446 



KANSAS. 



give him the advantage of the best markets, and ena- 

 ble him to obtain a reasonable return from his labor 

 and capital invested. 



Railroads should not be permitted to increase their 

 rates on any articles transported by them, until thirty- 

 days' notice posted in the station where the goods 

 are received and delivered ; and they should not be 

 allowed to increase the rates on car-lots by excessive 

 terminal charges, or for switching ; and the rate per 

 hundred pounds shall be specified in the shipping 

 bill or receipt given for the article shipped, and the 

 consignee should not be required to pay>a greater rate 

 than that named in the shipping bill or receipt. 



The Union Pacific Railway Company, Kan- 

 sas Division, received from the General Gov- 

 ernment, in the way of subsidies, six million 

 acres of public lands, of which four million 

 acres are in Kansas and two millions in Colo- 

 rado. Notwithstanding this company came 

 into possession of the lands over twelve years 

 ago, it has neglected to take out patents, for 

 the sole purpose, as is alleged, of evading tax- 

 ation. On the first day of January, 1882, the 

 total number of acres patented to this com- 

 pany by the Government was 883,772, leaving 

 3,116,228 acres of these lands still in the hands 

 of the railroad company for all other purposes 

 excepting taxation. These lands are to-day 

 worth over $13,000,000; and, at the rate of 

 levy by the several counties on adjacent tracts, 

 more than $250,000 annually are thus with- 

 held from the county and State Treasuries. 



Efforts have been made by the State to ob- 

 tain an act of Congress compelling the com- 

 pany to patent its lands. 



PKOHIBITION. The Governor's observations 

 on the prohibitory amendment are as follow : 



At the session of the Legislature of 1879, a proposi- 

 tion to amend the Constitution of the State was adopted, 

 to be submitted to the people at the general election, 

 held November 2, 1880, in the following words : " The 

 manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors shall be 

 forever prohibited in this State, except for medical, 

 scientific, and mechanical purposes." 



At the election in November, 1880, this proposed 

 amendment to the Constitution was, by a majority of 

 the votes cast upon that question, but not by a major- 

 ity of the electors of the State, ratified, and became a 

 part of the fundamental law of the State. The suc- 

 ceeding Legislature, in 1881, enacted a law whose 

 provisions were intended to make the constitutional 

 inhibition in respect to the traffic in intoxicating liq- 

 uors effectual and operative. 



The public policy embodied in this amendment and 

 statute has been in force since their adoption, but 

 during all that time this policy has been a failure, and 

 injurious to the cause of genuine temperance, divert- 

 ing immigration from our State, engendering strife in 

 neighborhoods, promoting excessive litigation, load- 

 ing down the dockets of the courts, making heavy 

 cost bills to be paid by the people, inducing the clan- 

 destine use of intoxicating liquors in club- rooms and 

 in the homes of the people, setting a frightful example 

 of the use of intoxicating liquors before the young, 

 drinking to excess caused by the purchase of liquors 

 in quantities, and losing to the cause of temperance 

 good and sincere temperance people by the meddle- 

 some interference with the habits and establish'ed 

 customs of long standing of many good and worthy 

 citizens, by busy-bodies whose only ambition was to 

 magnify their own importance, instead of working 

 for real temperance. 



It was premature, and indeed unfortunate, to have 

 ingrafted into the fundamental law of the State a 



policy which from its nature was an experiment of 

 doubtful utility and of uncertain success, and which 

 has proved a failure wherever tried in other States. 

 Whatever mutations attend the ordinary statute law, 

 it is of the first importance that the body of constitu- 

 tional laws should be permanent and inflexible in its 

 character. 



During the last year of local option and license, the 

 United States Revenue Office of Kansas issued 1,132 

 permits to sell intoxicating liquors, or one permit to 

 879 persons, placing Kansas as the first temperance 

 State in the Union ; while in the first year of prohibi- 

 tion there were issued 1,788 permits, an increase of 

 656, and also an increase of 58 per cent, or one permit 

 to 551 persons, and taking Kansas from the first and 

 ranking her the seventh temperance State, while in 

 the first forty-five days of the second year of prohibi- 

 tion, 1,148 permits were issued, sixteen more than in 

 the whole year of local option and license. If we 

 consider these facts in connection with the clandes- 

 tine sales of intoxicating liquors, and consider the vast 

 amount that is daily delivered to individuals in con- 

 cealed packages, by express companies, we are forced 

 to the conclusion that the cause of true temperance 

 reform has not progressed very rapidly under our 

 present coercive system. 



These, with other reasons that might be urged, con- 

 strain me to invite your attention to the necessity, or 

 at least the policy and wisdom, of submitting to the 

 people, in accordance with the provisions of the Con- 

 stitution, a proposition to repeal the prohibition clause 

 in the Constitution, and to amend the existing statute, 

 with a view to rendering it less offensive to the peo- 

 ple, and more effective in its operation. These views 

 ana suggestions are submitted in obedience to a pub- 

 lic duty, rendered imperative by what I believe to be 

 the wish of a large majority of the people who desire 

 to enthrone true temperance, in lieu of the present 

 free-liquor system. 



PARTY CONVENTIONS. The Republican State 

 Convention met in Topeka, on the 10th of 

 August, and made the following nominations 

 for State officers : Governor, John P. St. John ; 

 Lieutenant-Governor, D. W. Finney ; Secre- 

 tary of State, James Smith; Auditor, E. P. 

 McCabe; State Treasurer, Samuel T. Howe; 

 Attorney-General, W. A. Johnston; Superin- 

 tendent of Public Instruction, H. C. Speer; 

 Associate Justice of Supreme Court, I). J. 

 Brewer. Governor St. John was renominated 

 by a vote of 287 to 76 for all others. Mr. 

 McCabe is colored. The following is the plat- 

 form adopted: 



"We, the Republicans of the State of Kansas in dele- 

 gate convention assembled, affirming our faith in and 

 adherence to the principles of the Republican party, 

 hereby express confidence in our present national 

 and State administrations, and we pledge ourselves to 

 their supportj and announce the following as our dec- 

 laration of principles : 



Resolved, That we declare ourselves unqualifiedly 

 in favor of the prohibition of the manufacture and 

 sale of intoxicating liquors as a beverage, and pledge 

 ourselves to such additional legislation a.s shall secure 

 the rigid enactment of the constitutional provision 

 upon this subject, in all parts of the State. 



Resolved^ That we demand the enactment of such 

 laws as will prevent unjust discrimination by rail- 

 road companies, and will provide for such freight and 

 passenger tariff as shall fully protect the interests of 

 the people. 



That we are in favor of the strict and immediate 

 enforcement of all laws now on the statute-book for 

 the regulation of railways. 



Resolved. That we request the Legislature of the 

 State to submit to a vote of the women of the State 

 the question of woman suffrage. 





