The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-02-17
So the House Majority Decides
Is Today.
QUESTION OF MAKING
State Printer Elective Is De-
cided in the Negative.
Initiative and Referendum Res
OlutiOn Is Beaten.

| the same old way that they had it run
over them by the Populists two years
ago. 1t was when the resolutions to
submit amendments to the constitution
to popular vote next year came up
for consideration. 1t required some time
for the Republicans to get their band
wagon into running order, but when
they once started it nothing could stop
I it, and the proposition to make the
state printer elective, and also the mi
tiative and referendum proposition were
killed outright.
The resolution to submit the PROPOSE
ton to increase the number of supreme
court judges from three to seven passed
without opposition, and it looked as
though the senate resolution to make
the state printer elective would also
pass by a large majority, especially af-
ter Judge Babb, who was fatherlng the
resolution in the house, moved to strike
out the only feature to which the Re
pubHcans had objected-the one pro-
viding that the state should own the
public printing plant
II make this notion said Judge
Rabb, mot because am opposed to
that feature, but because this is non
partisan measure and some objection
has been raised to that particular fea-
ture. 1t received the support of Repub-
lfcans in the senate, but I do not wish
to hamper it's passage in any way over
here
The motion made by Judge Babb was
carried and no other objection was
in the main, but an objection was raised
to the wording in which the proposition
was to be submitted. Some members
thought it would confuse the voters,
and some time was consumed in dis
cussing the matter
While this was going on it was whis-
pered around among the Repuohcanss
that this was a Populist measure ana
ought to be killed on that account. Plans
were hastily formulated for getting one
proposition up in opposition to announcer
in the same manner in which the cigar
cite bill was killed the other day, but
Mr.. Grosser who had not received IN
structions and who had been against
the proposition from the start, bluntly
moved that the resolution be recon-
mended not passed. Judge Babb moved
as a substitute that it be recommended
passed Some of the members on the
majority side were afraid that II WOulu
go through if the proposition were put
direct so Mr.. Geissler moved to reter
the resolution to the judiciary commit
tee with instructions to prepare con-
StitutiOnal amendment making tines
printer elective by the executive cOun-
Gil This had the effect of splitting the
majority side of the house immediately
GeiSsler urged against the propoSltloIl
to make the state printer elective by
the people, that in that case every editor
would be a candidate, and as he would
be afraid to say something that would
make him enemies, the freedom OF the
press would be abridged.
Captain Seaton opposed Geissler's mo-
ton and took occasion to SAY things
about executive councils in general.
1.-The would be a very bad sort of
movement from a business point or
view he said. Executive councils, as
a rule, are "a very unpuslnesshke loL
of men, to say the least Four years
ago the executive council concluded to
get along without the board OF pubnc
works and look after letting state CON
tracts itself The result was that that
they paid $15 900 or $4,000 for spreading
some sand over the driveways through
the state house grounds The work OF
the last executive council can be seen
out here in this rotunda, which is the
laughing stock of every visitor who
comes into the state house. The eXecu-
tive council is a dangerous body to
leave the election of a state printer
with, and I am opposed to it. IF there IS
any danger of the executive council get
ting a hand in that proceeding l want
this resolution killed right here"
That was just the kind of talk that
the majority side wanted, and after a
few more speeches pro and con the reso-
luton was recommended not passed.
The Populists were all favorable to the
resolution and six publicans-Hehey,
Abrams, Remington, Stanley, Spurlock,
and Smith of BrOwn-voted with them
Judge BabbS initiative and referen-
dunn resolution was then called up and
Mr.. Benefiel Immediately moved that it
be not passed.
And we don't want four hours de-
bate on this proposition either" he
added.
Il would just like to say" said Mr..
Fairchild over on the Populist side of
the house, that there is a tacit under
standing on this side that there will be
no debate, but we don't like to have
you say that we shan't debate this
question, inaSmuch as we are in the
committee of the whole, where we are
supposed to have the right to debate
as much as we please. 1t doesn't look
we'll for you to try that sort of thing"
The initiative and referendum prop
oSitiOn was defeated without further
debate by strict party vote
When the committee rose Fairchild
demanded a separate vote on the adop-
ton of the report regarding the state
printer amendment. The roll call
showed 20 votes in favor of the report
and 81 against it.
Gentlemen voting in the affirmative
were:
ham, Bogenrief, Bradbury. Brooke,
Bur1holder Campbell, earle, Conrad,
Coulson, Dawes, Edwards. Elwood
Finley, Flannelly, Ford, Francis, Full
HaIlett, Harper, Harris, Hayden, Heb
erling, Heeney, Henley, Hoag, Irving,
Johnston, Kutz. Lawrence, Longley,
Mason, Medi1l, Millar, Moore, McKeever,
Nichols, Osborn of Douglas, Oursler
Pogue. Poison, Reid, Remington, Reser
Richardson, Rhinehart, Scott of Elk
Scott of Wichita, Seaton, Seaver, Shell
ley, Shoemaker, Smith of Brown, Sny-
der, Stephenson, Sweet, Tenny, Thorp,
Ward, WEIGH, Willis, Wise and Mr.
Speaker Osborn.
Gentlemen voting In the negative
We're:
wick, Babb Bowman, DeBard, Ed
monds, Elder, Fairchild, Fogle, Gabriel,
Goodno, Haskins, Hefiey. Jaquins. Law
son, Loomis, Marks, Martin. McClaren,
Smith of Rocks, Spurlock, Stanley.
Star Wheeler Woodward. Wright of