Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-03-18
.SPOILSMEN ON TOP.
YOUNG AND LYONS LIKELY TO DE-
FEAT THE sPOFFORD BILL.
IN INTEREST OF TAxEATERS.
DETERMINED TO WRITE THEIR Po-
LITICAL EPITAPHS.
Senators Sny the Bill Would Pass by
an Almost Unanimous Vote IL the
Opposition of Soung and
Lyons Were With
drawn.
IN INTEREST OF TAxEATERs.

jefferson City, Mo-. March 17.-(SpeciaD
1t now looks as if the senate would kill
the bill introduced in the house by Repre-
sentative Spofford, giving to Kansas City
one-third of the dramShop license collected
within the city limits. Several of the SEN
ators, both Republicans and Democrats.
say that if Senators Young and Lyons
will withdraw their opposition to the bill
they will see that it is passed by an al
most unanimous vote. They also say that
they do not feel like passing this measure,
which relates exclusively to Kansas City
and jackson county, over the protests of
the two Democratic senators from Kansas
City.
Senator Young is leading the opposition
and is determined that the bill shall not
pass. Numerous attempts have been made
to convince him that the division of the
county dramshop fund provided for in the
bill is just, but he has answered all these
statements by saying that he is under OBJ
legations to aid the farmers of Jackson
county. in procuring such legislation as
they want, and to oppose all legislative
measures that they do not want enacted
into laws. He has been told that If he sue
ceeds in killing the bill he will at the same
time write his political epitaph. but he
seems to think that the Democratic county
officials and their supernumerary deputies
can pull him through when he again comes
up for nomination 10 office.
l. has been suggested to him that If the
county officials would discharge all of their
deputies that are not required to perform
the duties of their offices. and If the coun-
ty court would be a little less lavish in its
expenditures, the one-third of the dram
shop fund which it is proposed to give
to Kansas City could be spared and the
county could pay all its expenses and have
a balance in the treasury at the end of
every year. But Senator Young seems
imperviouS to arguments. His course In
the senate has proved conclusively that
he is there as the agent OF the spoilsmen
of Kansas City. His bill turning the con-
troll of the justice courts over to the coun-
ty court and his amendment to the license
commissioner bill introduced by Senator
Lancaster. making IL apply to Kansas City
as well as st. Louis. show him to be the
friend of the taxeaters and antaSonistie
to the taxpayers
making an underhanded. bushwhackina
fight upon the Spofford bill. According I'd
the rule that prevails in the senate. the
bill was referred to a committee. They
appeared before the committee and de-
manded that their objections to the bill be
the committee was about to report the bin
favorably. Senator Young then induced
the senate to refer the bill to another COM
mittee. Not content with this, Senator Ly
onS has been telling his fellow senators that
the sentiment in Kansas City upon the bill
Cityans who have been in this city during
the past week have said that fully nine
teen-twentieths of the voters OF Kansas
City were in favor of the bill