenttho Prosldent not only honors a worthy man, but ho leaves absolutely no ground for tho continuation of tho factional feud that has kopt tho Republican party of tho Territory In such turmoil for tho past four years. "With all tho nations grabbing for gold tho valuo of tho gold dollar Is bound to bo tremendously enhanced and tho prlcos of all kinds of products correspondingly diminished." Don't you remomber how that declaration was dinned Into our oars during tho campaign of 1890? And tho last re port shows moro gold In the United Statos troasury than was ovor piled up anywhere olso on earth, and thoro Is no complaint aboutlowpricesoithor. Tin: troublo Is that a great many, oven of honest men, make assertions that aro inaccurate. Foroxamplo, Mr. J. Q, Roberts, editor of the Lallarpo News, mado tho statcmont In tho court houso tho other day that Mr. Fuller's drug stock at Lallarpo was assossed at tho samo figures as Evans Bras, stock in Iola. Ho doubtless bolloved this to bo truo, but when ho wont to look up tho records ho found that tho Fuller stock was assessed at S900, while tho Evans stock was assessed at $2400. You see that is quite different. And yet it Is about a fair Illustra tion of tho accuracy of tho statements by which It Is sought to provo that Iola shirks her share of the taxos. Buggies Just In. Tfcgtvva A voting machino was used in thirty or nioro of tho largo cities of tho East at tho last election, and tho ro port is favorablo In ovcry instance In the city of Buffalo whore 0G000 votes were cast, tho results in each voting precinct were computed in llvo minutes after tho polls closed, and tho result in tho ontiro city was known in less than an hour. THE Prosidont of Vonozuola pub lishes a statcmont in which ho do elares that If tho United Statos sends war ships against his country ho will do the best he can to protect the In tegrity of tho republic. Tho fact that ho has been ablo to accumulate a for tune of two million dollars In two years on a salary oi suo.uuu a year, would indicate that ho has not wasted much tlmo protecting his own in tegrity. Till: Bennett houso In Topeka which stands in tho center of an aero of ground and originally cost $70,000 has been bought by tho Stato for $20,000 for tho Governor's Mansion. Tho re mainder of tho $30,000 appropriated by tho legislature will bo spent for furni ture, and an appropriation of $3000 a year will bo mado for maintenance All of which will make tho ollleo of Govornor of Kansas a good deal moro attractive than It has herotoforo bcon. Prior. Osoah Chiusman, tho Paldo loglst, has been dismissed from tho Faculty of tho Stato Normal. Profes sor Chrisman Is a thoroughly slncero man who has fallon a victim to over specialization. Ho has given his en tire tlmo and attention for so many years to tho study of tho child that ho lias lost tho senso of proportions. Ho thinks child study is tho greatest selcnco In tho world, and sluco ho knows moro about it than any other man ho naturally concludes that ho Is tho greatest man In tho world. And when a man Is In that framo of mind It Is hard for him to hold a job. Tho host thing that could happen to Mr. Chrlsmnn, would bo for somebody to tako him out in tho field and mako htm dig in tho dirt until ho had forgotten tho moaning of tho word paidology, Then ho could como back Into tho world and mako a useful eitlzen. Howard uonrant: wo don't near so much of the "poor, down-trodden farmer" as wo used to. Tbo farmer does not need our sympathies not In Kansas. Even tho political domagoguo has ceased to commlserato htm. Ilts lot Is an enviable ono, and if ho wljl It ho can bo tho most Inde pendent man on, earth. Tho fanner doesn't havo to solicit patronago from unyono. IIo does not havo to enter Into competition and strlfo with any of his neighbors llko araorehant; ho does not havo to wrangle for a living Uko a lawyer; ho does not havo to depend on collections, reluctantly doled out as most men do. He has moro tlmo and opportunity for Improving Ills' mind; ho has fewer allurements for corrupting his morals, and his occu pation Is moro conduolvo to tho high est development of his physical power than any other. Tho noxt tlmo wo ' como to earth wo will be a farmer, reciprocity Itsroply Is herewith repro duced. Tho abovo clipping is from tho Iola Daily Register of tho Issuo of April 10, and Is lola's argument In favor of a now court houso. Wo bollovo that tho Inconveniences, dangers and needs aro much exagger ated by tho Register, at least muny aro pucrllo and farfetched. Thcro aro alwuys dangers from flro and will bo In u now court houso; thoro will bo In conveniences no matter how largo a structure Is built for u court, houso. Tho many faults, dangers and incon veniences Uwolt upon by tho Register aro not apparant to a person not looking to find fault. Tho old saying, "Just as you aro pleased at finding fault, you aro displeased at lindlng perfection," Is exactly truo In this court houso question. Tho advocates of a now court houso havo brooded over tho quostlon so much that thoy can seo nothing but dlro calamity and dark disaster in tho futuro, If a new court houso Is not built. But grant that all tho