The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-02-17
CLASH IN HOUSE.
Mr.. Robinett Swears at Repre-
sentative Trigg.
Afterward Makes Public Apology
for His Act.
A SEPARATE SCHOOL.
Kansas City Would Have One
for Negroes.
Measure Passes the House by
Close Vote.
SEPARATE SCHOOL.

This morning the house passed the
bill allowing Kansas City, Kan, to
build separate high school for negro
children, by a vote of IS to %. This
was only two more than constitu-
tional majority.
The fight over the bill brought
about a clash of a personal
nature between E. K. Robinett of
Kansas City, author of the bill, and w.
A. Trigg of Anderson county. Robi-
nett addressed a profane remark to
Trigg, and Trigg complained to the
house. The members of the house
were just about to go after Mr.. Robi-
nett and punish him for his indis-
erection when he publicly apologized
to Mr.. Trigg.
The people of Kansas City demand
immediate action on their bill. This
morning Mr.. Robinett succeeded in
having the house take up his bill for
third reading as an emergency
Senator Getty and Representative
Glasscock of Kansas City are not sup
porting the bill with as much enthus-
iasrn as is Mr.. Robinett.
When the question came to a vote,
Mr.. Tr1gg said in explaining his vote:
This is the entering wedge for
general separation of white and COL
ored students. This whole thing grew
out of a scrap which some colored and
WAAllC Joys HdQ over a DdSeDaIl game.
in which. have been told, the white
boys by their domineering attitude
drove the colored boys to defend
themselves. In the fight which fol-
lowed, boy was, unfortunately,
killed. This is what started all this
trouble, and / shall have to vote no."
After the vote had been announced,
Mr. Robinett stepped back to Mr..
Trigg and said:
THAT was a - cowardIy trick of
yours"
Trigg made no reply, but rose and
said:
''The gentleman from Wyandotte has
Just addressed remark to me which
1 do not care to repeat to this house.
because | do not use that kind of
Mr.. Simmons of Lane, who sits just
behind Mr.. Trigg, jumped up and
said:
81 am not afraid to tell what the
gentleman from Wyandotte said.
coWardly trick and I consider it an
insult that the gentleman should adj
dress such a remark to an old man
like Mr.. Trigg."
In few minutes a number of the
menbeEs gathered around Mr.. Trigg
and talked of reconsidering Robinett's
bill and knocking it out ..a....----
Mr.. Robinett approached MI. Trigg
and offered him an apology.
You will have to make that
apology publicly before this house.
bring it up in the form of a resolu-
ton"
'All right" said Robinett, "In
make it publicly, and that's more than
you would do"
Mr.. Robinett then rose to question Of
personal privilege and said:
I'm the heat of the argument I made
a remark to Mr.. Trigg which 1 regret,
and for which I apologize. I have
known Mr.. Trigg for 16 years and I
would not have said this had 1 stopped
to think
This closed the diplomatic incident
which was the nearest to a personal
clash which the house has approached
this session.
In speaking on the bill. S. S. Glass
cock of Kansas City, said:
There is a peculiar condition in our
city. We have about 100 colored pupils
in our high school. AS understand the
plan is to give the colored people a
manual training high school with good
advantages. I am opposed to such
things on general principles, but it is