322 



KANSAS. 



owner supports a family on an average 13.3 per 

 cent, larger than the average family of the rent 

 payer; that the average annual earnings and in- 

 come of the home owner is 15.5 per cent, more 

 than the average for the rent payer; that the 

 cost of living of the home owners is 10.6 per cent, 

 greater than the average for the rent payer; that 

 the average annual saving of the home owners is 

 32.3 per cent, more than the average saving of 

 the rent payer; and that of the total amount 

 permanently'invested during the 'year, 80 per cent, 

 is invested by the home owners. The rent payers 

 expend an average of 14.1 per cent, of their earn- 

 ings and income for rental for homes. 



New Temperance Movement. A Temper- 

 ance Commission Club was organized at Topeka 

 in March, to work for the creation by law of a 

 State department of temperance under a board of 

 three commissioners. The movement, which aims 

 to secure uniform and practical enforcement of 

 the prohibitory law, has resulted in the organiza- 

 tion of similar clubs in different parts of the State. 

 The State Temperance Union, through its com- 

 mittee, reporting on Nov. 28, while recommending 

 further prohibitory legislation, disapproved of the 

 commission project as inexpedient. 



Good Roads Congress. The first gathering of 

 its kind in the West was the Good Roads Congress, 

 held at Topeka in September, which brought to- 

 gether a large number of persons from Kansas and 

 other States. The most important action of the 

 congress was the forming of a permanent State 

 organization to be called the Kansas Good Roads 

 Association. A committee was named to prepare 

 a good roads bill for the Legislature, and delegates 

 were chosen to attend the National Good Roads 

 and allied congresses at Chicago in November. 



Kansas Semicentennial Exposition. On 

 June 14 the State Charter Board granted a charter 

 to the Kansas Exposition Association of Topeka, 

 with a capital stock of $50,000, divided into 10,000 

 shares at $5 each. This is but one of many move- 

 ments in the State whose special object is the 

 holding of an exposition in 1904 to celebrate the 

 semicentennial of the organization of the Territory 

 of Kansas. 



Political. The Republican State Convention 

 was held at Topeka, May 16. It reaffirmed the 

 principles of the platform of the National Repub- 

 lican party of 1896; approved the administration 

 of President McKinley, and declared that the 

 highest interests of the country demanded its con- 

 tinuance through another term; congratulated the 

 country on the maintenance of the gold standard 

 and the parity of all our forms of money; con- 

 demned " the false cry of imperialism," and the 

 Democratic policy based thereon, " as being re- 

 sponsible for the continued war in the Philip- 

 pines " ; denounced the disfranchisement of colored 

 citizens in Southern States, and urged remedial 

 legislation for this injustice by Congress. It de- 

 manded " the prompt, efficient, and faithful en- 

 forcement of the antitrust act of 1890, and such 

 additional and supplementary legislation as will 

 meet the defects thereof, as indicated by the Su- 

 preme Court of the United States in its recent 

 decisions," and denounced " the combination and 

 creation of corporate trusts and monopolies which 

 seek to become the controllers of industry and the 

 arbitrators of prices, as contrary to the common 

 law, destructive of individual effort and enter- 

 prise, and inimical to the welfare of the people 

 and the State and the nation." It reaffirmed alle- 

 giance to the principles of reciprocity and protec- 

 tion as exemplified in the Dingley law. 



The convention commended in the highest terms 

 the administration of Gov. Stanley and his asso- 



ciates in the State government; commended the 

 representatives of Kansas in Congress; denounced 

 recent fusion railroad legislation in the State, and 

 pledged the Republican party to " such legislation 

 as will provide adequate protection against the 

 greed of the corporations without crippling them 

 with unjust exactions." It favored the re-estab- 

 lishment of the Board of Railroad Commissioners, 

 with fuller powers, and recommended the election 

 of its members by the people. 



Another demand of the convention was for " the 

 amendment of the interstate commerce act in such 

 manner that it will compel compliance with and 

 enforcement of just and equitable freight rates." 

 Hearty sympathy was expressed with generous 

 pension legislation and liberal interpretation of the 

 pension laws. The resolutions of the convention 

 concluded with a pledge to work for some measure 

 that will make it possible for railroad men en- 

 gaged in running their trains on Election Day to 

 cast their votes without embarrassment to their 

 work. 



At this convention the Republicans chose dele- 

 gates at large to the national convention and presi- 

 dential electors, and nominated Charles F. Scott 

 for Congressman at Large and the following State 

 ticket: Associate Justice, W. A. Johnston; Gov- 

 ernor, W. E. Stanley ; Lieutenant Governor, Harry 

 Richter; Secretary of State, George A. Clark; 

 Treasurer, Frank Grimes; Attorney-General, A. A. 

 Godard; Auditor, George E. Cole; Superintendent 

 of Public Instruction, Frank Nelson; Superintend- 

 ent of Insurance, W. V. Church. 



The State convention of the People's party to 

 choose national delegates was held at Clay Center, 

 April 24. 



The Democratic State Convention to choose na- 

 tional delegates met at Wichita, May 23. 



The Prohibition party held its State convention 

 at Topeka, June 20. The usual resolutions on 

 prohibition and one favoring woman suffrage were 

 passed, also resolutions against trusts and the 

 army canteen. 



Candidates for presidential electors were chosen, 

 B. C. Hoyt was nominated for Congressman at 

 Large, and candidates for State offices were named 

 as follow: Governor, Frank Holsinger; Lieutenant 

 Governor, W. L. Coryell ; Secretary of State. R. 11. 

 Moore; Treasurer, H. C. Zink; Attorney-General. 

 M. V. Bennett; Auditor, W. M. Howie; Superin- 

 tendent of Insurance, A. H. Griesa; Superintend- 

 ent of Public Instruction, G. I. Winans. 



The State conventions of the Democratic, Peo- 

 ple's, and Silver-Republican parties, all assembled 

 at Fort Scott, July 24, effected a fusion, chose 

 candidates for presidential electors, and nominated 

 Jerry Botkin (People's party) for Congressman 

 at Large, and these candidates for State offices: 

 Associate Justice, David Martin, Silver Repub- 

 lican; Governor, John W. Breidenthal. People's 

 party; Lieutenant Governor, A. M. Harvey. IV<> : 

 pie's party; Attorney-General, Hugh P. Fan-el ly. 

 Democrat; Secretary of State, Abraham Frakes, 

 Democrat; Auditor, E. J. West gale. People's 

 party; Treasurer, Conway Marshall, Democrat: 

 Superintendent of Public Instruction, Levi Huin- 

 barger, People's party; Superintendent of Insur- 

 ance, Webb McNall, Silver Republican. 



The platform of the People's party reaffirmed the 

 declaration of principles made by the national con 

 vention at Sioux Falls, S. D., May 9, 1900. ami 

 accepted its nominees ; invited comparison between 

 the last administration of the People's party in 

 the State and preceding and succeeding Republic- 

 an administrations, " believing that such compari- 

 son will everywhere inure to the credit of Popu- 

 lists"; denounced militarism and imperialism as 



