The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-03-11
War Of Factions Has Character
lied the Legislature.
Struggle for Control
at Next Election.
OLD BURTON FIGHT.
It Has Been Continually Crop
ping Out.
He viii Try to Maintain the
Alignment in Senate.

The legislature of 1903 will break up
in a row between the two houses which
win have a big bearing on state politics
during the next two years. The house
and senate are at sword points and
nothing can bring them together. The
Republicans have an overwhelming ma
jority in both houses and the political
fight of the next two years will be a
fight between the two houses for the
control of the party.
In the election of 1900 the Burton fac
ton of the party won and J. r. Burton
was elected to the United States senate
The inevitable result followed Senator
Burton's actions were such as to disgust
his party with him and in the election
of 1902 the Leland wing of the party
was placed in control. It had an over
whelming majority in the lower house,
but the Burton senate held over.
This entire legislative session has been
largely game OF politics. Each house
has sought to embarrass the other in
the eyes of the people. The senate be-
ing the smaller body. could move more
easily and quickly than the house. The
leaders in the senate were shreWd
enough to seize upon several of the rec
concentrations made by Governor Bailey
in his message and act upon them, but
in such shape that they knew the
house would not accept them. This has
placed the senate in the attitude OF
standing by Governor Bailey and the
house in the attitude of turning him
down.
For instance, Governor Bailey recon-
mended the passage Of a congressional
apportionment bill. The senate passed
the Fitzpatrick bill, well knowing that
the house would not accept it. This sort
of thing was done on other questions.
But the big tieup has been over the
tax bill. Governor Bailey recommended
the passage of some sort of tax legisla-
ton, but did not undertake to say what
it should be. He called attention to the
work of the tax commission but made no
recommendations concerning it. He did
recommend, however. that the present
methods of handling state funds should
be changed, and it was on this PROPOSE
ton that the tax bill finally went to
pieces.
It is a we'll known fact that Senator
Burton did everything in his power to
secure the nomination of 7. T. Kelly
for state treasurer at Wichita. Just
why Mr.. Burton was so much more in
terested in Mr.. Kelly than he was in
his other friends who We're candidates
for state offices was not apparent to eV
erybOdy at the time although it was
known that the senator made two big
fights-one to control the organization
of the state convention, and the other to
land Mr.. Kelly in the state treasurer s
Office.
NOW MI. burton : IIlSHQS lSIUS6 dD-
solutely to do anything to interfere with
the methods which have been in vOgua
in the state treasurer's office for years
past, when it has been openly asserted
that some body gets a rakeOf as interest
on state funds. The house has passed
two bills which would divide the inter-
est on state funds between the counties
and the state. The Francis bill, which
tax bill, provided for leaving the state
taxes in the county treasures until
needed by the state. 50 that the counties
could draw interest on them from their
repositories. 1t is estimated that this
would have brought the various counties
of the state from 500 to 81, 400 each
year The other bill, the GOebel bill.
providing for state despositories, pre-.
vided that the executive council should
select bonded banks of the state II.
which the other state funds might be de-
posted and draw interest.
The senate absolutely refused to con
slider both of these propositions simply
because it would disturb the orerOga =
tives of the state treasurer The senatl
passed the tax bill. however, without
the Francis amendment, and checked ii
up to the house. There has always been
cOnsloerab bic opposition to the proposed
tax bill anyway. and with the Francis
amendment out o. # It was impossible
to force it through the house.
The fight viii now 60 to the people
Whether the renOmina ton of anV of the
present state officers viii be involved In
it is not yet known, but there will be a
big fight for the control of the next
Legislature. The present senator's win
make a fight for reelection, while the
house crowd viii make a fight for sem
ate which will be in sympathy with the
house.
Senator Burton viii make a special
effort to preserve the present alignment
of the senate. He not only desires to
keep his prestige in that body. but the
senators who are elected next year viii
have vote in the senatorial election u