The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-02-09
Keefer Explains His Vote On
Penitentiary Coal Bill.
Says it Was Prepared By Oper-
atOrs, and Won't Help Miners.
BOTKINS EXCITEMENT.
Goes Over and Shakes His Fist
At Keefer.
Thinks the Explanation Re-
fleets on Hackbusch'S Honor.

Today the roll was called on the
passage of the bill pertaining to the out
put of the penitentiary coal mine.
The bill was first presented by Mr..
Hackbusch and was superseded by a
substitute prepared by the committee
on mines and mining.
The bill provides that it shall be I'M
lawful to mine coal at the state peni-
tertiary coal mine at Lansing except
for the use of the various state institu-
tions. and for such charitable purposes
as shall be directed by the executive
council. and for the supply of the local
wagon trade at such time. Provided,
that nothing in this act shall be held
or construed to affect contracts exist
ing at the date of the passage of this
act.
When Mr.. Keefer's name was called,
he made the following explanation of
his vote:
Mr.. Speaker: In recording my vote
on this question, 1 desire to explain it
OF the five large coal shafts in Leav-
enworth county, four are in my dis
trict, one in Mr.. Hackbusch'S. L have
promised the miners to do all I could
to promote their interests and to assist
in having the penitentiary output abol-
ished so long as the price did not ex-
coed at any of the mines in this county
81 a ton.
This present bill was prepared by
the operators, who could afford to pay
$1,000 a year for it's benefits. There
are 10000 families in my county de-
pending upon the reasonable price of
coal. These families under this bill
as it now stands will each be held
for at least 81 a ton advance in the
which the miner derives no benefit
whatever
Mr.. Keefer then pointed out that the
bill would not relieve the miners, as it
was thought it would, and concluded:
Il shall with great reluctance vote for
this bill as it now stands, my only ex-
cuSe for doing so is that the miners are
the most abused class of citizens we
have, and they seem to thi2k this will
help them. therefore E4fss aye, and
offer these remarks to print in the
journal of the house."
Mr.. Weilep, speaker pro tenn, declared
that Keefer was out of order in inn
pugning the motive of any member on
the floor.
Il am not impugning the honor of
any gentleman, but am stating facts
retorted Mr.. Keefer.
The roll call stood 60 to %, lacking one
of a constitutional majority necessary
to pass the bill.
Mr.. Weilep had his eye on the pro-
ceedings and demanded a roll call of
the house, which was ordered, the first
of the session.
The first member to arrive in re-
Spouse to the summons of the sergeant
alarms was representative Arm
thereby assuring its final passage
The vote by which the bill passed
was 10 to 35.
Gentlemen voting in favor of the pas
sage of the bill were Armstrong, Bark
ley, Bean, Brooke, Brown of Cowley,
Brown of Greeley, Brown Of Pratt,
son, Dalton, Davis, Dingus, Doyle,
Ernst, Fairchild, Farrell. Fell Finney,
Graves. Gray. Grimes, Hacl1busch, Hack
ney, Harbaugh, Ingle, jackson of Com
of II 10 Ia mis-
Jaquins, Johnson of Chase, Johnson of
Labette, Johnson of Nemaha, Jones,
Keddie, Keefer, Kelson, Lambert of
Lincoln, Larimer, Lawson, Lewis,
Loomis, Malin, Marty, Mccarthy, Nc
Grath, McKeever. Merrill. Mott, Muen-
zenmayer, Outcalt. Palenske. Patton,
Perry Poison, Reed, Richards, Roth
weller, Russell, Rutledge, Seaton, Sim
mons, Singleton, Smith of Sherman,
Stevens. Stoner, Stuart, Tapscott, True
blood, Turner, Wallace, Walters, Ward,
er Street.
Gentlemen voting in the negative
WERE Aker, Bacon, Barker, Basgall,
Botkin, Bennett. Buell.. Fitzgerald. Fo-
Goodno, Hickman, Heminger, Hibner,
Hollembeak, Jackson of Comanche,
Lobdell, Longley, Marks. Mccarthy.
Metzler Moore, Seaver. Smith of Brown,
Stuart Taylor. Try, Vogelgesang.
At the conclusion of the vote Botkin,
Jameson, and Hackbusch arose to
questions of personal privilege ana took
exceptions to Mr.. Keefer's statement
that Mr.. Hackbusch has been guided
by selfish motives in fostering the bill.
Mr. Botkin strobe across the hall to
Mr. Keefer's seat and shaking his fist
at Keefer, in defense of Mr.. Hackbusch,
Potlxin exclaimed: THE charge you
make is false sir; is false; false as -
In replying to Mr.. Keefer, Mr.. Hack
busch said: 1.-The insinuations of the
gentleman are so small that 1 can COM
pare them only to a cipher's shadow or a
f1ea's dream.
Mr.. Keefer explained that he did not
mean to charge irregularity on the part
of Mr. Hackbusch, which ended the
controversy