Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-03-14
KANSAS LEGISLATURE HAS COM
PLETED ITS WORK.
FINAL ADJOURNMENT TUESDAY.
FIVE MEMBERS WILL STAY UNTIL
THEN TO RECEIVE MESSAGES.
Deadlock on the Appropriation Bills
Broken just After Midnight This
Morning-S3,0OO Worth of
Bribery Investigation
Decided Upon.

ldtUre finished the consideration OF nlsCcl-
l:.neuus appropriation bills and made the
last roll call. The passage of these bills
Winds up all the business of the legislature
with the exception of receiving messages
from the governor. and five members viii
stay here until Tuesday to attend to that
work So far as work is concerned, the
Kansas legislature is a matter of history
now.
The legislature has been tied up all day
OH account of Il deadlock over miscella-
neCus appropriation bills. There We're two
items in the senate bill that the house did
not like One was in reference to the
claims of the Householder, Wait and
Rogers Investigations, and the other was
the appropriation TO defray the expenses
of the committee appointed to investigate
the bribery charges that were made at this
session.
The house stood out for hours, but the
senate was firm and refused TO pass the
house bill unless the house would pass the
senate bill. Thee different conference
committees We're out. Finally an agree
ment was reached by the committee which
was subsequently ratified by each branch.
The main opposition to the proposed in
vestigation among the house Republicans
was on account of there being no limit
placed on the expense. The sum of $500
was appropriated but there was no pro-
vision that that would prevent the commit
tee from running up still larger bill and
coming in at the next session of the leg
islature for back pay. Fitzgerald. Repub-
lican, of Ford who was on almost all of
the committees on conference, succeeded
in getting the senate to agree to an
amendment making it impossible for the
committee to spend more than the appro-
priation called for. In consideration of
this. the amount was raised to $3,000
After a deadlock, lasting several hours,
the members of the house opened up 4
general discussion tonight concerning the
proposed investigation. Representative
Ravenscraft. one of the most solid men on
the Populist side, made some startling
statements in speech favorins an in
vestigation. "'All of you who please may
say that this Doodle talk is all buncom5e." J."
said he, but l want TO say l know differ
ent. Doodle was used not only in stock
yards legislation, but also in other meas
ures. l know of several members who
were approached and offered money, and
some of them took it, too, on the school
book bill. One man was assured if he
would vote against the bill which finally
passed he would find 500 in envelope on
his desk thirty minutes later.
would plug the conference committee so
that no agreement could be reached, thus
killing the bill. This member refused, and
the offer was raised to s., 900. But 1t did no
good. l know the names of some men who
did receive money. however, and if an in
vestigation is held shall give them to the
committee. There are some men on this
floor who do not want an investigation and
are doing what they can to prevent it..
They are alarmed
When asked for the names of the men
who had been approached he refused to
give them. He said he would divulge them
at the proper time. He also declared that
the matter had been laid before the attor-
ney general and that some criminal prose-
cutions were almost certain to follow.
Representative Loomis, of Crawford
county, also declared that he had received
information so direct that boodie had been
used that he considered he would not be
uoing his full dL.y if he voted against the
appropriation fer an investigation.
Ravepscraft is a member of the investi-
eating committee, but he announced that
he would not serve. He said he would will
ingly give the committee all the informa-
ton he possessed, but inasmuch as he had
been instrumental in digging up good deal
cf the evidence he would decline to sit as
judge.
With the declarations of these two men
the sentiment in the house concerning the
appropriation for investigation purposes
changed, and the committee was sent back
TO confer with the senate committee. 1t
w@s IL o'clock when the committee got to-
gether. Fitzgerald insisted that the ap-
preparation 10 Re made this time should
cover the entire expense of the iuvestiga-
ton, and the Popuiists finally consented to
the insertion of the following amendment:
There is hereby appropriated 5000 TO
pay expenses of the committee, officers,
clerks, stenographers, witnesses and other
necessary expenses incurred in an inves-
tigation for bribery, as is cited in senate
resolution No. 26 or so much thereof as
may be necessary, provided, that said sum
shall not be available if criminal proceed
inSs shall he instituted in the district court
of Shawnee county on or before May IL.
1897: and provided, further, that said in
VeStigation shall terminate when said sum
Of money shall be expended. under penalty
of forfeiture to the state treasury of the
whole sum herein appropriated, and no part
of this sum shall be available until the in
vestigation shall he terminated and the ag-
gregate expense submitted to the auditor
of the state. under oath of the committee
of investigation. No mileage shall be paid
in excess of cents per mile
When the last report was brought In to
the house, n roll call was ordered ard the
bill was passed. The senate also passed it,
and then the last appropriation bill of the
house was taken up and passed by the
senate This wound up the business and an
adjournment was taken. Almost all of the
members will leave for their homes to-
morrow.
1t is barely possible that the legislature
will not finally adjourn until next Friday.
The text book bill does not become a law
until then, and the appointments of the
text book commissioners cannot be made
until after that time. Some Popuists in
SiSt that the senate should remain in SeS-
sion TO confirm the appointments.
This course is urged for the reason that
the Populists are afraid of Republican sue
ctss two years from now. The commits
sioners will he appointed for four years.
hut If they are not confirmed Il Republican
governor two years hence could replace
them. 1t is in order TO keep the Populists
in office as long as possible, and the SEN
ate may remain in session. If this course
is decided upon, arrangements will be made
to have Senator Sterne and Popuist SEN
ator stay here and keep the senate alive,
and also confirm the appointments.
The action of the legislature in appro-
priating money for an investigation makes
certain that the bribery charges made in
connection with stock yards. textbook and
other legislation will he probed to the bot
tonl-at least the committee so AYERS to-
night
SOME OF THE NEW LAWS.