Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1903-02-05
WORK OF THE KANSAS LEGISLATURE.

force Judge Hamilton, the contestant,
into the supreme court with his con-
I test. Senator Branine led the fight
against the motion. The attorneys
for each side were allowed to talk 80
minutes each on the question. Then
Branine moved to overrule the mo-
tion to dismiss and upon roll call
carried his point by an overwhelming
majority. Smith next offered reso-
luton requiring the contestant to
put up bond for costs. Fitzpatrick
said that such bond was worthless,
as 1t was not>authorized by law.
Smiths resolution went down. Hav-
ing cleared the decks of the prelimi-
naries, the parties to the contest
were asked to get up an agreed state
ment of facts covering as many
points as possible and submit it to
the senate Monday. 1t will take about
three days to try the contest in the
senate after the ballots are counted
by commission.
There was grand scattering in the
house yesterday morning when the
bill to extend the fellow servant law
to all classes of employees came up
for action. Under the present law, a
railroad company is held responsible
for injuries sustained by an employe
through the carelessness of another
employe. Mclaughlin and Adams, of
Sedgwick, each introduced bill ex-
tending the law to all employees. The
bills were sent to the judiciary com
mittee, which committee sent them
back to the house yesterday morning
with majority and minority reports.
rhe majority report was unfavor-
able. The minority report, which was
favorable, was signed by Adams and
WaggeDer. When the reports were
read Waggener moved to adopt the
minority report and put the bills
on the calendar. Adams, Of Sedgwick,
made talk in favor of the motion.
He said that railroads should not be
singled out in fellow servant legisla-
tion, and that all other employers of
labor should be brought under its
provisions. Kirkpatrick opposed the
motion. He said that, if the house
was going to take up minority re-
ports and act upon them favorably,
there was no reason for having any
committees. The bill was backed by
organized labor. Adam and Waggen-
er demanded roll call This brought
it to show down, and the members,
especially the politicians, began to
hide out. There was a grand rush
for the cloak room. Thirty-three
members succeeded in making their
escape. The bill was finally defeat
ed. The motion to adopt the minor
ity report was defeated 50 to 80.
The house, in committee Of the
whole, recommended for passage
these bills:
By Leland-Entering into contract
for the keeping of Oklahoma prison
ers for the next two years and pro-
viding that at the end of that time
Oklahoma shall take charge of her
own prisoners.
By Nation-Authorizing the COM
missioners Of Neosho county to levy
a tax for the erection Of a court
house at Erie.
By Jenks-Giving husband or wife
the right to testify against the
other in divorce cases.
By Nation-Prohibiting blackmail
by making it a crime punishable by
prison sentence.
The house Judiciary committee
killed so bills in less than two hours
yesterday. Some of them were local
in their nature and others were gen.
eral. Their authors will probably
champ on the bits some, but the COM
mittee proposes to weed out a few
good things from the large mass Of
stuff that goes into the hopper and
cast the rest aside.
Several bills have been introduced
to exempt from taxation the property
of old soldiers. All these bills were
turned down by the judiciary COM
mittee because they conficted witt
article II of the state constitution,
which provides that all people shall
be taxed alike.