9
CONCERNING KANSAS.
NOTES.
Some of the Topeka preachers have
suddenly become shacked at sight of the
undreesed statuary in Library hall, this
city. They ought to clothe it with fig
leaves.
Harvey Fowler, for a long time head
reporter on the State Journal, has
adopted the ministerial profession in
the Methodist church. Now there is
reform for you.
The Populists of the Sixth congres
sional district held a two days love feast
at Colby on March 8 and 9, during
which the district committee decided to
hold the congressional convention at
that place June 6.
Some "prominent republican" (pre
sumably) robbed the Bank of Pleaaanton
of $2470 last week. The burglar dis
played bad judgment in going to Linn
county so soon after the Kincaid tran
sactions of last fall.
Department Commander Campbell,
who is now engaged in issuing orders,
has issued one ordering his judge advo
cate to investigate the report that a
diseased animal had been sold for use
at the Dodge City soldier's home.
What is going to become of Lawrence,
is a serious question. The revivalist
Romig, claims to have converted over
2,000 souls in that town during the last
three years, and wickedness still stalks
abroad on the publio highways.
It is announced that Mrs. Lease is
one of the heirs to a $5,000 estate in Ire
land, and some one has been mean
enough to suggest that the announce
ment comes too soon after her visit with
Peck and Rossington in St Louis. -
Dr. N. B. Jones, of Wilson county, and
and Dr. Itoby, of Topeka, have been
made members of the state board of
health. They succeed Drs. D. H. Hill
and J. P. Stewart, while Dr. Jenney, of
Salina, is appointed to succeed himself.
The Kansas W. C. 1 . U. proposes to
establish a state reformatory for women,
and for that purpose have asked the city
of Atchicon to donate eighty acres of
land and furnish temporary quarters.
There is yet a possibility of saving Mrs.
Lease.
John F. Willits has resigned his posi
tion on the state board of pardons, at
the request of the,; governor, and the
vacancy was filled by the appointment
of A. C. Baker, late of the labor com
missioner's office. The governor has
not published his reason for making the
change.
Governor Lewelling and the state
board of charities visited several points
in Iowa last week for the purpose of
inspecting publio institutions and form
ulating plans for inproving the Girls
Industrial school at Beloit. The gov
ernor was once superintendent of a
reformatory institution at Mitchellville,
Iowa.
Harper's Weekly gives a long bi
ography of Senator PefTer and in it the
writer admits that he is honest It is
pretty generally believed that Peffer is
trying to carry out the declarations upon
which he was elected, and that is what
very few other senators are doing. Some
of them may be classed as dishonest
and others as simply ornamental. Peffer
lb neither of these.
The Marion Militia case, involving the
question as to whether the governor has
authority to muster a company of
militia out of service, waa heard in the
supreme court on Saturday. Q. C.
Clemens, who was assisting Judge
Doster in the governor's side of the case,
made a powerful argument to the effect
that tie act under which the state
militia is organized, is unconstitutional.
Should the court so decide, there would
of course be nothing to hold any cf the
companies together.
Hiawatha Journal: "There are the
usual number of Smiths in Kansas but
will some good brother .explain who this
Smith is that republicans are just now
heralding over the state as a "prominent
Populist" "Smith Sml-Smith" e
did here that name lotB of times but not
until he got put in jail did we ever hear
he was either prominent or a Populist.
Isn't this a republican cry of "Smith" to
drown another a republican Smith
that hails from the Copeland at Topeka
and that the flies roost on!"
To Dl'coorage Newspaper Lying
The members of the Trans-Mississippi
Associated press, as the co-operative
news service between a number of the
enterprising dailies of Missouri and Kan
sas is called, yesterday took a decided
stand upon the question of newspaper
"faking," and resolved that they would
from now on, individually and collec
tively, neglect no opportunity to forcibly
ait down upon the practice whenever it
shows its head.
The species of faking, as the printing
or origination of palpably untrue news is
called, that is referred to more particu
larly in this instance, is the sending out
of lurid yarns concerning the people of
the west to eastern papers. The publi
cation of such things at home would be
readily understood, and is seldom tried.
