The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-01-22
TO TRY MANDAMUS
ANeAS LEGISLATURE NAY GE
TOGETHER AFTER ALL

streets Letter in Which He Says He
| Thinks the Legislature Should Lawfully
Meet and to Test the Matter He Sug-
cests That Writ of Mandsmus be
Brought Against Morrill, Before the
Supreme Court aud IL the Court SO De-
| cides the Legislature Shall Meet.
Topeka, Kan, Jan. N.-(Special)-
Speaker Lobdell of the house Of rep
resentatives has replied to Mr.. Streets
! letter, urging that a session Of the leSis-
! lature he held. Mr.. Lobdell says:
81 heartily agree with you that re-
| apportionment this year is plain con-
stitutional requirement, and that seri-
Gus complications and litigations with
out number may follow a neglect of this
| constitutional duty. So deeply impress
| ed am with the conviction that If con-
WINGED that legal meeting Of the legis-
| lature could be held without executive
| CALL should not hesitate to invite my
| fellow members to convene at fixed
date. But as to this you will observe
that there are but two constitutional
provisions for the assembling Of the
legislature.
Il am strongly Of the opinion that the
people in so changing the constitution
that there could be no regular session
| this year, while leaving US a constitu-
tional duty to perform, made II incum-
| bent upon the only power that can con-
vene us-the eXecutve-to do so. This
conclusion, as you suggest, was, after
mature elaboration, reached and acted
upon by Governor Martin ten years ago,
and might add that the fact that there
has been no demand from the people nor
attempt by subsequent legislatures, al
though five since have convened, to mod
fly this feature of the constitution,
would seem TO indicate that Governor
Martins construction of the constitu-
ton has been approved by the public.
Personally I should prefer to see che
session with its necessary expense
| avoided, if it legally can be.
ITO put the situation perhaps more
terSely, everybody wants a session if it
is constitutionally necessary, nobody if
it isn't. AS the final arbiter of legal
controversies to whom all good citizens
willingly yield is the supreme court,
would suggest that this matter be at
once submitted to that test While it
is true that the executive might, by re-
sort Of technicality, avoid the real queS-
ton, yet as he has announced his de-
termination not to call a session for the
sole reason that h els advised that Gov
ernor Martins construction was wrong
and that reapportionment this year
was not necessary, it would seem that
direct proceeding in mandamus to
which the Governor would no doubt
willingly be a party, although am in
no sense speaking or authorized TO
speak for him, would bring the matter
squarely to issue, and result in decis-
ion which would set it at rest for all
time. This would be a prompt and in
expensive way of settling the ques-
ton, and no doubt if the court should
take the view held by the executive and
his law office, such an opinion would
point out a way of avoiding the difficult
ties that have occurred to you. Should
a different view be taken the legislature
would be at once convened"
EQUAL SUFFRAGE PAPER.
Topeka, Kan, Jan. 21.-(SpeciaL)-
The Equal Suffffragists of Kansas will
start paper. There was meeting of
a number of the Topeka leaders in the
suffrage movement at DR.. Harding's Of
flee yesterday afternoon to talk the mat
ter over. The state president of the as
ISOLATION, Mrs. Katie NJ. Addison of Eu-
reka, was present, on her way to attend
the national convention at Washington.
The paper was discussed freely, but
no decided action was taken. 1t is to
be a monthly and will be published in
Topeka The first number will be is
sued as soon as the necessary funds are
raised to pay for it. Mrs. Lease has
written that she will do all in her pow
er to help il along.
The twenty-eighth annual convention
OF the Natlonal-American Woman Suf-
frage association will convene in Wash
ington, D. c., Thursday, and continue
in session until Jan. %. Susan B. An
thony, the president, is expected to pre-
side.
The Kansas delegates who will at
tend the meetings are the president of
the Kansas association, Mrs. Addison,
Miss Broderick of Holton, daughter of
Congressman Broderick; Miss Nora
Gregg OF Garrett; Mrs. Althea Briggs
Stryker of Great Bend; Mrs John O.
Royce of Phillipsburg, and Mrs. Anna
L. DIggs.
1t is not expected that any matters
pertaing directly 10 Kansas will come
before the convention this year Mrs. |
Stryker is a member of the committee |
TO go before congress and present the /
usual petitions.
The Kansas delegates met at Kansas |
City last night and went on to Chicago |
together. From Chicago they will &C
the Illinois suffrag ists.
SCORING ED HOCH.
Topeka. Kan. Jan. 2.-CSpeciaL)-l
What few Morrill, papers there are in |
Kansas are now delighting themselves |
by roasting Ed Hoch, the Prohibitionist |
Today the Emporia Gazette, which is /
for Morrill,. says:
NO governor since the prohibitory /
law has been on the books has stood by |
its enforcement so fearlessly and with /
such efficient vigor as Governor Nor !
rill has brought into the fight against 1
liquor He is the only governor Kan /
SaS has had for many years who does |
not drink on the sly. He is the first |
Christian gentleman who has been in /
the governor chair for many long day. |
He has stood the abuse of the PhariSees |
without murmur. Disappointed Of |
fee seekers have rolled up the whites Of |
their green and treacherous ewes and |
blasted him in blasphemous prayers and 1
he has not exposed their hypocrisy. He /
has turned the other cheek 10 a score OF !
false friends. He has brought the gold /
en- rule and the decalogue into politics. |
He has made the governors Office q
place where any respectable citizen can
AFFORD TO be seen. The tone OF state /
politics is clearer and higher since Ma
jor Morrill, took charge Of the bust
ness OF Kansas. He has done a great
work for the best people of Kansas and 4
one that they cannot gainsay.
And yet there is a class OF men in
kansas who pretend 10 be better than
the average run Of men who lose no op-