The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-29
POLITICAL GOSSIP.
Senator Mcmillan Has No Hopes
of Legislature.
Says 1t Will Be Dominated by
Railroads.
WILL TRY 1T ANYHOW.
Federation Of Commercial In
tereSts to Push Its Bill.
This Is New Railroad Law En-
dOreed by Organization.

Ex-senator Harry Mcmillan of Min
neapolis says the railroads will domi-
nate the coming session of the Iegis-
lature. and that there is mighty little
show for the enactment of any Iegisla-
tion such as is desired by the Kansas
Federation of Commercial Interests of
which Mr.. Mcmillan is president.
Mr.. Mcmillan was in Topeka We'd
nesday. He denies the report that he
will come to Topeka this winter and
lobby for the passage of the railroad
bill which the federation desires.
our bill has been prepared and is
says Mr.. Mcmillan. but it is untrue
that l expect to spend the winter here
lobbying for its passage. The bill is
the right kind of bill; it ought to be
passed; 1T ought to be passed without
any lobbying. If it is going to take
lobbying to get a bill like that through
the legislature, then it is time we had
q new legislature. member of the
legislature should not expect to be ask
ed to support such bill. He should
support 1t without solicitation. I do
not consider that lobby would be ap-
propriate in behalf of such a bill
This legislature was elected to rep
resent the people of Kansas; many OF
the members represent the desire Of
the people of Kansas for a change in
old systems. Therefore if the people of
Kansas want legislation to control the
railroads, they will probably get it.
But the fact that the people of Kan
sas refused to pay any attention to the
federation in the railroad commissioner
fight in the last election indicates clear
ly to me that there is not much interest
in railroad legislation. Naturally the
legislature will not do anything unless
something is demanded by the people.
How can we expect anything from
members of the legislature who ride on
aSCpS2 Common
a man who rides on a free pass to deal
very carefully with the railroads.
"The man who is to be speaker of the
house, w. r. Stubbs, is a railroad con-
tractor. Does anybody think that he Is
going to appoint his committee on rail-
roads in such a way that that commit
tee will take any action hostile to rail-
roads? Naturally he would not.
1.-THE man who will preside over the
senate has already shown what he will
do; he will follow the same line he fol-
lowed during the preceding session.
UNLESS the railroad committees OF
the respective houses are properly con-
stituted, there is no use talking about
railroad legislation, for a railroad bill
will never get out of the committee IL
that bill is not suitable to the commit
tee"
The bill which the federation has pre-
pared comprises some of the features
of the railroad laws of Texas. Iowa and
Illinois 1t gives to the railroad COM
orders, pending a decision by the
courts. The railroads are of course Dit
terly opposed to such methods OF pro-
cedure, and they sit up nights to abuse
the Taxes law and the Texas railroad
1t is highly improbable
that such a law could be put through
the present Kansas legislature.
This is the first time that Senator
Mcmillan has been in Topeka since the
election, when he was defeated for re-
election by the Republican nominee
He says of the election:
'I was the only Democrat In my part
of the state who made any hght Tor re-
election, and I ran several hundred
votes ahead of my ticket. But 1T wasn't
enough to overcome the landslide
It is expected that Gov Hoch viii lcorns
to Topeka either this evening or sometime
on Friday FRIDAY is Gov. Hochs regular
down here on that day nearly every week
While he is in town it is expected that
Gov Bailey will take him ,;3I out 10 ;9,e see .ne
chance to find out what sort of place
he will live in for the next few years; years;
up to this time. Delegations representing
the Price raid claims, the federation OF
associations which want something will
try to get a hearing from Gov. Hoch while
he is in the city.
A H. Bushey, president of the. state
teachers association, is being talked Of as
public instruction two years hence.
Bushey is superintendent of the Pitts
burg school and is a regent of the state
normal school at Emporia, with its branch
at Hays City and its auxiliary manual
training branch at Pittsburg. The polfti-
clans usually name the candidate for state
The educators think they
should have some voice in the matter and
in the future will assert their power.
Nothing has yet been announced about
the makeup of the house and senate
It is supposed that Leuten-
ant Governor Hanna is working on the
senate committees at his home in Hill
City He has not been to Topeka, and is
not expected until next week. w. r.
STUDIOS, who is slated for speaker of the
house, is laid up at his home with in
jured shoulder and has plenty of time to
mediate on the membership OF his COM
mittees But neither Mr.. Hanna nor Mr..
Stubbs have told who their chairmen are
to be.