The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-03-12
KANSAS LEGISLATURE.
Annie L. DiggS Talks About
Governor Leedy's Veto.
Says His Action Shows Him
Loyal to His Platform.
That No True Populist Gould Have
Acted Otherwise-It Will Save
the Party.

Enemies of Gov. Leedy and Senator
Harris have suggested that the veto of
the railroad bill was inspired by de-
sire to rebuke Mr.. Harris. Upon this
subject Mrs. Annie L. Diggs said to-
day:
ct is quite unwarrantable to construe
the action of Gov. Leedy in vetoing the
railroad bill as a rebuke to Senator
Harris.
Grant Harrington, clerk of Senator
Harris railroad committee, and Sena-
tor Harris friends have disclaim-
ed the vetoed bill as the Harris BILL 1t
is not presumable that these gentlemen
would gratuously present these dis
Chalmers. Certainly their statements
must have been formed by consultation
and with the sanction of Senator Har-
ris. If the bill is not Senator Harris
bill, why is its veto a rebuke?
Loyalty to platform and consistency
with reiterated campaign utteranceS
placed Gov. Leedy where he could not
honestly do less than veto the bill He
has done more. By his masterful meet
ing of the crucial test, Cow Leedy has
established confidence in his dauntless
courage. 1t is essential that the PeO-
pies Party shall remain intact, compact
and vital with Jealous activity that it
may be the central political body about
which the several, more or less, co-ordi-
nate organizations may cluster. Had the
meet the ardent expectations of the
party been supplemented by a semi
Surrendering or weakly protesting exec
utive. the zeal and the soul of the Peo-
pies Party in Kansas might have taken
a leave of that organization and sought
expression through other channels,
which temporary check would have
complicated and embarrassed the sit
uatiOn.
Gov. Leedy's political sagacity has
furnished a sufficient stay and will re-
viNe the waning confidence of the rank
and file of the party Individual mem
bers of the legislature will receive the
anathema maranatha, but the 1egisla-
ture in the aggregate will not be COM
PEELED to do penance for the few who
were recreant.
Mr.. Harris at Abilene sought the
nomination for governor on a platform
declaring for maximum rates. Had he
were he now the chief executive, he
would be confronted by the same prob
lem which was thrust before Gov.
Leedy. Senator Harris, as governor,
would have been obliged to veto a rail-
road bill minus the maximum rate pre-
cisely as Gov. Leedy has done, or have
chosen the perplexing alternative of
breaking faith with the platform upon
which he was elected. Had Col. Har-
ris been the nominee for governor, and
had he sought during his canvass to in
ject his personal views adverse to a
maximum rate, he would have run
counter to a firmly established doctrine
of his party and he would not only have
surprised and panied his people. but he
would have fallen short of election.
1.-The failure of the legislature on this
one point is the one thing above all
others calculated to dishearten and to
shake the faith of their constituents.
1t was not a all valid excuse that a
maximum law would be set aside by
the courts The Legislators were not
elected to surrender before possible
0verrulement. 1t was not at all to the
point to plead Interstate obstacles.
These were no new enemies. The SUI
preme court and the interstate COM
merce law were problems of
familiar discussion. They existed be-
fore the Abilene platform. There re-
manned no new thing to discover or say
after the converting at Topeka. The
merits dement's of a maximum rate
were not pertinent to the business in
hand. The time for education had gone
by. Whether beneficial or otherwise, |
there was but one plain duty. that of
enactment into law by the delegated
representatives of the people. Whether
relief or disaster resulted from the Oper- |
a ton of that law was not the business
of the instructed servants of the peo-
pie.
LAS to Senator Harris personally, |
there is no more reason that the pres |
ent blast of popular disfavor should |
break in fury upon him than upon the |
other mistaken members of the legis- !
lature. That Senator Harris personal |
able. No one who has known him for
years as I and lots of others. have, can |
permit a suggestion dishonorable to him
to pass unchallenged.''
WON'T IMPEACH HAzEN.