The Topeka state journal., 1897-09-25
WHAT STATE OFFICERS SAY.
The Law is Really Against Using the
State House

state Auditor Morris, ATTORNEY Cen
efal Boyle and Gov. Leedy, three mem
pers of the executive council, are out
OF the city and could not be seen to-
day with reference to closing the cal
Ier1eS of the senate chamber and rem
reSentatiVe hall to the public and Civ
ing Mrs sutton complete control over
them for the evening of the Floral ball
and permitting the sale of tickets
therefor
No meeting of the executive council
was held this afternoon, and none can
be held until some one of the state. of
hcerS returns to the city. The attor-
ney general is expected this afternoon
and final action can be taken; the indi-
cations are that the council will refuse
to accede to the request of the Commit
tee of Fifteen.
Discussing the action of the Com
mlttee of Fifteen in demanding that the
galleries be not opened free, State
Treasurer Heflebower said:
1T makes no difference to me wheth-
er they have the Floral ball or not. All
the people of the state pay taxes on
the state house. and they should not be
deprived of the right to enter the build
ing, no difference how important is the
function which is going on.
so far as 1 am concerned [ will not
under any circumstances vote to give
the committee in charge of the ball
the exclusive right to the floors and
galleries. They are welcome to the
floors, but the council has taken action
with reference to the galleries, and by
that action I will stand. My mind is
made up to give the public access to
the galleries, and l will not change it.
If the executive council meets to take
this thing up again, 1 will vote to give
the promoters of the ball the use of
the floors of representative hail and in
the senate chamber, but the galleries
must remain open to the public
State Superintendent Stryker said:
When L voted to grant the use of
representative hall and the senate
chamber for the Floral ball. did so be-
cause 1 believed that it was a part of
the programme to make the entire Fes-
tival a success. I had no idea it was
for an exclusive privilege, or L should
never have given my sanction to its
use for the purposes contemplated.
''Since it is proposed to make it such
an exclusive and elaborate event, 1t IS
immaterial to me whether or not it is
given at all. The Floral ball would un-
doubtedly be very attractive but L will
not consent to closing the galleries to
the public. If this does not suit the
beneficiaries of our first action, then
they need not give the ball, and L will
be just as well satisfied
Objections to "excluSiveneSS seem
to be the principal basis for the COM
plants from members of the council,
and upon which is also based the de-
mand that the galleries be opened to
the nublic No attempt has been made
to make the ball exclusive. The price
of the tickets has been fixed, and those
who desire to participate can 90 so
upon purchasing tickets. No invitations
were issued, consequently the 'eXclu-
sive" argument fails.
At the inaugural balls of the nation
al capital and other splendid events of
that character in the east or west on
ly those persons who receive lnVltatlons
NAV purchase tickets and attend NO
such restriction exists so far as the
Floral ball is concerned. 1t was plan
ned for those who desired to participate
in something which would reflect credit
11oon the city and state. No public af-
fair of this character can be made sue
rRSSful.