The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-08-01
THE PEOPLE POWERLESS.

Every member of both houses Of the
Kansas legislature, including the lieu
tenant governor and the speaker, and
all of the other officers and the almost
innumerable clerks, are bent on fore
ing an extra session of the legislature
this winter. Nobody else in the state,
the boarding house and Doodle con-
tingent of Topeka excepted, wants any
extra session Of the Kansas legisla-
ture, either this winter or any other
winter. To convene the legislature
this winter would be an outrage on the
people of the state. Constituted as
that body is, politically, and it would
be little short of a crime. That the
extra expense Of two or three thou
sand dollars per day should be incur
red only that a lot of politicians may
get together to make what they can,
in a general way, and to bleed es-
pecially and specifically, while they
farther increase the tax burthens of
the people, by whatever schemes and
devices possible of invention, would
be both an outrage and crime. The
pretense and claim of this hungry crew
| is that the law and constitution make
such extra session obligatory. Its the
old gag of the claw" The ''law' be-
comes a portentiously solemn farce
when invoked in the interest of
knavery There is no longer any law
in this country except such as the
highest court has declared to be con-
stitutional. No supreme court deci-
sion has been rendered on this extra
session proposition. However two eX-
supreme judges have given it as their
| opinion that there is no constitutional
| or legal obligation for The conven!ng
! of the Kansas legislature in extra
session this winter for tho purposes of
an apportionment or for any other
specific or general interest.
But the members of the legislature
want 70 go TO Topeka again. They
want the mileage and per diem; they
want the chances on the regular and
incidental pulls; they want TO undo
some things they did last winter, and
TO do some new things; and last but not
least, they want to politically confer
and scheme and put up jobs while
their board is being paid.
Lieutenant Governor Troutman, pre-
siding officer of the senate, who gets
no pay except when the senate is in
session. and whose father-iD-law OWNS
the biggest hotel in Topeka, which
hotel is the home OF the lieutenant
governor. is reported as saying that
lit is the general opinion and l join
in that belief, that special session
of the legislature will he called in Kan
saS this winter. a Kansas City
Missouri. paper, which seems TO stand
in pretty close with the state admins
tration's kitchen cabinet, is authority
for the declaration that Governor Nor
rill has practically weakened on hi;
original resolve. and Will convene thl
legislature.
!. The people are powerless. Although
unanimous they can do nothing. They
might get together in conventions an,
pass resolutions, but they would b
met by the claim that lit is the law an,
the constitution"
The whole thing rests IN the sup
posed conflict between the governo
and the members and officers OF IN,
legislature The people have no vote,
or chance for a voice in the matter
They may threaten their representa-
tives and senators, respectively, bu
political threats Of that character neve
alarm the men who have the wire
IN their own hands. Governor Nor
rill says that he VIII net issue the ga
unless convinced that it is his leSa
: duty 10 do 50. In the meantime Mn
! out of ten Of the lawyers. who conSIi
! tute the majority Of both the Senat
D and house, are busy writing him let
: tiers for the purpose Of convincing hiE
that il is the demand Of the funda
mental law Of the land and that he /
: liable 10 upset all the affairs and In
: / stitutions of the state in case he fail
: 10 convene the legislature il extra ses
: sion.