The advocate. [volume], May 09, 1894, Page 8, Image 8

About The advocate. [volume] (Topeka, Kan.) 1894-1897

Image provided by: Kansas State Historical Society; Topeka, KS

                
075233 ADVOCATE.
CONCERNING KANSAS.
Geary county republicans 1 are for
George Martin for governor.
Pittsburg haa com to the front and
organized a Coxey home guard.
. Grant M. Webster, of Wiohita, is ap
pointed assistant adjutant gentraL
The mineri of the Cherokee, Kaa., dis
trict have agreed to strike May 12 unless
the operators agree to their terms.
All last weak the Capital tried to
boom an anti-Coxey masting in Topeka,
but it wouldn't boom worth a cent
The Kansas Horticultural society haa
issued its third biennial report, which
contains a great deal of information re
garding fruit culture in this state.
Frank R. Forrest seems to have to
tally vanquished his man in the debate
at Brookville. The Advocate has an
account of the meeting which will be
published next week.
The Seventh district platform does
not state whether the convention meant
what it said or not, but it was quite as
plain as the First district on the money
question. It is "agin" disturbing equal
values.
Friday night Lyon and Osage coun
ties were visited by a terrific water
spout and hail storm which did great
damage to property and injured a num
ber of personi. On Wednesday previous
Jewell county was the sufferer by a hail
storm.
Superintendent of Insurance Snider ia
giving the life insurance companies some
fatherly advice, which, if heeded, might
save some of them from bankruptcy and
their policy-holders from Iocs. He will
recommend some radical ohanges in the
insurance laws of the stats.
The gas and oil industry is assuming
large proportions in southern Kansas,
although very little of the produot is as
yet being put to practical use. Thou
sands of aores of land in Wilson and ad
joining counties are being leased to
speculators who are putting in wells. It
will soon be time for the Standard Oil
company to swoop down and gobble up
the leases.
R. J. Stewart, who, as financier of
lodge No. 3 and legion No. 1 of the A. 0.
U. W. (Topeka), was defaulter to the
tuns of several hundred dollars, was con
victed of embezzlement in Judge Hazen'a
court, and sentenced to two years in the
penitentiary. The daily papers do not
put him down as a "prominent republl
can." They think the readers ought to
know that.
Hitchcock Exonerated.
Strange as it may seem, the arraign
ment and investigation of Superintend
ent Hitohcook, of the Boys' Reform
school, charred with incompetency and
xaiamanagement cf the institution, re
sulted in favor fit the aoouaed. The
hearing lasted eight days, counting ad
journments, and the board at once de
cided to retain Hitchcock in the position.
For this the board has laid itself liable
to as severe critioism as seems to have
been justly heaped upon the superin
tendent. From a person who heard the
evidence the Advocate has received the
following:
"In the recapitulation of the teeti
cony, Noah Allan maintained that the
following facts were proven: (1) Not a
single rule written or pri nted governing
the officers, employes and inmates. (2)
No semblance of any I system, no st an
dard to work to either in manage
neat or education of the boys. (6) N eg
lijines ia permitting lanks-hous to
barn, destroying between 1300 and $400
worth of meat. (9) Quarreling with
the matron, his wife, in the presence of
the other officers and employes. (10)
Ignoring his assistant, John Hinoholiff,
placed there by the board. (21) Whip
ping a boy on bare back with a rubber
hose. (22) Whipping a boy while in
stooping posture, covered with a thin
shirt only, thirty lashes with a hose.
(23) Whipping a boy fifty lashes with a
rawhide. (24) Numerous whippings of
the earns boy with rubber hose. (25)
Committing a boy, Dsnman, to the dun
geon, or strong room, feeding him bread
and water only, releasing while the
board were in session at the school one
day and returning to the dungeon as
scon as the board had departed. (27)
Sending another boy to the dungeon to
be fed on bread and water and whipping
while in there across the back while
stretched on the bed.
