Kansas City daily journal., 1897-02-10
PENITENTIARY COAL BILL.
Passed the House Yesterday by "a Big
Majority, After n Spirited
Definite

Topeka. Kas. Feb. 9.-(Special0 Another
spirited debate took place on the floor OF
the house to-day when the bill relating TO
the output OF penitentiary coal came up
for final passage. Keefer, of LeavenwOrth.
wanted to explain his vote. This was what
he said:
Mr. speaker:-In recording my vote on
this question, 1 desire to explain 1t. or the
five large coal shafts in Leavcnworth coun-
ty. four are in my district and one IS IN
Ar. Hackbusch's district. promised the
miners To do all / could TO promote their
interests and TO assist in having the peni-
1entiary output abolished, 80 long as the
price did not exceed, at any of the mines
in Lcavenworth county, 3 a ton Ihls
present bill was prepared by the operators
who could have afforded to pay $1,000
year for its benefits. There are 1900 fam
lilies in my county depending upon the rea-
sOnable price Of co9l. 1shese families, IN
der this bill as IL now stands, viii each
he held up for at least 81 a ton advance
in the price of coal above s. Il ton, and
from which the miners derive no benefit
whatever.
The only possible advantage the miner
could have in this bill as il now stands
IS in the case of a strike, and. as most Of
The operators have mines elsewhere, II
would really help them and do the miners
no positive good II we are consistent let
use be 50. and not pass bill that Is asked
for by the minority OF the interests of
Leavcnworth county. and insisted upon in
the howery language of the gentleman
from NNanuOLte. VINO Il known 10 nave
represented at all times on this floor cor
porate interests. and who, especially in
this matter. has taken undue advantage
Of my absence and that of the speaker in
bringing this matter to a premature vote.
! shall, with great reluctance. vote for the
bill as IL now stands. My only excuse for
doing so is that the miners are the most
abused class Of citizens We have and they
seem 10 think that this bill will help them
He then proceeded TO vote for the bill.
Judge BOtkin arose TO question Of per-
EDnal sail q charge
made by Keefer that the bill under consd-
Grafton was prepared by the Leavenworth
combine was lie. He said the bill was
drawn by the committee as a substitute
Tor all bills referred TO 1t.
Hackbusch, Of Leavenworth. also arose
10 question of personal privilege He
said he did not think IL was necessary for
MIN 10 make any defense of tSTs charge
made against him by Keefer. An ! have
10 say is this said he. ''keefer'S iTsinua-
tions are so small that L can compare
them only with ciDhers shadow or a
hea's dream"
Although the members on the PopuIist
side claimed that the bill was prepared by
the Leavenworth coal monopoly. they all
voted for 1t just the same. The rolf call
resulted:
Ayes-Armstrong BarkIey. Bean. Brooke.
Brown Of Cowley, Brown of Greeley, Brown
of Pratt. Carr. Cassin. Clark Crosby. Cub
bison Dalt9n, Davis; Dinggs. Doyle. Ernst.
Fairchild, Farrell. Fell. Finney. Graves
Gray. Grimes, Hackbusch, Hackney. Har-
baugh, lngle. Jackson OF Comanche. Jack
son OF harvey Jameson, JaquinS. johnson
OF Chase. johnson Of Labette. Johnson of
Nemaha, Jones. Keddie. Keefer Kelson,
Lambert Of Lincoln, Larimer. Lawson,
Lewis. Loomis. Malin, Marty Mccarthy.
McGrath, McKeever. Merrill, Mott Muen-
zenmayer. Outcalt, Palenske, Patton. Per-
ry, Poison. Reed, Richards. Rothweiler
Russell, Rutledge. Seaton, Simmons Sin
gleton. Smith of Sherman. Stevens. Stoner
Stuart Tapscott, Trueblood. Turner Wal
lace, Walters, Ward. Wehrle Weilep
Wright. and Speaker Street-T
Nays-Akcr, Bacon, Barker, Basgall. Bot
kin. Bennett: Bue. Dewitt. Fitzgerald,
Heminger, HoIlenL TX. LongIey. McCar,
thy. Shouse, Smith Of Brown, Stuart, Try