But with eastern papers, which are con
stantly on the look out for sensational
items, the stories of fierce blizzards, de-
vastatsng cyclones, starving towns, and
anarchist uprisings are eagerly accepted
and well paid for. Once set afloat it is
as impossible to arrest or correct the im
preesion given by suoh a publication, as
to gather the ripples caused by a small
stone thrown into a placid lake. It
goes on and on, and usually ends in a
climax which even the audacious author
would hardly have dared to broach.
The center of western faking has for
several years rested in Kansas, although
the new towns of the Cherokee strip
have furnished an exceedingly fertile
field. Kansas has offered unusual ad
vantages to the newspaper fakir, and
her many political woea and fierce inter
nal agonies have been served up with
every variety of sauce. It is safe to say
that one-third of the sensational matter
published about Kansas in New York
and Boston papers since the Populists
came into power has had little founda
tion in fact An appetite was created
for such matter when it first came out,
and as influential journals were willing
to buy it, western fake artists were soon
found to answer the demand.
To stop such an abuse is much harder
than to start it Unfortunately it is
sometimes difficult to establish the au
thenticity of a piece of news until after
the harm has been done. There is also
another class, more despicable, if possi
ble, than the authors themselves, who,
for political reasons, have given promi
nence to snch fabrications, knowing
them to be false. Still, the abuse can
be cured. It can be cured by the news
paper men refusing to oountenanoe such
practices or allow a known fakir the
privileges of the craft Let the press
associations and reputable newspapers
engsge in a war of extermination and
the evil will rapidly disappear. Kansas
City Times.
The Hl'lmon Imuran's Case.
Insurance Superintendent Snider is
doing a very commendable tot ia hold
ing an investigation of the Hillmon
insurance case. This case, as meat cf
our readers are aware, grew out of a
refusal on the part of the insurance
companies to pay $25,000 on the alleged
death of John W. Hillmon. The com
panies, the New York Life, the Mutual
Life of New York and the Connecticut
Mutual, raised a question as to the
identity of the body which was said to
be that of Hillmon, who was said to have
been murdered while at Medicine Lodge.
Upon this ground they refused to pay
the loss and the case has been in several
courts. The prevailing opinion of those
disinterested persons who have looked
into the matter ia against the compan
ies, and Mrs. Smith, who was the wife
of Hillmon, has asked the superinten
dent of insurance to investigate.
The hearing of the case began in Mr.
Snider's office March 8, and is not ytt
finished. To cattle the question raised
by the companies' attorneys, as to his
jurisdiction in the case, Mr. Snider laid:
"It seems to me you gentlemen have
forgotten the fact that we are here to
investigate into the affairs of these
insurance companies and not some cria
inal statute nor the act that some man
may. have committed five, ten or fifteen
years ago. We have nothing to do with
that kind of thing.
"And I want to say here, and I do it
with feeling and with the determination
that the penitentiary is open to that
man if I get hold of him. It has come
to my ears that there is boodle back of
this proceeding; that there is boodle for
me. I want to say to each of you that
if I get that man he will step into the
penitentiary. I want to proceed in this
matter in a business like manner. These
companies are up here charged with
unfair or fraudulent dealings, and that
I propose to investigate and look into
it."
Topeka Citizen's Ticket.
A mass convention composed largely
of Populists was held at the league
rooms Saturday night and thejoliowing
nominations were made:
First ward Councilman, William
Green; school board, Mrs. A. J.Arnold.
Second ward Councilman, Albert
Ernest; school board, S. R. Miller.
Third ward Councilman, long term,
John Elliott; ehort term, Jerry White;
school board, C. M. Sheldon.
Fourth ward Councilman, F. O. Hen-
tig; school .board, Eiias ShulL
Fifth ward Councilman, J. H. Wil
liamson; school board, W. H. Craig.
Constables Larry Sheen, J. E. Ander
son and Charles Miller.
H. C. Root was chairman of the meet
ing and A. H. Wetherbee secretary. They
and O. O. Lee were seleoted as a com
mittee to fall vacanoies on thetioket.
