The Topeka state journal., 1899-01-03

| ley, moved that it be stricken out. He
said that it was unjust to railroad en-
ployes, as it left them without redress
in case of oppression
Brown of Pratt took issue with him
saying that the provisions Of both the
| railroad bill and the supplemental meas
ure protected railroad employees from
oppression. The motion was lost and
the section adopted.
A new section was incorpora ted in the
bill on amendment by Brown of Pratt,
making 1t a miSdemeanor for any rail
road company to violate the orders OF
the court of visitation. With this
amendment and the amendment of Fitz-
gerald of Ford, the bill was recon-
mended for passage 1t viii be passed
by the house.
The house continued as committee
of the whole and the Marks bill in ref
erence to the letting of county printing
and providing for two official county
papers in each county, was taken up.
1t was opposed by both Populists and
Republicans and was finally disposed
Of by Trueblood of Usage moving that
1T be reported back to the house with
the recommendation that the enacting
clause be stricken out. This kills the
bill.
Quick disposition was made of the
Davis bill, extending the term Of the
text book commissioners to four years
from April, 1897, making the term expire
with the contracts 1t was recommend
ed for passage subject to amendment
and debate.
Opportunity for the Republicans to
administer scoring to the Populist
side of the house was offered by the
consideration of the CaSSin bill, making
it unlawful for the board of directors
of the penitentiary to sell any of the
coal mined at the state penitentiary.
Fitzgerald of Ford took the lead and
he was followed by a number of his
party associates. Brown of Cowley and
Jameson of Usage turned on their own
party and denounced the system of sell
ing penitentiary coal which has prevail
ed during the past two years.
a similar bill was introduced here
two years ago." said Fitzgerald, land
it failed to pass. Before the legislature
travelling over the state establishing
coal agencies for the sale of peniten-
tiary coal. You had promised your party
to confine the output of the penitentiary
mines to the state and charitable insti-
tutions, and you broke your pledge in
this regard as you broke all your party
pledges, and that is why the people re-
pudiated you at the polls last Novem-
ber.''
Brown of Cowley agreed with the gen.
tleman from Ford. 1T was because
the Populist party failed to keep it's
pledges that the people turned it down
at the last election" said he.
Jameson of Usage admitted that his
party had broken a pledge in selling
penitentiary coal But this special ses-
sion is to remedy broken pledges" he
be passed. The house passed this bill
two years ago and just because the SEN
ate failed to do so, we should not be
held responsible for the failure
. Baker of Douglas opposed the meas
ure, on the ground that the output of
the penitentiary mines should be used
to regulate the coal market of the state
ITO take the penitentiary coal off the
market" he said, will give the COM
mercial interests every opportunity that
is needed to combine and control
prices
Ravenscraft of Clark, said that if the
coal output should be limited to the
state institutions all other penitentiary
products should be limited in the same
way, and moved to amend the bill so as
to include all products of the institu-
tion- His motion was lost.
keefer of Leavenworth saw an oppor-
tunity to break into the discussion and
proposed an amendment providing that
the wagon trade of Leavenworth county
be supplied. This precipitated a
wrangle, both Populists and Republi-
cans declaring it was a discrimination
in favor of the people of Leavenworth
In the midst of the wrangle Trueblood
of Usage moved that the committee
rise and report progress and ask leave
to sit again. The motion was adopted
and Cassin's bill left in the air with
out any action having been taken.
1t was then after 5 o'clock and on
motion of Barkley of Elk the house
took a recess until 1880 o'clock in the
evening.