The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-02-09
KANSAS LEGISLATURE.
House. Talks On Purity In Pol
iticS
An Act in Relation to Primary
Elections.
Members Agree That Wyandotte
Needs It-Other Counties Dis
claim-Legisiative Notes

The house. yesterday, in committee of
the whole. considered Representative
Edwin TayIor's bill regulating primary
elections and as Mr.. Taylor himself ex-
pressed it, ito purify politics. in Kan
sas by selecting the nominees of party
for any office by ballot instead of under
the present primary system which per-
mits repeating" the proposed bill will
also abolish so-caIled ''cake-walk.
The debate which ensued was perhaps
the most spirited and prolonged of the
session. II started when Mr. Weilep
moved to strike out the enacting clause.
This was defeated. Mr.. Cubbison
moved as an amendment that the bill be
so altered s to make it apply to coun-
ties having a population of loo, 00O This
was defea ted.
Lambert OF Lyon favored the bill, be-
lieVing that it had some very meritOr-
iOus provisions. He said: Some day
when the Populist party has become as
corrupt as they now assert the RepubH-
can party is, then perhaps they Will re-
alize that such system as proposed by
Mr.. Taylor will be of benefit to every
county in the state
The discussion then turned upon Mr..
Cubbison's proposition after Subsu-
tute by Carr of Stafford providing that
the bill should only apply to Wyandotte
county, was defeated
Mr.. Cubbison argued that singing
out a specific county would be special
court and therefore urged support for
his motion
Armstrong Pop. of Wyandotte): eve
don't want this bill to apply to Wyan-
dotte county. Down there we fight the
devil with fire and l am opposed to as
sisting the Republican party by the
passage of this BILL
Weilep of Cherokee: This bill has
for its purpose the settlement of Repub-
lican rows in that county and I am OPP
posed to any such measures"
Mr.. Taylor. the author of the bill
FASTENED to inform Mr.. Weilep that the
bill had been drawn practically as it
now stands years before the Republican
row last fall in that county. He said:
Il have no fears of the honest voter in
any community; the great common peo-
pie. But, 1 have no faith of any char
aCter in the professional politician of
any party and believe that this bill is
a good thing for all of US"
Lambert of Lyon IF reports be true
that the Populists of Cherokee county
run in as many voters as is claimed
they did for the last election from the
Indian Territory, I think the gentleman
from Cherokee who represents the party
of reform should not oppose any meas
ure tending to purify politics, something
which 1 think needs to be done all over
Kansas"
Mr. WeiIep explained that all the
fraud he had observed in his county at
the last election was among the Repub-
Hcans, because they had challengers out
after the POpulistS and Democrats. He
said: IF any wrongful votes went into
our ballot boxes they were placed there
by Republicans
Mr.. Cubbison said: 1.-The temptation
to indulge in a few political passages
at this time is very great but l restrain
myself because 1 think the members of
this house are here for better business"
He then spoke in favor of his amend
ment, deploring the political debate
which had transpired.
Mr. Dingus replying to Mr. Lambert
of Lyon said; Perhaps in the inno-
cence of it's youth the Populist party
needs no such structures as these pro-
posed to regulate its affairs. Perhaps
it may in the future. 1 believe that
this is an inopportune time to pass
such a law. If the time should come
when we need it, then / am in favor of
it, but now l shall oppose it because it
occurs to me that it is a measure cal
culated to settle difficulties solely in
Wyandotte county"
Mr.. Botkin said: There is merit in
this bill, and if the conditions Justify
it. and I believe they do it occurs to
me that Wyandotte county is a good
place to try it as an experiment"
This brought Mr. Armstrong to his
feet, who exclaimed: I'VE don't need
a good thing, to use a slang phrase,
let US push it along. Give every other
county in the state a trial of it,
Mr. Fa1rchaild of Kingman opposed
favor of Furnishing the taxpayers of the
state to heal sore places in the Re
publican ranks or stop factional rows
in the party in Wyandotte county"
Stewart of Doniphan: 7, too come
from a county which believes in the
publication of politics." then everybody
in the house looked wise and thought
of Cy Leland. Il am in favor of this
bill" continued Mr.. Stewart. land be-
1ieve that it is worthy of a trial in Wy
andotte county 1 know of no better
place to test it,
Trueblood of Usage: In Usage coun-
ty we have both Populist and RepubIi-
corrupt, but all are capable men, We
don't need this bill there, but if Wy
andOtte county needs it 1 am in favor
Of giving it to her.
armstrong of Wyandotte: I'VE don't
need it in Wyandotte county. 1t is
an injustice to the people and the coun-
ty. The Republican party in my coun-
~ is a very sick patient but if you
want to nurse it back to life, pass this
bill"
Mr.. Weilep explained that under the
present conditions the large increase in
population of his county might by the
time of the next election place it with
in the provisions of this proposed law
s'Such being the case,' he said, Il pro-
test most earnestly against the passage
of the bill"
McKeever of Shawnee explained that
Shawnee county had tried the proposed
system and was pleased with it.
"Who paid the bilIs?' asked Mr.. Wei
lep.
Mr. McKeever was not prompt in
answering, and Mr.. Weilep said: THE
candidates, didn't they?"