The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-11-15
Both Amend ents to Constitu
tion We're Carried.
Veto Power Places Responsible
ity on the Governor.
TO STOP THE CRAFTS.
That Is Why the Amendment
Was Proposed.
Now Responsibility Will. Be on
the Governor.

The veto amendment to the consti-
tuition, just adopted, places a big re-
sponsibility on the governor in the fu-
ture, and it is likely to prove a source
of great trouble to the chief executive.
1t is bound to bring clash between the
grafters and the governor, and it will
take a governor with an extraordinary
amount of backbone to resist all the in
fiuences which the grafters will bring to
| bear on him.
The two amendments to the constitu-
ton carried by a big majority, of
course. Little was said about either Of
! them until within the last two weeks
| of the campaign, when a fight was
| started on the state printer amend
| ment. But Notwithstanding the
fight, the state printer amend
ment seems to have run right along
with the other and in fact ahead of it
in most counties so far heard from.
The veto amendment was scarcely
mentioned at all, yet it was by far the
more important of the two. The state
printer amendment simply takes the
election of the state printer out of the
hands of the legislature and allows the
people to elect the state printer along
with the other state officers. The veto
amendment allows the governor to veto
one or more individual items in the
killing the entire bill.
This may seem like a small thing
to most people, and 1t is small in it
self, but it is far-reaching in its rf-
fects. That is why it was proposed.
During every Legislature there is
miscellaneous lot of claims against the
state presented for payment. Some of
them are just and some are gratis.
There are many of the latter. Some are
hard to distinguish. They cover every !
conceivable subject and the ways and
means committees of the two houses |
bunch them into one general bill with
each claim itemized This bill always |
comes up during the closing days of the |
session when there Is a rush 20 ge, |
through and perhaps half dozen ex-
tremely important. bills are hung up. |
Here is where the opportunity of the |
grafters comes in. They insists on |
their claims going into the bill. They |
have the aid of some influential mem |
bers to help them. There are, of course,
legitimate and necessary claims in the
bill. The grafters go to the members
who are interested in these legitimate +
claims and threaten to kill off these
legitimate claims unless the CRAFTS are
allowed to go through. The grafters |
get together and support one another's
claims. They have sufficient influence
to block important legislation until the
miscellaneous appropriation bill is dis
posed of. The time for final adjourn
ment draws near and finally the bill is |
rushed through with a lot of CRAFTS in
The veto amendment transfers a big |
weight of responsibility from the legis-
lature to the governor In fact TINS
veto power will probably prove a thorn
in the flesh to future governors. The
power of grating members will be used
in the legislature to compel the gov
ernor to approve their pet CRAFTS in the
miscellaneous appropriation bills. 1t
will not be difficult to get most any
kind of a graft into the bill in the fu-
ture because the members will depend
on the governor to veto the gratis.
That is why a tremendous responsible
ty will be placed on the governor, and
the real and final fight over the gratis
will come when the bill is checked up
to him for his signature.
Heretofore the governor has been
powerless to control CRAFTS in the mis-
cellaneous bill. In order to kill a graft
he had to veto the entire bill, including
perhaps a hundred or more legitimate
and necessary claims. In the future he
can veto any particular item he de-
sires and approve the balance OF the
bill. In vetoing any item he must give
his reasons for it. Then that item
comes before both houses the same as
appropriation, and If 1t gets
the necessary two-thirdS vote it is
nassed over the governors veto. 1t is
not likely however that a graft could
be passed after the governor had once
1t.
C1overnor-elect Hoch is expected to r
come down from Marion the last of
the week He teIephoned ]. N. Dolley
mail on his desk in Marion
that he had to clean up before he
could get away. Charles Gibbs, who
has been secretary to state Chairman
Stubbs has gone to Marion to help
Mr.. Hoch-
T. T. Kelly ran 2,57S behind Roose-
Welt in Miami county, his home
Roosevelt carried it by 1,434 plurality
and Kelly lost the county by 1,144
Judge Dale carried the
county by 143 plurality.
Some of the cattIemen of the west ,
ern part of the state want representa-
ton on the live stock sanitary board
under the coming administration ;
There was considerable objection a |
wear or so ago to the quarantine
which the present board eSta blished !
against mango in the western third of !
the state and while it is now generally !
that the quarantine ;
were, in the main a good
thing. that region wants representation
on the board in the future.
d. Y. Wilson of Republic county
Is a candidate for chief clerk of the
house in the coming legislature. This
is the best job in the legislature
has been in the past as there are a
number of good CRAFTS connected with
It. Chief clerk of the house and sec
retary of the senate have, during rel
cent legislatures, paid from $1,500l {
work. The coming legislature may lop :
off some of the extra pay, however.
No one has yet announced his can
Iidacy for secretary of the senate, but {
late for ergeant-at-arms of the
senate.
Here are some of the pluralities in
Anderson county, as shown by the Off s
,ial count: Roosevelt. s5s; Hoch. 444; i