Register says were true, thero aro somo things not montlonod by tho Register that are worthy of comment. Of courso it was perfectly fair for tho Register to leave out of its artlclo tho schemo that was attempted by a fow to saddlo a S50,000court houso up on tho lax pajers without tholr con sent. To a great many peoplo this Is tho best kind of a reason why tho schemo should not carry at this tlmo. Allen county's valuation for tho purpose of taxation in 1900 was as follows: Gonova $218,881 Carlylo 233,035 Deer Creok 211,707 Osago 340,201 Marmaton 502,019 Iola 0(13,128 Elm 501,072 Elsmoro 500,833 Salem 287,250 Cottago Grovo 243,410 Humboldt I0,7S1 Logan 220,020 Humboldt city 220,334 Morun " 01,070 Lallurpo " 135,400 Iola " 1)50,438 Total for tho county $5,030,323 Tho HixusTUlt says that Iola pays elo.-e to one-third ot tho taxes. By an examination of tho above valuation lor 1000, it will bo found that Iola city pays 1 of every $5.75 or nearer ono sixt'i than one-third. Iola and Iola Township together pay $1 of every $2.43 or between one-third and ouo fourtli of tho county's tax, but thero is no town in tho county but pays pro portionally a heavier tax than Iola Counting tho towns and Elm town ship as tho Rixjisti:ii did, Lallarpo pays about $1. of every $8., or one eighth of tho county's taxos. Or to put it in another way thotownshipaud city of Iola pay on $1,013. 500.. while the township of Elm including tho towns, pay taxes on $000,473. Oil this valuation iota townsnip inciuuing mo town pays $2.30 to Elm's $1. No ono who knows anything about tho valuo of tho property in tho two townships will doubt for a minute that if iola is paying on enough property, Elm Is paying on tno much. An investigation will show that otnor towns and town ships in tho county aro paying on too much property, If ' Iola Is paying on enough. This Is ono of tho best rea sons why wo should voto 'no' on tho court huuso proposition. if, as tno uixiisTKii says, iola cm- sens uo moro man one-nan oi tno bus iness at tho court house, Iola citizens should pay for moro than one-half of a now court houso or at least pay their just proportion of tho cost. Tho HixuSTiut says that Iola gavo a hundrcdlots to tho county unci took tho old court houso off tho county's hands at thrico Its actual value. Grant ing that Iola did do all this. Sho did not do it for tho lovo of tho county, but because Iola saw that thero was monoy In It. No ono can say truthfully that Iola mado a bad bargain. Sho has been many tlinos ropaid. Thoro is no argument whatovor In this to sup port tho contention that at this tlmo and under tho prosent condition of things that tho county should build a now court houso. If Iola wants a now court houso so badly lot Iola build It. No other part of tho county can seo such urgent need for ono. Tho Register- Is certainly not seri ous when it says that no moro than one-half of tho books can bo stored in tho vaults, and that a flro would causo a loss ten times as crroat as u now court houso, Ten times $50,000 Is 1500,000, quite a sum of monoy. Tho poopio oi Allen county nave a groat deal of faith In tho RsaiSTEit's truth and veracity but tho abovo stutoment by tho Register causes a jar. And now, as to tho tax ot 25 cents on tho $100 valuation; It would mako no dif ference If only a tax of a penny to tho $100 was to bo levied, if Iola sought to levy that penny without, consulting tho neonlo. Iola says tho peoplo havo tho richt to oppress themselves on tho question. How did thoy got tho right? Not by Iola's consont but ovor Iola's objec tion. Thoro is no virtue in doing a necessity. If tho proposed tax woro only a ponny wo would bo oppose! to It so long as 101a does not pay nor just proportion of that ponny. How will you voto? Tho first point mado by tho Nows Is that tho "Inconvonloncos and dan gers" of tho prosont court house, and tho needs of a now ono aro exagge rated, bytho Register, This is large ly a mattor of opinion, but wo bollovo 8' IP lis vlJ n 1 1 1 1 ' Il iivV 'III isfcmJ I mwmwr Myzzzsz tin ro- - ?. Stato Treasuror Frank Grimes taking loavo of Politics. From The Topeka Mall and Drecze. that a largo majority of thosofamlllar with tho facts agreo with tho Regis ter rather than tho News. It is cer tainly true that Allen county has ono of tho very poorest court houses In the state. It is also certain that if any individual wore hired by tho coun ty to tako caro of tho public records, provldo a placo for tho peoplolto pay tholr tuxos, to hold their court and transact all the other business which is now done at tho court house, ho would bo denounced on ovory cor ner for stinginess and nicannoss if ho did not provldo a safer and moro con venient building than tho prosont court houso. Tbo county ought to provldo for itsolf as safo and good a building as It would require its hired hand to havo if tho work woro done by con tract. The second point mado by tho Nows, and to which It recurs sovoraltlmos, is that tho proposition to build a court houto Is a "schemo'' by a fow to "sad die a $50,000 court houso upon thotax . payers without their consent." That is an injust accusation. Tho facts regarding this matter aro that tho first