People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1893-02-24
KANSAS LEGISLATURE.
Condensed Report of the Weeks Proceed
lngs at Topeka.

] VI dAA laws poooSN W AAi ANbAoAhAeAN SNAeAN
they become effective The remainder Of the
session was spent in committee Of the whole
for the consideration OF bills go. In the populis'
house, which convened first and went into com
mittee of the whole, Mr.. fuckers bill to regu
late the fees 10 be charged and collected, the
services 10 be performed and the salaries and
! fees 10 be allowed and paid 10 county and
| township officers, was considered. II cuts
down salaries and fees Of county and township
officials about . per cent Little progress was
made in consideration Of the bill The republi
can house met at O'Clock and Mr.. Campbell
| democrat, chairman Of the committee on elec
| tons offered a resolution that l. c Gum, OF
| Labette having been summoned before the
committee had failed TO appear and that q
warrant for contempt be issued The resOu
were introduced.
THE senate was in executive session two
hours on the 18th considering the nomination
OF H. H. Artz for acknowledgement The nomi
nation was finally confirmed by small major
| ity-.... In the republican house Mr. Seaton't
resolution declaring the seats Of populist mem
Ders vacant after February 81 was adopted.
| long discussion was had over a resolution L
provide for voting bonds by several western
towns 10 aid the building Of Touring mills. The
bill passed repeating the poll tax law for cities
Of the first class. A spicy debate followed the
| introduction Of a resolution by Mr.. Waters de
m uding an investigation of the charges made
! az inst T.. o. Harter a nOn-union engineer
recently employed by the executive council
as chief engineer Of the state house. Mr.
/
! ed. that Ben c. Rich clerk Of the populis
! house, was in the habit OF disturbing the pro
ceedings Of the mouse republican,, that the
! sergeant-at-arms be ordered TO arrest and bring
Ri, d before the body for contempt The house
! then adjourned and the sergeant.at-arms start
ed in search of Rich. The populist house me-
! s0Ol after the republican house adjourned
| Ben c. Rich, chief clerk who had been ARRESTED
| b. the republican sergeantat-arms, out res
cusd and released by p0pIlist friends, was Of
| hand to call the roll Speaker DunsmOre made
a speech and Rich called the roll Mr.. Ger
offered resolution denOuncing the arrest o.
! Rich BY "an organized mob calling themselve.
the republican house Of representatives, but
which we believe TO be in reality the Santa FL
Railroad Co.." which was adopted. The housC
then adjourned until o'clock next day. anC
Clerk Rich was escorted TO his hotel under
guard
THE senate on the 18th was somewhat demon
allied by the trouble in the house and trans
acted no business Senator Sterne (rep), Of
Shawnee, introduced a resolution setting forth
that whereas, a mob composed of anarchists
and their sympathizers have attempted by force
and violence to overthrow the civil government
of the state of Kansas, By preventing the Legal
house Of representatives, presided over by Hon
George Douglass, as speaker, from meeting il
representative hall and performing their sworn
duties; therefore, resolved, that we view with
horror the attempt to overthrow the constitu
tiOn and the laws Of the state of Kansas, and
the attempt to set up military despOtism by
the governor of the state" This was promptly
voted down by the populists . The republican
house broke down the doors Of the hall Of the
house Of representatives, which had been blrr
caded, and entered amid great excitement and
confusion and barred out the populist house
They camped on the ground and held posses
sion all night The pOpulist house met al ;
o'clock in the basement OF the south wing Of
the capitol and Immediately adjourned
THE confusion and turbulent scenes at tht
capitol took precedence over all attempts a.
legislative work on the 10th. The senate did
nothing, and in the republican house a PROPOSE.
ton for settling the difficulty or rather reach
ing compromise bY which the republicans
should hold the hall and the pOpulists meet il
another room was received and favOrably con
sidered. The governor was TO withdraw thC
militia and the sheriff disband his deputies
A resolution was adopted defining the arrest Of
Ben c. Rich, but no legislative business was
transacted. The pOpulist house met in hal
in the Stormont building and proceeded to 9,
through the regular order Of business Sew
eral bills on the calendar of minor importance
were passed, and two bills having specia
bearing on the warlike situation about the
state house were introduced and rushed through
TO their final passage.
THE senate on the 18th took no action upon
the bill passed br the populist house empower
! ing the governor to remove for cause the sheriff
of any county at any time. The entire time Of
the senate was occupied in discussing a bill
providing for the removal OF the capital to the
interior Of the state . The republican house
after camping on the battlefield all night final
! ally received the terms offered by the governor
and accepted thsm. which, at least, declared a
truce in The existing troubles. At 2:3 o'clock,
Mr.. Hoch, speaker pro TEN. announced that the
time had come when the house could take a
/ recess He read q list of sergeants-atarm,
! who would guard the hall and a recess was
taken until next day. The pOpulist house, be
fore it had learned of the agreement between
the governor and republicans, adopted a con
current resolution adiOurning the legislature
until April As soon as the knowledge Of tn
treaty of peace was conveyed to them they re
scinded their action and adjourned until Mon
| day afternoon.
THE truce at the capitol made all parties will
ing to rest on the 18th. The senate transacted
no business, the populist house was not in SEES
sion ana the republican house merely held IN
disturbed possession Of Representative hall
Notices, however, were being served upon pop
uilst members to appear Tuesday and show
cause why their seats should not be declared
! vacant and thus matters stood