THE ABVOOATB.
CONCERNING KANSAS.
2JOTE3.
Frank R. Forrest ia holding meetings
in Mitchell and Cloud counties this
week.
Mrs. W. A. Harris, the most estimable
wife of Congressman Harris, died at her
home in Leavenworth county last weak.
A Washington dispatch says the indi
cations are that the Second district con
test between Moore and Funston will be
decided on the 21st in favor of Moore.
The present state board of public
works, appointed by Governor Le welling,
is a good one, and is making a record by
its economio management of publio
buildings that will be a credit to the
state.
Since being left out of the secretary
ship of the state board of agriculture,
Martin Mohler can devote more time to
the study of political questions, of whioh
he was wont to talk bo much while
knowing so little.
Whoever wants to become familiar
with "Fungicides upon the germination
of corn," should send for the circular re
cently issued from the state agricultural
college. Fungicides and mugwumps
are two kinds of animals.
A charter for the proposed "Gulf and
Interstate railroad" was filed with the
secretary of state on Friday. This is
the road whioh it is proposed shall be
built on the co-operation plan from
some point in the Dakotas to the Gulf of
Mexico.
The Santa Fe and Burlington tax com
missioners are still "compromising with
some of the county commissioners on
the payment of taxes, in spit of the
opinion of the attorney general that
county commissioners have no right to
accept less than the amount fixed by the
assessors.
A little jag of western justice was
meted out to three murderers in
Russell county Saturday night J. G.
Burton, Wm. Gay, and his son, John
Gaj, who had confessed to having mur
dered Fred Dinning, were taken from
the jail by a mob of 130 citizens and
hanged to a bridge.
One J. K. Noland, a county commis
sioner of Reno county, is trying to gain
fame by announcing that he has re
cently quit the People's party for good.
It looks as if the amount paid by the re
publican paper for a contraot to do the
county printing had a great deal to do
with his sudden conversion.
The Populist state central committee
held a meeting in Topeka on the 10th,
11th and 12th and compared notes. It
was a very earnest session and the
unanimous sentiment was that the cam
paign of education must be carried on
without cessation. They outlined an
address which will toon be published.
The Advocate has secured the serv
ices' of 0. W. Hendee to travel in the in
terest of this paper. While he makes
no pretentions as a publio speaker, he is
one of the best workers in the state.
He will be in Reno county next week,
when he will do some soliciting for the
Gazette also, and he should have the
co-operation of the best men in the
county.
Mrs. Lease has more trouble on her
hands. On returning from St. louia the
other day, she was asksd.by the report
ers as to the report that she had held a
secret consultation while there with
George R. Peck and W. H. Roesicgton
the railroad attorneys and politicians.
The reporters say that when they first
made inquiry, Mrs. Lease replied that
she did not know Mr. Peck and had not
seen him in St. Louis. She afterward
admitted that she had casually met and
talked with him while there.
The injunction restraining J. G. Free
born from acting as a member of the
board of charities was dissolved last
Saturday on motion of the governor's
attorneys, in the upreme court. A suit
brought by Mrs. Lease to oust Freeborn
ia now pending and will be heard within
a month. In the meantime he will act
aaa member, and probably continue to
do so.
State Charitable Institutions.
Although the state board of charities
has been "going lame" for a while, the
working part of it has been "sawing
wood" at a rate that will be very grati
fying to most people of the state, and
especially to the taxpayers. At the last
semi-annual letting of contracts for sup
plies a saving of about $10,000 was
made, which means a reduction in the
tax levy of $20,000 a year. And at the
same time the inmates of the different
institutions are being fed better than
ever before, but the tea, coffee, etc.,
bought for the officers is of the same
quality as that served to the inmates.
In former years the institutions used
from 75,000 to 80,000 pounds of flour, or
at least there was that much paid for,
while the present officers can use only
about 45,000 pounds.
But most of the reforms made will be
felt later on. For instance, cows have
been purchased for different institutions
where milk has 'formerly been bought
and the saving, besides furnishing about
twice the amount of pure milk, will pay
for the cows in about six months. And
where pigs have heretofore been fattened
and sold to butchers, and pork and lard
bought at high prices, now the pigs are
killed at the institutions. At the insti
tution for imbecile youth, at Winfield,
high priced teachers have been employed
to teach the inmates the common En
glish branches. After six or seven years
of schoel work some of the idiots can
cow distinguish the first three or four
letters of the alphabet, but can make no
further progress. The present board,
recognizing the folly of attempting to
educate beings absolutely destitute of
mind, have discharged the professors
and now employ attendants at lower
wages, who take the inmates out and
bring them in contact with freeh air
and sunshine and natural objects and
phenomena which they have so long
been denied. At the Topeka reform
school for boys it has been the custom
to buy a suit of clothes costing about $S
for each boy when discharged. Now
the boys are taught to make the clothes
themselves, and the coat has been re
duced to below $3. This has already
effected a saving of over $200, and the
boys are learning a useful trade.
So one might po on through all the
different institutions, but the report of
the board will give the exact figures and
thus be much more satisfactory. Suffice
it to say that when the snmming up is
made the people will see that they are
getting just what they voted for a
change for the better all along the line.
And the change cannot in all cases be
expressed in figures, nor the improve
ment estimated in dollars and cents.
The most gratifying reforms have been
made in the methods, as, for example, at
the institution for the blind with the in
troduction of the Delaarte system of
physical culture under a thoroughly
competent instructor, or instructress,
for it happens to be Mrs. Melan, the
children are becoming graceful and thus
feeling less and lees the difficulties of
their misfortune.
State Board of Agriculture.