suggestion of a now court houso camo from tho county commissioners, not ono of whom is a citizen of Iola. Tho subject had been talked over by them long ago, and it camo up again at tho January meeting, apropos, wo hellovo, of bomo repairs that woro needed on tho old building. Somo Iola men who heard tho discussion talked with tho commissioners and found that cacli of them oxcopt Mr. Toby who did not express an opinion, favored tho plan of lovylng a special tax rather than voting bonds. A bill was accordingly drawn, and both Mr. Christian and Mr. Lockhart wroto lei tors to our representatives In tho leg islature endorsing it. As originally drawn tho bill did not call for an elec tion. Not because thero was any dis position to override tho will of tho peoplo, but simply because It was thought tho sentiment In favor of a now court houso was so nearly unani mous that a voto would not bo asked for. At soon us a demand for a voto was mado It was Immediately acceded to and Jho bill was amended to ac cordingly, tho peoplo of Iola joining with others in tho request. If thero had been any design to "sneak" tho bill through, It would havo been in troduced at tho last of tho sosslon, too lato for discussion or araendmont, and nothing would havo been said about it in the Iola papers. Instoad of that It was Introduced ut tho first of tho session and tho Register told tho peoplo all about itjtho very day after It was introduced. All these facts certulnly disprove tho News' accusa tion. Tho third point mado by tho Nows Is that Iola pays one-sixth of thotuxos of tho county Instead one-third, as er roneously stated by the Register, The Rkuisteh btar.ds corrected, tho mlstako having rosulted unintention ally from confusing tho (Iguros from tho township and tho city with thoso from tho city alono. But with this correction mudo, we still contend that Iola pays moro rather than loss than her share of tho tuxes. Doos anybody roally bollovo that all the farms, all tho houses, all tho llvo stock, all the six groat smelters, the threo brick g2& V W0iM0.,, Aamu:, Z- "-- jr -": yards, the cement plant, tho lco factory all tho property, real and personal In Allen county outsldothoclty of Iola Is worth only six times as much ns tho property In tho city of Iola alono? As a citizen of Iola wo should bo proud to bollovo this truo, but as a business man wo cannot llguro it out that way. Tho Nows' fourth point is that "If Iola doos moro than half tho business at tho court houso It ought ty pay moro than half tho cost." And that only shows how tho moaning of words may bo perverted by taking them away from their context. Tho Regis ter was roplylng to tho unworthy argument that "Iola did not deserve a courthouse," and It mado tho state ment that moro than half tho buslnoss Ut the court houso wasdonoby citizens of Iola, with tho samo moaning It would havo In arguing that tho post ollleo should bo located at such a point as to bo convenient to tho ma jority of Its patrons. Tho fifth point mado by tho Nows is that tho Rixjister exaggerated In stating that ono half of tho records at tho court houso cannot bo put in tho vault, and that tholr loss by llro would Inillct a damage ten times as great as tho cost of a court houso. Tho first statement was tho estlmato of tho county officers. Tho second is largoly a matter of opinion; but It seems doubtful If Allen county could afford oven for half a million dollars to havo the records showing tho payment of taxes, tho papers lu lawsuits, all tho Ulos In tho Probato court, involving tho titles to tho estates of widows and orphans, all tho records in tho county superintendent's ollloe, entirely destroyed. Only tho other day an old barn of a court houso in Missouri was burned, and It Is estimated that tho loss to tho county Is not loss than a million dollars. But what will strlko tho average reader as strango Is that tho Nows should uso a column of spaco arguing against tho new. court houso and not ' mention tho real reason why It op poses it. Why does not tho Nows como out frankly and say that it Is fighting tho proposition because La Haapo hopes sometime to bo tho coun ty seat? Everybody knows that is tho real reason, and it might as well bo avowed and tho fight made on that basis. Now nobody finds fault with Lallarpo for Its ambition to become tho county seat. That Is all right and propor. But Binco that is tho real rouson of its opposition to a now court houso ought It not to come out frankly and say so instead of arguing that wo do not need a now court houso when everybody knows wo do? Tho defeat of tho pending proposition doubtloss means a county soat war lu tho pear futuro. Iola is not afraid of tho result of that- contest; but might it not bo bottor to avert it by voting now to havo tho court houso that wo need built where a largo majority of tho peoplo want It? The regents of tho Stato Normal School havo lncroasod Prosidont Taylor's salary a thousand dollars a year. A fact that will bo noted with much pleasure by thoso who aro fami liar with tho amount of work and the high grade of work ,dono by this most capable man. t m m m i i t -M w yacsci. paiu4veivtoWWMWf'" M.-H" r .-.. ... ... -rry-eifMr