The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-12-27
ON thin ICE.
Managers of the Railroad Bill
Are Proceeding
With Great Care and Circum-
spectiOn.
FEAR is ENTERTAINED
That the PrecariOus Margin of
Votes
FEAR is ENTERTAINED
For the Bill May Vanish Sud
denly at Any Time.

Three moves have been made by those
in charge of the proposed railroad bill
in the last "a hours.
The Populist joint caucus had a dis
appointment yesterday when it was an
nounced that there would be no meet
ing last night. Consideration of the rail-
road bill had to be postponed another
day. When the house met yesterday
eleven of the fusionists did not answer
to roll call. They were Armstrong,
Basgan, Brown Of Cokley, Farrell Jones,
Montgomery, Palenske, Turner, Walters
and Williams.
The caucus had adjourned Saturday
subject to the call of it's chairman. AS
soon as the steering committee counted
noses in the house a message was sent
to Senator Lewelling, who is chairman
of the caucus, as to the result ofthe count
He Immediately gave out word which,
was passed around among the members,
that the committee in charge of the
preparation of the bill had not finish
ed it's work yet and that there would
be no caucus last evening.
Some of the members of the house
who did not answer to their names at
roll call yesterday came in on the late
afternoon trains and were around the
hotel corridors last night.
AT the call OF the roll InlS morning the
following absentees of yesterday an
swered here: BasgalI. Farrell, Jones,
Montgomery, Palenske, Turner and
Williams. It is probable that a eau
Gus will be held this afternoon or to-
night when the railroad bill will again
be taken up.
The reason that the caucus had to
wait on the absent house members is
owing to the fact that the fusionists
have not a very large majority in the
house and as yet there has not been
any real test on the matter of the rail-
road bill. 1t is necessary therefore that
a quorum of the house members shall
attend the Joint caucus and be entire
ly satisfied with the determination there
reached before the bill can be intro
duced into the house and substituted for
the dummy bill which is now going
through the regular grind of legislature
procedure.
When the word was passed around
yesterday afternoon that the committee
in charge of the measure had not finish
ed work on it the story grew as it went
from mouth to mouth until it was said
that the bill would not be ready for
presentation to the caucus for a week
or ten days yet.
The proposed bill was got ready yes
terday and is substantially the same as
outlined in yesterdays noon edition of
the State Journal.
The second move of the steering COM
mittee was made during the short ses-
sion of the house yesterday afternoon,
when the dummy railroad measure
came up. The committee was success
full in an effort to have this measure
referred to the committee of the whole
house
By this method the measure will come
up before all the members and be con-
/ sidered section by section. When the
first section has been considered the
question will be put to a vote as to
whether it will be reported favorably or
not. The roll will be called and each
member will vote. Then the next sec
tiOn will be taken up in the same man
ner. This will show at each stage as
to whether any of the members who
have attended the caucus are faltering
and will enable the leaders in charge of
the bill to adjourn during it's consider
alton if at any time there should appear
to be danger of defeat. The obstreper-
Gus members, should there be any, could
then be called into the caucus and rea-
sOned with.
Some excitement was caused by a
rumOr that the railroad men would
bring some personal friends of Populist
members to town who would persuade
the members to drop out of the caucus
and thus defeat the bill. To guard
against any such move on the part OF
the enemy" Chairman Riddle is said
to have sent out a large number of let
ters to different districts to prominent
| POpulists and others interested in pass
ing a railroad measure, urging them to
send a delegation to Topeka to
strengthen the resolution of their rep
resentatives and encourage them to
stand by the caucus measure.