The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-12-22
HOW IT OPENED.
Assembling of the Special SEES
sion of the Legislature.
The Senate Chamber Cleans
Brightly Once More.
1T HAD BEEN SWEPT
Garnished and Vanished and
6obWehs Wiped Down.
In the House 1O2 Members Are
Counted.
T HAD BEEN SWEPT

The special session of the legislature
| opened yesterday at 4:10 p. m in the
| house and APO in the senate.
Even the old-tiners in Kansas legis-
latures were astonished yesterday upon
entering the senate chamber. Tt was
| difficult to realize that the new carpet,
| freshly varnished, shining desks and
| chairs, cleaned walls and ceilings, poll
| ished pillars, FURNISHED bronze work,
! and cleaning onyx and marble panels
/ constituted the interior Of the senate
| chamber. For years, cObWebs have
/ eaten its way Into the bronze and other
metal furnishings, undisturbed. Dust
! has lain in piles over doOrways and the
| chandeliers looked like they had come
| out of the ark and had not since been
| cleaned. The cOlOred stained glass
| panels surrounding the windows were
| for ten years covered with dust, but
| this has been removed and the color of
| the glass is now visible.
The bronze seal of the state over the
| door of the main entrance has been poll
| ished and it is possible to tell what it is
! intended to represent
The chandeliers have been cleaned and
painted; the woodwork has been pol
ished and vanished, and the walls and
ceilings have been relieved of the bur-
den of black dust which for years has
made them resemble the interior of a
foundry.
Then there is the new carpet, a beauty
in figured brown Brussels, which cost
s.. 25 per yard. Down the main aisle Of
the senate chamber a white strip of can
vas has been laid. The work which
has been done has fully restored the
beauty of the Kansas senate chamber,
which is said to be unexcelled in the
United States.
The senators and visitors while shak-
ing hands, stopped to admire the place
which has undergone such wondrous
changes, and Secretary w. q. Bush re-
ceiVed many compliments upon the
work which he has had in charge.
Political differences were forgotten
for half an hour before the opening of
the special senate session. The senators
took their old seats, while Senator Tom
Anderson of Shawnee, rushed around
inquiring the location of the seat occu-
pied by his predecessor, w. Z. Sterne.
He found it in the back row, and after
looking around in an appealing manner,
said
i've got only one good ear and I
can't hear a thing here. 1 must ask
for some concessions for decrepit mem
bers and get into the front row.
Major Anderson, J. G. Stone of Leav-
enworth, r. B. Ward of Republic and
Andrews of Atchison are the four new
memb ers of the senate and they We're
formally introduced among their asso-
ciates and Immediately after the senate
opened were sworn in as members of
that body.
The Republican members of the SEN
ate were first to arrive in the hall They
came from a caucus at the Copeland and
headed by their caucus chairman, Sena-
tor G. H. Lamb walked in to the hall,
stopping to shake hands here and there,
but gradually finding their way to the
seats occupied during the past session.
About this time word came from the
Populist caucus that the work in hand
might not be finished and an indus
trious citizen turned the senate clock
back an hour. This discrepancy was
soon observed and the Populist leaders
were told that the session must open at
o'clock by the right time. A few mo-
ments before that hour the senators ar
rived from a caucus. The manner in
which the Populists and Republicans
jumped over each other to shake hands
was amusing. 1t was Hello BILL
s.IIow are you Tom ?''"C4Iad to see you -
and "HOW've you been?' for 80 minutes
until all the members had renewed their
acquaintance and were ready for bus
mess.
The visiting was brought to an end at
4 o'clock at which time Lieutenant
Governor Harvey occupied the chair
and gave one rap with his gaVel. In
stantly the buzz of conversation in the
chamber ceased. The senators fastened
to their seats and rose reVerently when
Mr.. Harvey presented DR.. A S. Embree
of this city for the invocation. The
minister asked for divine blessings upon
the state, the state officers, the 1egisla-
tors and expressed the hope that the
special session would be beneficial not
only to Kansas but other states as well.
The roll call showed but three alb
sentees. Benson of Butler, Hessin of
Riley and Methews of Mcpherson. Mr..
Hessin came in shortly after the roll
call.
Senator Hanna acted as temporary
secretary during the election of officers
and employees. NJ. A. Householder was
elected president of the senate, and
Marion Watson was chosen secretary.
The first resolution was introduced by
Senator King, providing that the rules
of the former session be adopted until
further ordered. It was adopted. The
second resolution came from Senator
Crossan, and provided for the appoint
ment of a committee to notify the house
of the organization of the senate, and
one by Senator Young of Montgomery
county, was adopted authorizing the
appointment of a committee to notify
the governor of the organization of the
senate.
A resolution by Senator Farrelly COW
ering the appointment of the employees,
a list of which appears in another col
umn, was then adopted without dis
senting vote.
The joint committee Informed thu
were organized and at 4:40 the message
from Governor Leedy was received and
L. A. Henshew, assistant secretary, be-
gan the reading of the document.
After the reading of the message the
senate adjourned until o'clock this
morning.
IN THE HOUSE.