The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1881-04-07
CORRESPONDENCE.
THE LEGIsLATURE.

Ii,e session Of the Legislature will or NAV
lie memorable for lis Legislation enforce the pro-
hihitory liquor amendment. In the election Of this
body judging fTon the resnlts, three strong influences
partcipated-not always in union and occasionally
openly antaSonistc. The strongest of ALL the tenn
perance question; the next in power, though less
openly proclaimed least on the side of the rail
roads, the transportation question last, affecting
the Senate alone the for United States Senator
two years hence.
So far as the organization of the House was con-
cerne, the temperance and railroad questions with
the railroads in the ascendant, settled the question.
AT early day in the deliberations of both Senate
and House, the inexperence of large proportion of
the members began to bear frat-but more especial
ly in the House. In the Senate, ii was evidenced
mos; in the erudeness Of the hills passed and
the House, and npon the fight the temperance
law, at which time handful of opponents TO that
measure frightened by their tactics and Legisla
tive experience the unwieldy and yerlant of parlia
mentary praetieel majority, that the latter hurried
through measure which their own Judgment forced
them to seek to amend by n supplemental bill, which
died in the hands Of the House Committee,
currently believed upon the suggestion of the Gov
| ernor. Said Governor urges the druggists to
make n case and take il to the Supreme Court. to
test the very provisions of Section 10 of the present
law. which the Senate supplemental bill would have
| cured. To further induce the druggists, the Gov
promises to issue his pardon to any penal
forfeiture of bond which may arise of such
suit provided the Supreme Court should hold that
| the law means what If says in said Section 10.
The iBeIperience 81 the House first shown in
their action the admission of the member from
Sheridan County. One day they rejected him because
the Constitutional $50 votes had not been cast for
Il. IA.
the matter the Committe Elections. Said COM
mittee reported against hs admission, and yet they
admitted him. 1t further shown in their waste,
without intending of time-not only upon resolu-
tions without number, but upon the temperance bill,
and upon the order of business.
This Legislature only the intensifes the
viction with that members should be elected
for unequal terms Half of the House and one-third
of the Senate should go ont each two years. thus al
ways having in the larger body one-half of its
bers experienced and twOthirds of the smaller
The three important questions before the Legisa-
ture. aside from the appropriations, were the fem
perance law, the apportionmcnt and the transporta
ton question. II
The Temperance law has been very fully dis scussed,
and will soon be before the people for enforcement.
will only here state the influences which gaze to it
final shape and it early evident that ncne of the
1
Senate Committee and when their bill was reported,
is shape was changed. and the measure made
more rigorous than when it left the hands of its
thors by the united action of the political temper
ance men, who are and were opposed 10 prohibition,
representing temperance constituencies aidcd by the
radical temperance men, and the opponents of pro-
hibition-the latter expecting to secure disruption
among the temperance men, and so defeat all legis
| lation the subject. When the bill reached the
| House. it was at substituted for the measure
! the House had spent days upon. and forced
through without amendment, though very many
voted for it who admitted its many imperfections ;
forced through, it thought, by the influence of
the Governor: that, whatever of credit the law
may develop st. John may fairly claim it,
The House early passed series Of resolutions aim
ed at the Kansas Pacific Railway, and sent them to
the Senate which quickly brought Topeka and into
the lobby of the Senate the Union Pacific Railroad
| leading officials from Omaha Their persuasive elO-
quencc inclined the Senate largely modify and tone
down the resolutions satisfy the requirements of
the L. p. Railroad officials; thus early settling the
question of the readiness of the Senate to yield to
the wishes of the railroads, and developing their in
fiuence with majority of the present Senate. When
the House, after much labor and vigorous contest,
| had at last passed very moderate Railway Commits
sioners' bill-the wisdom of which cannot here dis
cEss, though will add that in my judgment, there
was more in the bill than many have supposed-ths
Senate killed it, smothered it in its Railroad Com
mittcc.
The appOrtionment bills came in for much consid-
eraticn and no little discussion. The Legislative
alone became law, and is in the main as fair a
measure is possible. under present ConstItri-
ion. If your readers will remember that under our
Constitution County with less than 1900 popula-
ton if only having 80 votes is entitled to Rep
rescntatiye while County with II 600 popula-
tion has also only Representative, they will see
the injustice of present system. and the need of
| a Constitutional Convention.
There were too many nascent NJ C.'s in the Senate.
if not in the House. render it possible for the pas
sage of bill to apportion for members of Congress
The Judicial apportionment failed, because Of the
effort. which only lacked two three votes of sue
cess to submit a Constitutional amendment for the
settling of the whole matter II my screed was not
so long / would pause to explain its provisions,
which were wise. 1t failed, too, from penny-wise
and pound-foolish spirit the part of the farmers
| in the House-having passed the Senate.
The nppropriations of the session are not large,
in excess the present wants of the State The only
open to serious debate those to continue the
completion of the State Capitol for which there
many strong arguments for the present erection of
buildings at the Blind Asylum, though not asked for
bvthe State Board of Charies-loubtless necessary
two wears hence; and for the doubtful Worlds Fair
at New York City. in 1888 and for the Western suf
fcrcrs ~ The Committee of Ways and Means did
their duty WELL for which Senator Benedict is, more
than any other person, to he credited; and the
House labored faithfully to understand and wisely
reduce the apprupriationsnOt always successfully.
think careful perusal of the laws will show too
much special local Icgi.ation-some of it hastily
,ass,.l ana but of laws,