The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-02-05
KANSAS STATESMEN

they would be boiled so long that some OF
hem should evaporate.
Douglass replied by the statement OF the
dreadful length of time required to gain a
new constitution. He said it would take
seven years 1t was too long, he thought,
to wait until then for revision. He wished
it now He thought revision would be
great saving to the state.
Whittington was in favor of revision i'm
mediately He was also disgusted with
the bulkiness aud superfuity of the Kan
sas statutes He said the sight of the fine
Nebraska statutes ought to make him
ashamed OF his state.
Section l was adopted, with slight
amendment, as were those sections follow
| ing until the fourth section.
! Reeder, of Ellis, thought this bill the
most important that had yet come before
! the house He did not think the house
was giving it the consideration ii needed.
| He did not think the stipulation of Sl2o d
month for each member could secure COM
petent men. 1t wasn't enough. He said
! if the state wanted good job, it must not
hire cheap men. A irst-class barrister
could not spare his time for $l25 a month.
He proposed an amendment that each COM
missioner should receive $4,000 instead of
$1,000 for his labor, and that the money
should be paid monthly in installments of
$3.50, instead of Sl25. He didn't believe
that it was economy for the state to hire
incompetent men.
An amendment to his amendment was
offered that 81, 600 be made 5000 and $50
5000
Wilmington wanted the bill to remain
as it was He believed that competent and
able men could be secured for the original
provision. He didn't think that all the
lawyers on the revision should be old men.
He wanted the young attorneys of the state
TO have chance.
A cross-fire between Douglass and Reeder
was beguu-one denying that good men
could be secured for Sl25 a month and the
other cOntending that they could.
At this stage Andrews, of COwley, got
up and said that in the campaign he never
he lrd any demand for r revision of the
statutes He didn't believe the people
wanted it. He thought the discussion of
such a measure was taking up time I'M
necessarily. He moved that the commit
tee arise and recommend to the house that
the enacting clause be stricken out.
This was what the Alliance fellows
seemed to want. 1t hadn't been mention
ed in the last campaign. That was the
most telling argument that has yet been
made
Webb made rattling, Grassland, ne
gro-minstrel speech in an effort to save 1t.
Buf it looked that by the adamantine Will
of some sub-Alliance, it was doomed. Its
/ hroat had bean cut aODarentlV
Then Elder, seemingly, sealed the death |
warrant, by appealing TO the members |
from the repugnant remark of Webb's |
that if the house didn't pass this law they |
might just as well go home. He wanted |
to know if the interest laws were not of
more importance. He thought that the |
revision was too expensive and out of time. |
He said that away down on the calendar /
were laws which if the house didn't get at 4
and act upon before they adjourned, the |
members of this house would go home and /
soay there.
This stirred up Douglass, and he defend /
ed the importance of his measure.
Mitchell, an Alliance member, didn't /
want the bill killed, and he said so forcibly. |
Whittington arose and said that in his /
district the people did demand a revision,
and he didn't like this way of killing it. /
Carey. another Alliance member, made .
a straight, plain. sensible talk in favor of /
a revision.
Doolittle, chairman OF the judiciary
spoke of the truck and trash"
with which the statutes are encumber
He was in favor of cutting the statutes
down so that people could understand
hem He believed il was economy TO pass
This meaeure.
Reeder wanted the members to under
stand that they We're going to receive a
Bellamy perfection by passing this meas
are. He said the revision would cost the
state 100000 before they were through
with it, He said that all the revision com
nittees in the world couldn't change the
ode of civil procedure as some Of the
members seemed to suppose.
a vote was taken on striking out the en-
,cting clause Forty-two were for it.
ifty against it. The measure was saved,
contrary to the expectations of most Of the
spectators.
The committee ar Sc and reported pro-
,ress, and the house adjourned.
The members were prettlly thor
,ughly aroused, aud formed groups
bout the hall after adjournment to dis
uss the question, to the neglect Of their
,iuuer-a rare act.
Mr. Douglass today introduced bill en-
tiled An act Furnishing drunkenness in
public officials by forfeiture of Office"
The title clearly indicates the contents of
he bill
The house yesterday passed Mr.. Doug
ass bill relating TO continuances in
he district courts