Kansas City daily journal., 1897-02-09
ALL But THREE OPPOSED TO PURI-
FICATION OF POLITICS.
TAYLoR's BILL VOTED DOWN.
POPULIsT MEASURE, But REPUB-
LICANS SUPPORTED IT.
Was Designed to Bring About Honest
Primary observation-disclosures
souri-Illinois Stock Yards
Conference Proposed
Legislative News.

Populists of the house to-day went on rec
ord as opposed to the puritication of poll
tics. They voted down Representative
Taylor's bill compelling all primary cleo
tions to be held under the Australian bal
lot law. and would not even permit it to
pass after it had been amended so as to ap-,
ply only to Wyandotte county. Although
introduced by one of the most prominent
Populists in Kansas, and one who has al
ways fought for measures that would tend
to purify politics, it received the votes OF
only three Populsts. They were Taylor,
Patton and Epperson. While the bill was
an original Populist measure, the Re-
publicans lined up to man in favor of it,
and showed by their votes and voices that
unlike the Populists, they were in favor of
cleaner politics and stood ready to assist
any party in bringing about better con-
dition.
The fight for the bill was led by the Re-
publicans and tonight the Popuists feel
very uncomfortable over the unenviable
position in which they have placed them
selves before the people of Kansas, who
favor honest elections. They were forced
publicly to admit what the Republicans al
ways contended that they were not sim
cere when they declared on the stump that
theirs was party of reform and that they
We're in favor of political honesty. AL
though the bill was defeated the Republic
ans are feeling jubilant over the record
which the Populists made to-day and de-
clare that it will rise to damn them in
future elections.
The Taylor bill provided that the pri-
maries OF all parties should hereafter be
held under the Australian ballot law and
should be surrounded with the same safe
guards as a regular election The penalty
for the violation of the law should be the
same under the election law.
The bill came W in the house committee
of the whole for consideration right after
sion commenced, Taylor as well as the Re
publicanS realized that it was doomed as
u general bill, and Cubbison, of Wyandotte.
moved to amend it so as to apply only to
counties having over $1,000 inhabitants.
This would catch only Wyandotte county.
Jaquins, of Cowley, moved to make 1t
apply to counties having over 100000 This
was intended to kill the bill. a vote was
taken and Jaquins motion was defeated,
A to ~.
the Populists. He declared that it was
scheme to help the Republicans effect
fusion with themselves in Wyandotte coun-
ty, and that the poor farmers should not
be made to foot the bills.
Botkin. of Reno. wanted TO know of
Fairchild why as chairman of the election
committee he did not report the bill ad-
versely.
On account of courtesy to Mr.. Taylor.
of Wyandotte. who was a member of the
committee Fairchild replied.
Taylor replied to the allegations of Fair
child as to the expense that would be III
| Cured under the proposed system. This
is not Il question of cost, said he, 1t
mind that the Populists of Kansas would
send representa- tives here who would fight
bill for honest elections. deny that
it was introduced for the especial purpose
of helping the Republicans of Wyandotte
county am here to help Kansas. This
| bill would help the state, and, knowing
| this, | will support it, no matter what
party it helps or what one it hurts. l am
| for Kansas and honest elections first, and
| for party after"
| Trueblood of Usage, spoke in favor OF
| the bill. and voted twice against motions
| intended to kill it, but finally failed to vote
either way.
vor of it. Lebdell said it simply proved
| the truth of what he had always declared
that the Populists We're AFRAID OF pure pol
itics. Where politics is pure, Republicans
| always flourish" said he. Other speeches
| in favor of it were made by Mckeever of
| Shawnee; Lambert. of Lyon; Bacon. of Lo-
! Crawford: Ward, of Mitchell, and Arm
strong, of Wyandotte, opposed it:
The opposition of Armstrong is due to
| the fact that the corruption which Taylor
wanted to remedy by this law lay almost
wholly in Armstrong; district. That is
wards of Kansas City, Kas., and it is a
we'll known fact that Populist politics there
| is dictated absolutely by the most notorious
jointkeepers in that city. These jointists
spend their time when out of Jail telling the
| decent people of that district whom they
shall have for public officers. and sad to
| relate they manage to cram the dose down
| the thu oats of the better class.
| The discussion was getting warmer and
warmer, much to the distress of the Pop
| uIists, when Fairchild moved that the COM
mittee recommend that the bill be not
| passed. By this time the absentee Populist
! members had been rounded up and when
| the motion was put it carried by vote
| of 50 to 80. All Republicans present voted
| against the motion, as did the three Pop
| uiists whose names are given above. When
| the report of the committee of the whole
| was made the Republicans forced the Pop
| ulsts to go on record as opposed to honest
| primaries by demanding a roll call. The
| vote killing the bill stood 63 to So.