Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-01-05
IT PASSES THE HOUSE.
Railroad Bill Goes Through Kansas Lower
Houae BY straight Party vote-v0ts
Waa 10 to 80.


Topeka, Kan, Dec 30. The rail
road bill agreed upon in the popu
list caucus Wednesday night wa,
yesterday morning introduced In the
senate by Senator King, and in
the house by Representative Brown,
Of Pratt the respective chairmen Of
the railrad committees. Shortly be-
fore II o'clock the house went into
committee Of the whole, with Mr.. Fair
child in the chair. After the bill was
read the republicans began fllibuster.
ing tactics, but the populists applied
gag" rule and shut them off. The
bill was taken up for adoption by sec.
tons A division was called for on
the adoption of section |. The vote
stood 60 to 50. This was test vote
and indicated that the bill will be
passed by safe majority, without al.
teration, as it came from the caucus
and practically without debate.
The republicans resorted to all tao
tics known to parliamentary usage In
order to impede the passage Of the bill
and inject invalidating or unconstitu-
tional amendments. but all such efforts
proved futile. The populists ran the
wagon over them without mercy. Sec.
ton after section of the bill was
adopted without an amendment or de.
bate, the republicans voting mo"
solidly and the populists solidly in the
affirmative with the exception Of
Keefer, Of Leaveu worth; Brown, Of
Cowley, and Williams, OF Mcpherson.
At 1880 the bill was adopted in It's
entirety by the committee of the whole.
The bill was then reported back to
the house with the recommendation
that it be passed and was put imme-
iiately to a vote. The roll was called
and the bill was passed by vote of 70
to 80.
In the house Smith, OF Sherman
pop J, introduced II bill providing for
compulsory capital punishment for
persons convicted of murder in the
first degree, also for the execution of
all convicts now confined in the peni-
Tertiary under death sentence. There
are about 50 such convicts. The pas
sage of this bill would catch John Col.
Inns.
Among other bills introduced in the
house were these: Abolishing the state
board of railroed commissioners, In
anticipation Of the passage of the new
railroad bill; amending the Australian
ballot law; amending the state text
book law; amending the state mine in
spection law.
Mr.. Hackney, chairman OF the judi
ciary committee, introduced bill pro.
hiblting the removal Of state employees
except upon conviction Of removable
offense in district court This is in.
tended to prohibit the removal OF state
employees for political reasons when
the change Of administration occurs.
A bill was introduced in the house
giving the insurance superintendent
the authority to revoke the license of
any insurance company that transfers
a suit filed against it in the state
courts to the federal court
The house passed a $50, 600 approprla-
ton bill to defray the expenses OF the
special session up to date.
In the senate, Farrelly introduced a
bill to tax insurance companies not
organized under laws of this state two
per cent. on gross premiums collected
in Kansas Senator Stone introduced
bill providing that no member of
any state board or other officer heto-
fore or hereafter appointed by the gov
ernor and confirmed by the senate,
or chief officer Of any state institution
whose term expires at the end Of a
given number of years, shall be re.
moved during his allotted term OF years
for political reasons only, nor other
wise than by impeachment except for
cause, and the bill specifies the man
ner OF removal
Senator Young wants telephone lines
to be owned and controlled by the pub.
lie. He introduced a bill providing
that at the next election the counties
Of the state shall vote on two proposi-
lions: Whether they shall operate a
telephone system and whether they
shall cooperate with other counties
and with cities and persons in the oper-
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