The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-03-11
He STANDS FIRM.
Bale Waggener Again Raps E.
DumOnt Smith.
Proves Francis Didn't Agree to
Sidetracking Amendment.
TAKES SHOT AT SENATE
It Has Done Everything Posi-
BILE to Embarrass Bailey.
sis It Dominated by a Get Rich
Politician He Asks.
House After Listening to Wag-
gener Kills Tax Bill.

4 The house tnlS morning TOOK d sliOt
time off to say things about the SEN
ate in reply to wnat the senate said
about the house at its Tuesday evening"
session. Waggener and O'Donnen were
the chief .sayers.'' although Mr.. Wag-
! gener's s remarks were largely Of a per
sonal nature on a question of personal
privilege.
It came up on the report of the con-
ference committee on the tax bill. Mr.
Nation submitted the report, which was
( the same as that submitted on Tuesday
morning. which was re-referred As
soon as the report was read Mr. Wag~
gener moved that it be reeeiyeds the
committee discharged and that all coa-
sideration of the tax bill be ended. This
motion was the conclusion in the OBJ
sequies of the tax bill.
AS soon as the motion was before the
house Mr. Waggener advanced to the
front of the press table and began:
Il came to this legislature somewhat
Handicapped on account of my long con-
nection with a great railway conlpany-
But 1 came here determined to ignore
that relation and represent my constit-
uents and the people of the state o
Kansas as faithfully as possible. Whetn-
er have in any way betrayed my trust
is for you to Judge
Some remarks made on the floor OF
this house yesterday have been taken
to reflect on a distinguished member q
1 the senate I have the highest regard
for Senator Smith, Notwithstanding the
intemperate language which he has used
concerning me in the public press and.
I am told. on the floor Of the senate, and
/ feel that it deNOiVeS upon me to make
a statement concerning these matters
1 When this tax bill came up for con-
I sideration a Joint committee of thirty
I'VE members was appointed to pass
upon It. That committee went at It's
/ work seriously and in good faith It
/ made various changes and amendments
in the bill. One of these, known as tne
FRAMES arnendment, was adopted unan-
! imousiy. When the committee ceased
its deliberations Senator Smith, Mr.
Peck Of Cloud and myself were ap-
pointed as a subcommittee to get these
amendments IN their proper places and
get the bill into proper shape Senator
Smith said he would look after the work
and submit the report to Mr.. Peck ana
myself.
THE next thing I heard of it Sena tor
Smith had submitted Il personal report
to the senate with the Francis amend
ment left out. and it had been placed
On third reading When I asked Senator
Smith why he had left out the Francis
amendment he said he had done it at
the instance of Mr.. Francis.
Il have here a written statement from
. the chairman of the ways and means
+
who knows him will testify to his integ-
rity- Here IS his statement:
B. P. Waggener-
Dear Sir:-The statement of Sena-
tor Smith in a public interview that
1 gave my consent to the suppression
of what is known as the Francis
: amendment is not correct. After this
amendment was adopted by the Joint
+ committee Of 35, Senator Smith stated
, to me that the senate coulc not pass q
tax bill with that clause in it and asked
5 my consent to suppress 1t. I told him
in substance that I would not, because.
] " First, 1t was right, and
" Second That he had no right to sup
o press it. as it had been adopted by tbs
] ".JOHN FRANCIS
I Il leave this question between Senator
Smith and Mr.. Francis. but the fact re
= mains that the amendment was sup
{ pressed and Senator Smith admits it.
made no reflections upon the integrit.
I of Senator Smith. His motives may
. have been perfectly right. I cannot sa.
anything about that.
1T has also been said that l cast re
Elections on the state treasurer yester
day I did not do so and had no inten
, tiOus of doing anything of the kind. Tn
first intimation ! had of the methot
of transacting the business of the stat
> treasury came from the message from
Governor Bailey
Mr. Waggener then read Coverno
: Bai1ey's recommendation that the meth
: DDS OF handling state funds ought t
= be changed, and then continued.
The present treasurer is not respon
sible for the prevailing custom of hand
ling the funds of the state, but custor
:, does not make right what is wrong. Be
= cause this business has been WrOngl
:, conducted in the past is no reason VIII
Il we should not remedy it now and
: proposition to right this wrong ought /
u no way to be construed as a refiectio
on our state treasurer. AS I said yes
. terday, I stand ready to vote to rails
= the salary of the state treasurer to wha
2 it should be. Let US right this wrong
but let us raise the salary Of the treas
+. urer SO that it may remove the tempta
? ton to handle the state funds for pr
vate gain. 1t is a disgrace to this stat
= that its treasurer should be paid onl
= S.. 500 year and be required to hand
e the amount of money he must do
- :. Il wish to say that I have no politics
= ambition. I presume the office 1 no
= hold will be the highest viii ever oC
cupy. I have no desire to occupy an
= higher Office. 50 what I have done {
e may do cannot be construed to mea
- bid for political preference"
. Mr. Waggener then read an extrat
=, from a statement by Senator Smith. i
which he said that the trouble wit
~ the house was that it had bad leader
ii that one OF its gyeat mistakes was ii
appointment Of a corporation lawyt
ID as the chairman of its judiciary con
1t mittee.
"a Il hope it will occasion no questio
1a of veracity." continued Mr.. Waggene
" when I say that when my name w
III proposed for the Craftsmanship Senate
Smith came TO me and said ne Woul
re do everything he could to induce 4
~ speaker to appoint me, that he W.
s. chairman of the senate judiciary con
nittee and was sure ouF committe