The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-03-05
special Dispatch to the Daily Eagle.

| special Dispatch to the Daily Eagle
| TOPEKA, Kan, March AT 10 o'clock
this morning the Greenlee railroad bill,
which was the special order in the house,
was taken up. There was great fight by
the enemies of the bill to prevent its pass
age; but there was no particular effort TO
obstruct action by parliamentary tactics.
The Seaton substitute was defeated, and
then came the speechmaking.
Mr.. Ryan, populist, objected strenuously
to the first section of the bill, because it
provides that the railroad commissioners
shall be elected this fall. He tried TO
amend it, by making the election take
place in 1894. He had considerable of a
following among the populists, which
rather indicates that there will be strug-
gle over that section in the senate The
Republ lean members who passed this sec
ton were bound that il should remain
intact.
Mr.. Canton, populist, made a speech
which provoked great deal of talk among
Republicans as TO the motive of Speaker
Douglass in pushing the bill. He said that
the populists recognized the fact that Mr.
Douglass was endeavoring to break away
IEOiu Vic OOllS ny "1iCu rs WAS HcIu ny his
Repu blican associates, and become true
friend to the people; that he wished to do
what was really right, and that the inter
ests of the people demanded that be should
join with him (Mr Canton) and the popu-
lists, who were the real friends of the peo-
pie, and aid them in securing the amend
ment.
The amendment was defeated by a vote
of 90 to IL. The bill was then put upon its
passage, and passed by vote of 81 to b.
There is a great deal of speculation as to
why Mr.. Douglass made such fight for
the Greenlee bill. Some say that iG was
purely for political purposes; that be in
tends to make the race for governor aud
that he hopes to receive the support of the
great west in the next Republican conven-
zion, and that if successful there, the pop
ullst farmers will come to his support.
Others say that politics has nothing to do
with it, but that he supported the bill as
being along the line Of railroad legislation
which the people desire irrespective of
party or section. Others assert that it is
bill IN the interest of Wichita and Hutch
inson, or against Kansas City, and that in
warmly supporting the bill he did what
his constituents wanted done and that the
voters of the Seventh congressional dis
tric5 will In the near future show their ap-
probation of his services by giving him
chance to defeat Jerry Simpson.
AS speaker of the house. as leader in
the Republican party, he cannot escape
criticism for his apparent agreement with
the poDulsts in these closing days of the
session. DenunciaTions are being hurled
at his head today. At the beginning of
this session, when the Republicans were
caucusing as to a candidate for speaker, it
10 ra1 hot No. h,I
political backbone; that be was at heart
One-thlrd populist, and that if elected he
would weaken when the time came to
stand up against their probable illegal ac-
tions. He was elected, and these asser-
tlons were proven to be but political clap
trap by his splendid and courageous course
He bore calmly all attacks upon his poiiti-
cal integrity, and today. while knowing
that he has made many enemies by his
course on railroad legislation, he does not
seem to be at all soliciJous as to what the
future Will bring forth.
The senate today passed a bill concern
ing appellate courts, defining their jaris-
diction, etc. The bill creates two sddi-
tional courts of record There is to be
three judges. The state is divided into
two Observation-Disclosures and southern
and each department IS divided into
three divisions. The central division OF
he southern department shall consist OF
the counties Of Chase, Marion, Mcpherson,
Rice, Barton, Stafford, Reno, Harvey,
Butler, Sedgwick, Kingman, Pratt
Barber, Harper, Sumner aud Cowley with
terms of court At Hutchinson. The west
ern division viii have its terms of court at
Garden City. The salary of the judges Is
fixed AT Il, 500 per annum.
The house discussed the senate bill for
the weekly payment of wages nearly all
the afternoon. The bill exempts railroads
from the operation of the law. The house
passed the bill, after amending it so as to
exempt products of the farm and dairy
products, by "a ayes and noes