Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1893-01-25
Why All This Fuss.
LAWRENCE, KAs., Jan, IS, 1898
Editor Record;

LAWRENCE, KAs., Jan. IS, 1898.
Editor Record
notice great hue and cry in the
state oyer the organization of the
legislature, in which | have been IN
vited 10 Join. 1t Is reported that meet
ingS are to be called throughout the
state TO denOunce certain actions of
The governor and the two houses of
the legislature. Evidently there is to
be an attempt to bulldOZe somebody
and influence the state government by
popular clamor. And why all this
rumpus? Simply because the governor
and legislature propose to organize
and discharge their duties In their own
way, subject to the constitution "s--
state and their oaths or =" - ne
ou'' ii said, they have disregarded
certain regulation of previous
legislature, and ignored the certificates
OF. certain officials. Grant it. Such
course NAV have been demanded by
the constitution. That instrument
says, leach house shall establish it's
own rules, and shall be judge of the
elections, returns and qualification of
its own members Here every step
in the election, from the voting pre-.
cinct to fhe certificate of the state
board of canYaSeTs. may cone under
review ana no regulations of a former
Legislature can hinder the investigation
or influence the result, for each house
shall establish its own rules' and in
yestigate the election and qualifications
of Its own members in It's own way,
and outsiders nave nothing TO do with
the matter so long as the provisions of
the constitution are observed.
Suppose it we're otherwise, and there
oh NNrA -
machinery that couId not be examined,
what might result? Take, for instance,
the action OF the state board OF cam
vasers. Suppose the returns for .
quorum of one house should be sent up
from the counties tranSp0Sed, giving a
majority of the votes to the candidates
that received minority, and vice versa.
suppose certificates should issue based
upon these returns, must the persons
who are legally elected be excluded
and deprived of their rights, either to
organize the House or make laws? EvI-
IDENTITY the constitution says most en-
phatlcally, no,
Suppose further, that those fraudu-
lently retained as elected should pro-
coed to organize and notify the gov
ernor and the other house of their
action. and suppose the men who were
legally elected, although ignored by
the state board, should also organize
and send UP their notice. what then?
1t then becomes the duty of the ex-
ecutive and the other house to decide
between the two organizations, and
their decision of the question is final
and no court or other power can reverse
it. Laws made by Legislature thus
organized will stand, the test of any
court IN the land. Well. this, accord
ing to report, is just what has been
done, and why this howl2 1t is evil
IDENTIFY not because of Illegal action, for
if that was all. the remedy Is at hand
without any commoiion. 1t is not for
fear of !.;.rm to the public, for the leg
islative authority rs now organized
represents the VIII of the majority of
the peop e. and no citizen is triIe
democra' or republican who is afraid
Of The p palar will
VIA tien is the matter and why
this cutlery? Why. there are candi
dates for the e. S. Senate belonging to
three parties. the republicans straight
aasts an1 fusion democrats, ard should
the governor and legislature discharge