The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-02-11
STATESMEN. Didn't Include
Members of House.
WILL NOT ADJOURN.
Committee to Continue Investi.
cations During Session.
Women Remember the "Antis''
as Well as Supporters.

suspicion"
As its defense to the above charge
printed Friday morning. the official
state paper has advanced the unique
and powerful argument before the
investigation committee that the word
Statesmen" does not include any
members of the legislature.
1t is up to the Investigation commit
tee to decide whether there are any
statesmen in the legislature.
j. F. farrell was the only witness
examined by the committee at the Fri
day afternoon session.
Mr. farrell said he would assume
full responsibility for writing and
printing the Doodle story.
I do not attempt to Justify the
story" he said. except by the state
ment that the facts therein stated are
current gossip in the Hobbies. The
committee viii observe that 1 did not
say that members of the legislature
are under suspicion. I said states
men,
DO you consider that there are any
statesmen in the legislature ?'' inquir-
ed Chairman Bill Hackney.
That's d matter which I don't care
to discuss replied Mr.. FARRELL
You ought to at least admit that
the members of this committee are
statesmen" insisted Hackney, in a
grieved tone.
Mr.. farrell was asked for some
names of people who had offered or
I
kept tab on names. He was simply
printing what was the current rumor.
Mr.. farrell then produced the
original copy of the Doodle story
and showed the committee that there
was a page of his manuscript which
did not get into the paper. The miss
ing page contained a saving clause
The saving clause was to the effect
that members of the legislature de-
MED all the stories which were in cir
culatiOn, and did not think there was
any truth in them. The manuscript
with the missing page was left with
the committee as one of the documents
in evidence.
Committee Will Wait.
This committee" said W. Y Nor
gan to a State Journal reporter, is
not a smelling committee We are
supposed to act more in the nature of
a grand jury. We will take up and
investigate any evidence that is
brought before US We are not go
ing to hunt around for things to in
vesfigate'
1t is therefore probable that the
great investigation has about run its
course Nothing much is expected
of it.
There is no report ready for the
house yet. The committee adjourned
Friday afternoon without action, to
reasSemble at the call Of the chairman 1
No more subpoenas have been issued. I
There are several members OF the /
committee who have a deep seated /
prejudice against the common news /
paper practice of printing ''rumors. -
They think that it is not legitimate /
news to say anything about what is !
current gossip. They want the news
papers to wait until they can serve up |
everything in the form Of affidavits, !
giving full names and addresses Of all
witnesses. This is the system advOcat-
ed by Governor Pennypacker Of Penn
sylvania. Under such conditions. a
newspaper would afford about as much
interesting reading matter as a volume
of supreme court reports.
House Stands by Knapp.
When the house assembled Friday
afternoon. the consideration of the re-
port of the senate-hOuse conference
committee about nav for the chief clerk
of the house and secretary of the senate
was taken up. The motion that the re-
port be confirmed was renewed. A long
discussion ensued. and Chief Clerk
Knapp was called upon to make q
statement to the house. He said in dis
cussing the duties which will devolVe
upon him after the session:
THE printers copy of the journal is
not ready for the printers every day. /
The copy must be revised after the ses-
sion. and surplus matter eliminated.
That journal will not go from my hands
to the printer. I will give it to the
secretary of state i will not be respon- |
sible for the record unless I have time !
to revise it after the session
Mr.. Knapp proposed that all reference
TO the LGeS De cut out OF the apprODrla-
tion DILL, and a statute passed fixing
81 000 as full compensation for the clerk
of the house. He said that such an ar
rangement would be satisfactory to
him
Speaker Stubs made a fight against
Knapp. He said that the conference
committee had mdae very favorable
report, and that Knapp ought to be
satisfied.
The house did not think so. however.
and for the second time in the day took
issue with the speaker. The vote to
confirm the conference committee report
was taken on roll call and resulted 81
against and II for It was decisive
victory for Mr. Knapp
A motion was made that a new con-
ference committee be appointed. with
instructions from the house to stand for
more pay for the chief clerk. The opfn-
ion was emphatically expressed that the
chief clerk OF the house ought to re-
ceive more pay than the secretary of |
the state. owing to the greater extent |
OF his work.
The motion for a new conference
committee was carried Spea l1er Stubs /
later announced the committee as fol- |
lows Brierley. Richards and CrumIy.
PringIe in the Chair.
For the first time this session ex-
Speaker frlngie was called to the chair |
in committee Of the whole Friday af- |
ternOon.
Perhaps it was malicious fate that at
the very first blow, the head came of
of the gavel, and kept dropping off It
irregular intervals throughout the pro-
ceedings.
Nevertheless Mr.Pringle made a good
presiding officer.
The bill up for consideration was the
Hutchings drainage district bill pre-
scented in the house by z. X Robinett
of Wyandotte.The bill is a very lengthy
and comprehensive document. and is in
tended TO afford the river districts
protection from floods.
The Hutchings bill was subjected to
nuite an extensive dehafe- and large