The following .very appropriate.resolu-
tion was adopted:
'Resolved, By this citizens' masa con
vention that we are in favor of independ
ent political action in municipal affairs;
that we favor the municipal ownership
and control of franchises for the general
use of the publio, as light, water, and
street railways, and we invite all voters
of the city of Topeka, irrespective of
party, to give their support to theciti
zens' ticket"
The Suffrage Movement.
Mrs. Rwhel L. Childs will ipeax at
the following places:
March 1 Ames.
- 16, Rica.
" 17-18, Concordia.
19, Norway.
20, BellarUl.
- 21,Narka.
83,Manlato.
Penurious Mlliioanlres.
It appears that tha liberality of Chi
cago millionaires collapced with iha
World's Fair. An Associated press re
port says:
"The urgent appeal for funds thtt
has just bean Lmed by the Central Re
lief association, upon which organization
has devolved the duty of caring for Ha
suffering and homeless during the win
ter, bring into bold relief the fact that
Chicago's circle of millionaires has dens -
very little in the way of mitigating th
distress that has prevailed during the
past four months. This fact waa strongly
commented upon a couple of weeks
since when announcement that the two
Vandarbilts and W. W. Astor had lad
the roll of the New York relief fund with
contributions of $5,000 apiece.
"Of the large amount 10 far raised in
Chicago, however, a large proportion
has coma from the scanty earnings of
the wags workers still employed, cr
from tradesmen who themselves have
been Buffering from the business dapr&a
eion. Comparatively little assistance
has come from the scores upon oaores of
the residents of the oity who count
their wealth by the hundreds of thous
ands and in many cassa by the millions,
and this despite the fact that many of
these added materially to their wealth
by fortunate investments within and
without the World's Fair. Many cf
thesa started for Europe immediately
after the close of the Columbian exposi
tion with the intention of remaining
away a year or more.
"Meanwhile there is interest in the
announcement that President Harlow N.
Higinbotham of the Columbian exposi
tion has puroh&aed considerable ground
adjacent to his mansion on Michigan
avenue at figures ranging from
$200 to 1300 a front foot for ths
purpose of laying out a lawn, garden
and pleasure park, and that Marshall
Field, Jr., baa just approved plans for a
new residence which, it is said, will rival
the famous Stewart palace in New
York."
County Alliance Meetings.
Hon W. S. Hanna, president of the
State Alliance, and Bro. Alonzo Ward
all, national guardian of the Allianco
Aid, will speak at the following places
on the dates named. These maatiegs
are open to everybody. Every person
who his ever belonged to the Allianco
should attend them. Bring the wives
and ohlldren and have an old time Al
liance reunion.
O. W. Hsndee, representing the Ajo-
vooatx, will attend all these meetings.
Our subscribers would do well to renew
with him and assist in securing new
subscribers:
March 15, Pratt county, Pratt
- 16, Stafford county, St. John.
" 17, Pawnee county, Larned.
" 19, Burton county, Ureal Bend.
" 30, Rice county, Lyons.
Jl, McPhereon county, McPheraon.
M 37, Smith county, Smith Center.
- 38, Phillips county, Pbllllpsburg.
" 99. Norton oounty, Norton.
" 30, Pocatnr county, Oberlln.
" 81, Thorn aa county, Colby.
April, 9, Sheridan county, Hoxie.
8, Oraham county. Hill City.
4, Rooks county, Plalnvllle.
" 5, Lincoln county, Lincoln.
7, Mitchell county, Beloit.
9, Oiborne county, Oaborne.
Frank B. Forrest's Dates.
Elk county, March 19 to 24. '
Wllaon county, March 30 to 28.
Allen county, March 29 to 8L
Anderaon county, April 9 to 7.
Miami county, April 9 to 14,
Geary county, April 18 to 30.
The eonntifla vhinh Viivb rf m.
ported the places for holding meetings,
should inform the Advocate at once.
The state board of railroad commis
sioners have krusd their annual report,
a volume containing nearly COO page It
cont&ins all tha decision the board mada
during the pott year, the statements of
the different railroad companies, and
nuc ether valuable information.