The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-01-09
TO STOP THE SCANDALS.
Representative BalIinger Has a Plar
Change the Enrolling Clerk system

Representative BalIinger Has Plan to
Change the Enrolling Clerk System.
Some of the wide awake members of
the legislature propose to do away with
the usual Legislative scandal in regard to
assistant enrolling clerks.
Nearly all of these are young women
of perfect respectability, against whom
there is not the slightest breath of i'm
purity. 1t is unfortunate that all these
good women are compelled to associate
with two or three who owe their places
to men who are so vile that they do not
hesitate to thrust their 'pets'' among re-
spectacle women.
The law provides for the election of
chief enrolling clerk who is empowered
to appoint her assistants. The entire
work of enrolling bills in the house
could be done by twelve or at most tif-
teen skilled clerks, but it has been GUS
tomary for thirty or forty girls and wo-
men friends of members to be employed
in that capacity.
A member who has some friend he
wants appointed uses his influence with
the chief enrolling clerk and his pro-
tege's name goes on the rolls.
The assistant enrolling clerk scandal
is as old as the state, but it is now pro-
posed to start reform along that line.
Representative T. c. Ballinger, of Cof-
fey county, will introduce d bill this
evening or tomorrow morning which is
intended to work revolution in the
assistant enrolling clerk business.
Mr.. Ballinger's bill provides that as
soon as it becomes law by publication
in the official state paper, all the enroll
| ing of bills shall be done by having the
| bills printed on special kind of paper
| in small plea type by the state printer.
AS soon as a bill is ready to be en-
rolled the chief clerk of the house shall
turn it over to the state printer. who
shall receipt for it. The bill will
then be printed in small plea type by
skilled compositors and correctly spelled
and punctuated instead of being written
in hardly legible hand with ink which
generally fades out in few years and by
incompetent clerks who often make mis-
takes which render important laws void
when taken into the courts.
| It is proposed to allow the state printer
65 cents a thousand ems for this work
which appears to be a reasonable figure
The bills thus enrolled may then be
bound and the record of the legislative
work will be complete and correct
1t is estimated that this bill will save
the state about $4,000 during each ses-
sion of the Legislature and will wipe out
| the machine which has been the source
of scandals for years.
The votes of the members on this bill
will be watched with much interest, as il
is a measure of genuine reform, and
should be one of the first to become e
law at this session of the legislature.
There are several women of doubtful
reputation here looking for jobs as as
sistant enrolling clerks in addition to
large number of new people who are mo-
informed on all the circumstances. All
these expect to be cared for by theil
friends
One woman was conspicuous at the
opening session of the house who was
the subject of scandal two years ago
She was brought here by a southern
member. This woman was this mem
ber's committee clerk and during the en-
tire session her actions were the subjec
of public gossip This woman is spoke1
of in discreditable manner, and hel
| character is such as to subject her tC