The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-03-11
Senator Smith Charges House
With the Responsibility.
Claims He Didn't Cut Out Fran
els Amendment Secretly.
TALKS OF WAGGENER.
Charges Him With Leading the
House Astray.
Makes Lame Attempt to Defend
Treasury Graft.

Senator Fred Dumont Smith has a1-
mitted the death OF TIE tax bill He
charges the house OF representatives
with having inserted the Francis
amendment, relating to the placing of
the state funds n the hands of the
county treasurers, and the stockyards
amendment for the aimple purpose of
placing the odium If killing the bill up
on the senate Smith saws the reaiiza-
ton that the death Il the bill on its
hands would redeet diseredit urcn it
was the only incentive which prompted
the house of representatives to railroad
the bill through last Friday
No agreement has been reached by
the second conference on the tax bill
which began Yesterday afternoon. The
first conference connlalttee made a re-
port last Saturday Tuesday n.orning
the report was presented to the house
and rejected. 1t was received by the
senate but that body complied with the
request of the house for another meet
ing of the conferees. The Francis and
the stockyards tax amendments are still
the matters of contention. The senate
viii agree to the latter but not to the
first In the senate last night the re-
port of the committee was taken up for
discussion. It was not only desired that
the senate should determine certainly
its position upon the disputed PROPOSE
tons but Fred Smith wanted a chance
to free his mind about certain matters
The senate also wanted to give him an
opportunity.
The recommendation of the senate
conferees that the senate postpone &C
ton until the house moved was adopted
after Smith had made his speech. Smith
declared that he was hopeless of any
tax legislation and charged the house
NSith the responsibility for it.
He said the house might have put in
the Francis amendment when it rail-
rOaded the bill the other day if it had
sincerely wished to fix up a tax bill.
Smith alleged that Waggener has been
playing horse with the legislature, hav-
ing taken a considerable part in the
deliberations upon the tax measure
Smith positively denied having cut out
the Francis amendment without the
consent and knowledge of the senate.
He said practically the entire senate
knew the action of the conferees before
the report was made and that the SEN
ate approved his position. He asserted
that the Fra neis amendment was real
" no part of the tax bill proper and
that Mr.. Francis himself had consent
ed to its being stricken from the bill.
From the time the tax bill was in
PRODUCED" said he, the house has
lodged its consideration. It has shrunk
from LdklIB u0lu Oh II anu HAS post
poned action upon it until the leaders
realized that if the bill were allowed to
die its death would reflect discredit
upon their side of the legislature. Then
the measure was 'railroaded' under
whip and spur. That plainly shows that
the house was not trying to pass a tax
bill but was simply trying to check
back to the senate and to saddle the
responsibility for the defeat of the bill
upon the upper house"
We must go back to the people and
say We were not able to pass a tax
bill; were poWerless to better existing
conditions a shameful confession. The
people of this state are already looking
at this legislature with distrust and dis
gust and are ready to eXclaim: A
plague on both of your houses"
In closing his remarks he said:
The only trouble with the house has
been that it has been badly led. The
initial mistake was to put a Democrat
the judiciary committee turning down
the bright young lawyers of that body
The insfdious influence of that man has
run through all the business of that
house"
The Francis amendment referred to
above provides that the funds of the
state shall be left in the hands of the
county treasurers subject to the call of
the state auditor instead of the state
treasurer.
Representative Bale Waggener last
evening expressed his regret at the feel
ing displayed against him by Senator
Smith. He said he thought Smith would
TaconSidpl If when he was cOOlqr