"These are but a few of the reasons
assigned why he should have been re
moved. Among other reasons for saying to one
of the teachers "Keep order if you have
to knock the boys in your class down,"
and to an employe, "Keep order if you
have to knock the boys down with a
stool." For slapping boys on many
occasions, for stopping and kicking a
puny, little boy while at work cutting
corn stalks, because the little fellow
could not keep up in line with his
stronger fellows. He wanted the boys
to "keep their alignment" even while
at work, whether possessing the same
strength or not; for taking boys from
school in his momenta of anger and
whipping them without cause; for whip
ping boys in bath-room on their bare
backs, because they made too muoh
noise laughing and playing; for "train
ing deteotives" by way of offering the
boys rewards if they would inform upon
some other boy who contemplates run
ning away, and it is quite easy for the
boys who have been there long enough
to "learn the ropes" to get some new
comer to contemplate running away.
"One boy added 100 days to his sen
tence thereby being foolish enough to
pick a walnut and throwing it through
the pure air which surrounds that insti
tution. The "sanctity of the lawn" is
strictly observed there, as one boy was
given ten days for stepping upon the
grass.
"If a little boy should so far forget
himself as to come out with a citizen's
cap on his head, he is given ten days
longer stay.
"The starving into subjection plan
seems to be a favorite mode of punish
ment, as one boy was starved from Fri
day noon until Sunday morning. Break
ing a 75 cent mirror, for which the boy
offered to pay, cost him 100 days stay
longer in the Reform (?) school
"One poor boy Reece, who, having
some vile disease, was cast out into the
world as were the lepers of old.
"These, with many other reasons,
many of them undenied by the defense
were given for Hitchcock's dismissal
The defense was ably conducted, and
consisted, in fact, of a "general denial,"
setting up as a part of the defense the
idea that the Populist party ia a new
party and that nearly every member of
it considered himself a leader in the
party before, ia fact, leaders had been
developed, and that the Populists are in
clined to be critics too severe. Mr.
Madden offered other arguments of a
sentimental nature, not bearing on the
evidence."
This givsa the reader a fair idea of the
prosecution and defense and he will be
able to judge whether the board was
justified in ita decision.
A Professor in Politics.
Rev. C. A. Swensson, pastor of the
Swedish Lutheran church and the head
of Bethany college at Lindaborg, Mo
Pherson county, has written for publi
cation a letter to Governor Levelling,
giving his opinion as to the great injury
the People's party has done and is doing
the stats of Kansas. His "provocation"
for doing so saems to have been that the
governor kindly sent him, prepaid, some
Populist literature, which, not being
property that could be turned into cash,
the reverend professor did not appre
ciate as a favor but received as an in
suit. Among other things he says:
I have ample opportunities for knowing
through my large acquaintance, and many
trips East and West,what a terrible calamity
to our state the ascendency of your political
party was. The plague of grasshoppers and
drouth cannot be oompared to the d toasters
that have been heaped 'upon our young,
noble commonwealth by the dootrines and
proclamations, and public and private utter
anoes of yourself and other leaders of your
party. There was a time when a citizen of
Kansas oould mention his home state with
pride anywhereEast or West, or in Europe,
but at present we are, through the instru
mentality of your party, the laughing stock
of the entire intelligent world. It is only
because those ;who see below the surface,
understand that your remaining in power
will be brief, that our state to day enjoys
any standing whatever in the intelligent
and commercial world. Iamy
opinion, Kansas has never had so unpatri
otic a state administration as youra. Tour
connection with the troubles of the last
legislature, your repeated vaooilatmg and
unmanly performances, and your open
leaning towards socialism and anarohism,
your seeming unwilling obedience to the
supreme court, your oareless heaping of
unnecessary expenses on the people, your
selection of eminently unfit persons for
high offloe, and your apparent coldness
towards our temperanoe .laws, have made
your administration, is my opinion, a blot
not easily eradicated from the pages of our
state's history.
Poor mast He ought to be trans
ported to his nativs country where there
would be no danger of "socialism and
anarchy."
The Advocate has not taken the pains
to inquire what excuse the governor had
for sending Mr. S wensaon the Populist lit
erature, but learns inoidentially that the
professor made friendly calls at the ex
ecutive office, which may have been mis
construed by the governor as an inclina
tion on the part of the professor to
learn something. Besides that, Mr.
