The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-10-30
Insurance Superintendent Has
No Voice in Executive Affairs.
State Council Does Not Include
This August Official.
MAY CHANGE THE LAW.
Legislature to Be Asked to Make
Amendments.
Would Then Be a Member of
Executive Council.

The superintendent of insurance who
viii be chosen for period of two years
at the election next Tuesday viii have
10 voice in the executive council, al
though he is an elective state officer. IN
til the legislature passes a new law or
amends the present law governing the
council.
This discrepancy will, however, un-
doubtedly be remedied at the next ses-
sion of the legislature. The politicians
are talking about it now.
The Republicans are planning to have
their legislature fix things $50 Mr.
Church will be permitted to take part
council
At this the Popu1ists smile and say:
Our legislature will amend the present
law and give Webb McNall a voice in
the council"
The relation of the official to the ex-
ecutiVe council will be the same, no
difference which one of the two candi-
dates for the place be chosen next week
by the people of Kansas. The executive
council is now composed of all of the
elective state officers except the judges
of the supreme court, the lieutenant
governor and the superintendent of in
surance- The governor is president Of
the council, the secretary of state is the
recording officer The attorney general
presides when the governor is not pres
ent. The other members are the auditor,
treasurer and state superintendent.
-Four members of the present council
constitute a quorum. The council under
this administration, composed as it is
of six members, has been deadlocked
on two propositions.
One was with reference to the election
of J. NJ. Simpson, of Mcpherson, as a
member of the board OF railroad com
missioners. The other was in selecting
the official paper for the period of two
years. The MulVaneS then in control of
the Capital, had three votes; the Mail
and Breeze had three votes. The dead
lock was broken by a compromise which
gave each of the papers a year of the
official work, the Mail and Breeze get
ting the best of the bargain by securing
the last year of the fiscal period, which
includes all of the legislative printing.
1t has often been suggested that an
other member should be added to the
council to prevent such complications as
these two proved to be. With seven
members, which would be the number
were the superintendent of insurance
put to such divisions of the votes of the
council. 1t would be necessary for a
proposition to have an absolute majority
instead of half the votes
When the legislature passed the law
requiring the election of the superintend-
ent of Insurance by direct vote of the
people, this feature of the duties of state
officers was overlooked. While the su-
perfntendent of insurance must now go
into the state conventions and secure
the nomination, just as other candidates
for state offices do, and be responsible
! personally, instead of to the governor,
the appointing power until this law was
enacted, the added responsibilities do
not include seat in the executive
| council. which has charge of the state
house and grounds and distributes a
great deal of patronage in the way of
state house appointments