The Topeka state journal., 1905-03-07
EASY TO VOTE.
Glaring Defects in Ballot Law
Are Eliminated.
Sensible Election Law Is Passed
at Last.
THAT AWFUL CIRCLE.
No Longer Necessary to Mark
There Only.
Several Other Bills AreApprOYed
in House.
THAT AWFUL CIRCLE.

Senator Young's bill amending the
election law was passed Monday night
by the house, the vote being 81 for and
20 against. The house tackled on a few
amendments, and it will have to go
back to the senate for concurrence.
The bill is an important one. It Is
intended to patch UP to some extent the
present iniquitous law which says that
ballot is invalidated in case the voter
marks in the straight ticket circle and
then makes any other mark on the bal
lot. Under the new bill, which in all
probability will become a law, the fol-
lowing are the rules for the marking of
the ballot:
''First-If you desire tovote a straight
party ticket, make a cross x mark in
the circle on the ticket you wish to
vote and nowhere else on the ballot.
''Second-If you prefer not to vote a
straight party ticket, but wish to vote
for majority of the candidates on any
party ticket, make a cross x mark in
the circle IS before, and then make a
cross x mark in the square to the right
of the names of such other candidates
as you wish to vote for, found under
any other party name.
Third-If you prefer not to vote any
party ticket, then make the cross x
mark in the square to the right of the
name OF SuCn CSuQlQdLES d5 you WISH u
vote for, and nowhere else on the bal
ssF7ourth-If you desire to vote for a
name not on the ballot, write the name
in the blank column, and make a cross
K mark in the square to the right Of
such name"
Killed Many Bills.
Monday night was a disastrous
in the house of representatives. The
members pushed seven bills under
the guillotine and decapitated them.
The names of the dead are as follows:
937. Relating to the issuance Of
bonds by cities of the second and third
class.
61e. Prohibiting shooting or hunt
ing along public highways.
6S7. Relating to the election OF
road oVerseers.
ZIG. Requiring railway companies
to provide shelter for laborers en-
gagged in the construction and repair
of railway equipment
Senate bill No. s. Providing a tax
for the support of common schools.
Senate bill No. Sc. Relating to the
purchase of property under Judg-
ment lien.
Senate bill No. s17. Establishing
state uniformity of maps, charts
globes, blackboards and other school
supplies.
Ejectnent Suit Passed.
After a long and severe struggle.
the. lawyers of the house and senate
of their bill to do away with the
necessity of what lawyers term the
second trial in ejectment." The law
yerS claim that this is a relic of bar
barism, and that it is a useless waste
of time to require such roceedings
now days for the purpose of obtain
ing legal possession of ones own prop
erty.
Several bills for this purpose were
introduced in both house and senats
but they have all fallen by the way
cid this fa
Smiths bill, and will now go to the
governor for his signature.
Chalk Beeson, the good natured MEM
Der from Ford county, deliberately, will
fully and maliciously bribed the house
last night. He had bill before the
house for the purpose of giving Dodge
City the right to vote a three mill levy
for the support of a Carnegie library.
The bill was general in its terms, and
there was some opposition to it. Not
enough votes could be mustered on the
roll call. and a call of the house was
secured. Beeson told the members that
he would set up the apples for the
crowd In case the Dill should pass ana
thereupon enough members changed
their votes to give the necessary g. in
behalf of the bill, and it passed.
Signs Important Bills.
Governor Hoch on Monday notified
the house that he had signed the fol-
lowing important bills;
Board OF control bill.
State depository bill.
JuVGnllG court DILL
Leland's jug bill. which prohibits the
shipment of liquor through express Of
fees to fictitious names.
Cones bill requiring the grain inspec-
tor to send the weights of grain to the
if requested to do so.
Guyer's demurrage bill.
Bill prohibiting the confiscation of
coal by railway companies unless paid
for at full market prices, plus 10 per
cent.
Stannard's bill abolishing the live
stock sanitary commission and substi-
tuting a live stock inspector.
About so other bills, mostly of local ma
ture were also messaged to the house
by the governor with the information
that they had been signed.
VIII Quit This Evening.
The house took UP the senate resolu-
ton fixing the time for the cessation
Of the considera ton of bills, and amend
ed the time from 1 o'clock today to
O'Clock.
The assistant sergeant-at-arms Of the
house have presented Sergeant-at-arms
-, +7Tc hot oe