Sweneson haa lived largely on donations
and subsidies from different sources and
the governor may have considered him
self under obligation to donate his
share. We are not positive as to th at.
The Swedish citizens of Kansas are, as
a rule, a very intelligent and worthy
class. The Advocate is on very inti
mate terms with many of them, for in
spite of such men as S wensaon this pa
per visits their homes, and whenever
they are in Topeka they visit the Advo
catx, and are welcome. Through them
weleaan something of Rev. Swensson.
He is no fool, but a rank partisan bigot,
because it pays him to be one. In fact,
it is now almost necessary for him to be
one. His college is deeply in debt, un
less it has been extricated recently, and
he has been obliged to travel a great
deal, soliciting funds and patronage,
most of which he has received from re
publicans. It is said that a wealthy
Swede of Texas had expressed his inten
tion of settling an endowment on Mr.
Swensson's college, but on learning that
it was a partisan concern he changed
his mind. Swensson is not in the habit
of paying heavily toward the support of
railroad companies, further than to in
duce Swedish immigrants to locata
where it will do the railroads some good.
Hence the friendliness between him and
the railroad companies and the republi
can politicians.
On the whole, it is easy to see wh
Mr. Swensson is such a violent "stand
up" republican.
Intelligence Will Progress.
Borne time ago the Advocate re
marked upon the commendable changes
that had been made in the boards of re
gents of the state educational institu
tions and suggested that we might hope
the changes would infuse a spirit of pro
gress into the institutions. Later ac
tions of the board encourage this hope.
The agricultural college board are tak
ing steps to give the students of that
institution something in political econ
omy outside ofjthe "baled hay" served
in the ordinary text-books. They are
doing this in pursuance of the following
resolution adopted at their April meet
ing: Whbbias, It ia important that the agri
cultural classes, from the ranks of which
the majority of the students of this college
come, understand the eoonomio laws which
underlie all civilization; and
Whissas, The board of regents is of the
opinion that less time and attention than
the importance of the sub j sot demands have
been given to it, either in the regular course
of study or in leotures on this and germane
subjects; therefore, be it
Resolved, That thirteen leotures ofons
hour each be given during the fall and
winter terms of each year on political
economy, by some member of the faculty
or by some other oompetent person desig
nated or employed by the board of regents.
These lectures are to take the place of the
Friday afternoon leotures heretofore given
by the faculty on various topics. They
shall be distributed as may best suit the
interests of the f acuity and students, but
shall be given in the fall and winter terms.
These lectures shall treat of the subject
(political economy) consecutively, com
mencing with the primary oonoepts of the
science, treating fully and dispassionately
the various aspects of the eoonomio and
social problems. These lectures shall be
non-partisan, but they shall not ignore nor
unfairly treat the position taken by what ia
commonly known as the new school of po
litical economists. The principles main
tained by the advocates of land nationali
zation, publio control of publio utilities,
and the reform of the financial or mone
tary systems, shall be fairly stated and can
didly examined with a view ;of leading the
student to grasp the principles involved in
the science of production and distribution
without bias or prejudice.
The Agricultural college board con.
sists of W. D. Street (president), Harri
son Kelley, Ed. Secrest, E. D. Stanford.
0. B. Hoffman, C. E. Goodyear and Geo.
T. Fairchild.
Indorse Dr, Dykes.
The state medical society seems to
appreciate the effort of Secretary Dykes
to rid the state of quackery. At last
week's meeting in Atchison the society
adopted the following:
Resolved, That this society extends to the
secretary of the state board of health, Dr.
Dykes, a vote of thanks for the able and
efficient manner in which he has discharged
the duties of his offloe, and that we promise
him our earnest and hearty support in en
forcing our medical law.
County Central Committee Meeting.
There will be a meeting of the Popu
list county central committee, of Shaw
nee county at the League rooms on
Eighth street on Saturday, May 12, 1804,
at 1 o'clock p. m., sharp, tor the purpose
of calling a county convention to elect
ten delegates to the state convention,
also to elect twenty-one delegates to the
Fourth congressional convention, and
transact such other business as nay
coma before the committee.
F. W. Lxxch, Chairman,