Kansas City daily journal., 1897-01-31

the laws where he came from were the
best, 1t can be seen how hard IL is to
get together and harmonize these conflict
ing, but persistent; ideas. The fact is
many OF the members have better idea
of the statutes elsewhere than here in ths
territory, for II has already been discovered
that ten of the bills introduced along pet
lines are upon subjects fully provided for
in the present statutes, and four long
measures zealously advocated as being in
the line OF much needed reform" are YER
batim copies of laws which have been upon
the statute books of the territory for years
The passage of Mr. Sherman's railway
memorial resolution Thursday shows tht
sentiment of the assembly TO be strongly
in favor of the thorough regulation of rail.
ways ana railway companies, but the SEN
timent Is much more conservative than
during the first days of the session and
the regulations will be tempered SO as "a
not scare out all new companies and pro-
hibit the extension of any lines within the
territory.
The subject of usury seems to be a ia
vorite one with the reformers, and there
are now thirteen bills on the calendar
touching on that subject. The bill likely
to be evolved from all these and become
law viii make the legal rate per cent,
tract interest, with forfeiture of all
interest where a higher rate is contracted
for.
the assembly is Sergeant-at-Arms j. C.
Jones, of the house, known all over the
one time engaged in buffalo farming out in
Western Kansas, and late- took a herd OF
theSe great American animals to Europe
ana ounaIoed Queen Victoria and q lot OF
other crowned and uncrowned heads. A
feW years ago he agitated the construction
OF a great Populist trunk line OF railway
from the DakotaS to the Gulf and built it
on paper. In the sweet BY and by when
siiver Is moving free as water. he hopes to
build the line upon solid earth and be a
great railway magnate himself
The discussion of the bill to abolish the
territorial militia in the house yesterday
brought to the surface the true spirit OF
Populism. The radical fusIonists all ia
yored the measure and openly declared
they IN I'VE We're opposed to maintaining a mill
serve order and subdue riots. It was rep
resentative of the power OF the general
10 oppress the people. to protect the prop
erty or great corporations and to compel
the people to submit to edicts of federal
courts. Almost unanimously the fusionists
declared themselves opposed to the author
ity or the general government, and de-
manded that Ii remove from the territory
all arms and embIems of its power.
The Pops in the house made another wild
Dash Tor equal rights for all this morning
Dy passing resolution ordering the terri
toriai treasurer to pay their clerks and
other employees In cash at once in advance
of all the other warrants of Territorial in
debtedness registered and waiting to be
paid In their order. Having accomplished
this. they spent two hours iii correcting the
spelling and punctuation of the incompetent
engroSSing clerks, and recommended sew
eral minor bills for passage.
This afternoon they went into committee
of the whole, with ex-Speaker Barnes in
the chair, and in two hours were compelled
to dc more business than they had done
before in two weeks. Sixty-seven bills
were sent to their last resting place and
five read for passage, the only one of any
Importance being Speaker Tousleys bill to
who maintain irrigation ponds or reser-
voirs.
In the senate almost the entire day was
spent in discussing President Johuson's
railway bill which will come up again
Monday. The bill Is sure to pass, with only
a few minor amendments. The Indications
tonight are that the equal suffrage bills
viii come up about the middle of next
week. and, while the ladies have gained
much ground. the Journal correspondent
after sounding majority of the members
has positive information that the bill viii
not pass. 1t will not receive over FIVE votes
in the senate and nine In the house.
Among the bills to he introduced early In
the week will be one TO locate the peniteu-
prisoners In uuarrying rock and construct
ing the buildings. Another bill will nsk
for n colored normal school at Dover and
q branch agricultural college in the south
ern part of the territory. Each OF these
measures win bring to the surface couiIi-
nations and schemes that have so mr. been
kept In the dark. FRED L. WENNER