The annual session of the Kansas
state board of agriculture was held in
representative hall Thursday and Friday
of last week, following the meetings of
the improved stock breeders' associa
tion, whioh were held during the two
previous days. This was one of the
most interesting meetings the associa
tion has ever held.
Among the excellent papers read
were: "Lessons from the Danish Dai
ries," by Prof. Georgeson; "Results of
Chintz Bug Experiments," by Chancellor
Snow; "Alfalfa," by John H. Churchill;
"Farmers' Institutes," by W. B. Sutton;
papers on irrigation by J. S. Emery, E.
R. Moses and B. F. Campbell, and one
on railroad transportation, by Senator
Forney.
Daniel Needham, of Massachusetts,
president of the New England agricul
ture society, who read an able paper on
"The Relations of Western Agriculture
to the East," seems to have been put on
the program by mistake. He dipped
into political questions and severely
criticised the policy of recent national
administrations with regard to financial
and railroad legislation, and the policy
of the present pension department of
ficials. Unlike ordinary eastern "agrioul
turalists" he had no word of defense for
any of the great monopolies, and he ex
pressed grave doubts as to the result of
the demonetization of silver. When he
had finished the facts of several mem
bers who have recently been active in
politics were as long as a fiddle, while
others betrayed a look of extreme satis
faction. A motion was passed thanking
Col. Needham for the paper and order
ing it printed in the proceedings of the
meeting. Pending the vote on the mo
tion, Judge Sutton got in a sly dig at
Secretary Morton,while A.' C Shinn took
occasion to express his opinion on silver
coinage.
Prof. Whitney, of Johns Hopkins uni
versity, read a paper on "Water Circula
tion in Soils" whioh was very instruct
ive. The new officers elected wore: Presi
dent, T. M. Potter, of Marion county, to
succeed A. W. Smith; secretary, F. D.
Coburn.of Wyandotte, to succeed Martin
Mohler; vice president, John E. Hogan,
of Jackson; treasurer, Sam T. Howe, of
Topeka.
Of the stock breeders' association the
newly elected officers are: President,
W. B. Sutton; vice president, M. S.
Babcock; secretary and treasurer, W. P.
Popenoe.
Johnson County Populists Endorse.
On January 6, the People's party com
mittee of Johnson county, adopted the
following:
Whikbas, The board of charities of the
state of Kansas hare seen proper to remove
J. D. Carter from the superintendent of
the deaf and dumb institution located in
this county, and hare appointed A. A.
Stewart, of Manhattan, to said office; there
fore, be it
Resolved, That the central committee of
the Populist party of Johnson county do
heartily oommend the action of said board;
and be it further
Resolved, That we heartily commend
Governor Lewelltng for his efforts in bring
ing about said change, whioh we deem was
greatly needed.
Reeolved, That it is the sense of this
oommittee that Populists who were unjustly
removed by said Carter should be reinstated
by Superintendent Stewart.
J. H. Hibib, Chairman.
Joaa Williaus, Secretary.
Questions and Answers.
The Advocate has been requested to
answer the following questions asked by
different persons:
Was it a republican or Populist intro
duced the bill creating the present mort
gage stay law?
Did Mr. Stubbs take any fpart in the
organization of the Douglass house?
Is it true that more Populists than repub
licans voted for the Greenlee railroad bill?
Senate bill No. 285, an act to provide
for the redemption of real estate, etc.,
was introduced by Senator Dennison,
Populist, of Butler county. It passed
the senate, but in the house the terms
of another bill were subtituted. This
amendment was rejected by the senate
and it was then referred to a conference
oommitte composed of two Populists
and one republican from the senate, and
three republicans and two Populists
from the house. This committee re
vised the bill and with their amendments
it became a law.
The Douglass house journal does cot
show that A. W. Stubbs took part in the
organizing of that house, but as he was
present, and as Mr. Rosenthal was not
recognized by them until after the house
was organized, it is supposed that Stubbs
participated.
'Tee," is the plain answer to the last
question. In the house forty-six Popu
lists and forty-three republicans voted to
pass the Greenlee bill. Twelve renubli
licans and one Populist voted against it.
The senate substituted the maximum
freight bill, and the two houses failed to
agree on a compromise.
To Township and County Committeemen.
Now is the time to do work that will
show good results at the next election.
You all realize that. If you want to
keep Kansas to the front do not neglect
the opportunity.
You will receive communications from
the chairman of the state central com
mittee requesting information which
only you can give. Answer promptly.
It will be for the good of your own
county, as well as others, to do so. Un
less you do this his efforts to promote
political education will not be success
ful. The Advocate has gone to the ex
pense to put out a good speaker to hold
publio meetings, and will soon have one
or two more in the field. Some of these
meetings have not been well attended,
owing to the fact that the committee
men, after asking for the speaker, failed
to advertise the meetings. This is very
ungrateful. It ia wrong and a disgrace
to the county in which it occurs. If
you do not intend to get up meetings,
when the speaker costs you nothing,
don't ask him to come.
After reading this copy of the Advo
cate, if you do not wish to keep it on
file, give it to the most intelligent neigh
bor who does not take the paper. The
price is $1 a year, 25 cents for three
months. If you want to get up a club
send for special rates.
A Woman's Day.
Arrangements are being made by
Kansas Alliance women to have a
"woman's day" during the session of
national F. A. and I. U. meeting which
opens at Topeka Feoruary 6. The pro
gram will be published in next week's
Advocate.
Alliance women throughout the state
will please note and make arrangements
to attend, for you will hear some of the
best speakers in the country.
For fresh Alfalfa seed, address Carter
& Son, Garden City, Kas.
Send for an Asvocati subscription pla
card to hang in your store or offloe.