The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-05-20
DO NOT COME HIGH
Representative M'Keeyer Talks
of Legislative Experiences.
Says Doodle Members Have Been
Quoted as Low as So.
THEY ARE MARKED MEN
An Object offs uspicion and Scorn
Among Colleagues.
Members Justified in Dodging
Members Justified in Dodging
Prohibition Question.
Position of Janitor More Re-
muneratiEe Than Member.

Representative f. d. McKeever
speaker pro tenn of the house of repre-
sentatives, read paper Saturday even
ing before the Saturday Night club
which contained N any startling and
sensational statements concerning his
experience in the legislature. 1t was
entitled Legislative Problems and
among other things Mr.. McKeever said:
The modern legislator-that is, the
Kansan-to which my experience has
been limited, is not the protege of any
deity nor under the tutelage of any
god. In the majority of cases no star
arose at his birth to guard and direct
his deeds and influence his destiny. So
that whatsoever he may do in his ca
pacity as a servant of the people. and
whatever may be his mistakes or mis-
deeds there is absolutely no one to
blame but himself. The campaign is
usually so far from a process of purifi-
cation that whSn he gets ready to legis-
late he is not possessed of that spirit
of sanctifcation that would permit him
to associate with oracleS, much less ask
them questions which in piled a close
and confiding familiarity.
'tOne of the most Vexatious problems
with which a member has to deal is
the question of patronage He may not
realize it during the campaign, but
after the election he finds that there
was hardly a voter in the district who
was not for him both in the primaries
and the election. A large number of
them are willing and eager to serve
their state in whatever capacity their
services can be utilized at the estab
lished per diem The question of who
shall be United States senator or state
printer to the member from Topeka is
an insignificant one The all important
question is, Who shall be janitor?, and
this is one of the questions which alb
sorb the most of his time and attention
from election day until he takes his
oath Of Office.
II, L
an important one for several reasons.
First the job of janitor is a better one
than that Of member. It is true that
member receives as much per diem as
a janitor, but the janitor pays no cam
paign assessments. A members pay
stops at the end of fifty days. while
the fanitor continues to draw his 50 per-
as long as the session lasts; neither is
a janitor compelled to purchase tickets
to a large variety of entertainments.
loan daily to some unfortunate cOnstit-
uent from Is to % cents until next pay
day, or make a donation to assist in
raising n ungodly and OnerouS in
cumbrance upon some temple of the
church militant. Again, in dispensing
patronage it is somewhat difficult at
times for a member to determine who
was fur him and whether the appli-
cant was loyal to the dominant party
One of my political articles of faith is
the belief that it is the duty of a. sue
cessfu1 candidate to remember his
/
aspirant to a position which my infiu-
ence could help procure without the
feeling that ne had as much right to
ask my assistance in securing the po-
sition which he sought IS I had in ask
ing him to support me at the polls. Tt
may evoke sneers from some of the
purists. but It is my firm belief that it
is as much a part of the duties of one
holding q political position to get jobs
for his friends and the faithful of his
party as it is to promote legislation.
especially when the officeholder's time
is not occupied in promoting legisla-
ton BY this do not mean that
member Of the legislat ure. for instance.
should seek to create new offices to fur
nish jobs for his friends. but that as
long as there is vacancy or an Office
held by a member of another party, he.
should lead a strenuous life until he Sc
cures it for some member of his party
whose services entitle him to it.
THE new and inexperienced member
at mis- entrance upon his legislative du-
ties has a great deal to learn. He will
find that the entire procedure is new
and strange to him. He may. being
fresh from his spellbinding experiences
on the stump. imagine he is quite an
orator, but when he first tries his voice
on his fellow members it viii seem to
scatter and fall Immediately to the
floor. not reaching more than three or