The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-01
ANOTHER IS CONE.
Primary Election Pledge Goes
by the Board.
House Refuses to Pass the Com
mittee Measure.
WAS TOO CUMBERSOME.
Document of so Pages Which
Few Understood.
Members Tell Why They Would
Vote for 1t.
WAS TOO CUMBERSOME.

Another Republican platform pledge
went glimmering in the house Tuesday.
The primary election law, a document
OF so pages which few could understand,
was defeated by a vote of 81 to "a, af-
ter the friends of the bill had resorted
to call of the house and every other
means to drum UP enough votes to pass
the bill Instead of increasing their
total, which va. go WHEN the call was
ordered. they lost three votes through
members who switched" and all the
sbsent ses VINO we're brought in voted
no.
1t was one day of the. legislative ses-
sion, utterly wasted. The discussion Of
the primary election bill commenced at
10 O'Clock in the morning, and contin-
ued until $50 inzthss afternoon, with
time out for dinner. Every section of
the bill was taken and punched full
o. nolcs. T 'ere were some spirited de-
bates, and the members seemed to real
~ think that the bill would, in the end
be passed The committee of the whole
recommended the bill for passage and
on motion the house at once put the bill
on third reading and final passage
When the roll call showed that the
friends of the bill lacked only votes
OF having constitutional majority, it
seemed to be certain that the bill would
pass. The doors OF the hail were lock-
ed, and the hunt for absentees COM
on to 81 and the nay vote had increased
to 81. the friends of the bill went into
a stampede, and the call of the house
was raised by a vote of Sc to At.
AS soon as the vote was announced,
w Y Morgan of Reno moved that the
elections committee be instructed to re-
port bill at once providing penalties
for illegal voting at primaries and re-
quiring that the polls be kept open
reasonable length Of time. This motion
carried.
J. w Adams announced a meeting of
the committee on elections for o'clock
The following was the vote on the
final passage Of the bill:
For the bill-Adair, Adams, Archer
Banks, Benson, Bird, Brady, Brandon,
Clarks, COwan. Creech, Croker.
Crumly, Dawson, Farris. Glasscock,
Grass Guyer. Hall, Ham. Haskins.
Husey, Josserand, Kirkland, Leland,
Mcbride. Montee, Murphy, Nelson,
Olhausen, Pawling, Peter, Phenicie,
Potts, Plummer, Pringle, Rhodes,
Roger, Robinett, Roush, Schermer-
horn, Seaver, Simmons, Sourbeer
Stannard, Steckel. Sticher, Stone,
Treadway, Trigg, Warren, White,
Young, Stubbs-57.
Against the bill-Allaman. Barnes
Beekman, BeesOn, Bergman, Boggs.
Br4erley, Brown of Brown, Curran,
Eddy. Elstun, Ewell, Fieser, Fisher,
Goebei, Hackney, Hamersly. Harrison,
L.
the two JOneSes, Lacy. Lander, Lupfer,
McGillivray, Mead, Meagher. Nfiley.
Morgan, Mueller, Myers, Oshant, Oss-
weller Perdue, Peter, Pomeroy.
Plumb, Pralle, Richards, Rochester,
Schmidt, Skinner. Stober. Stout, Tan
nehill. Taylor, Thompson, Turner
West Wilson, Wyckoff-54.
Absences Burke, Dali, Fraser
Holdren, HOwerton, Kerns. Landergin
Matthews, Orr, Policy. Ransom, WEIGH
-12.
The opposition to the bill was
chiefly on the ground that it was en-
tirely too cumbersome for practical
purposes The members seemed to
feel that 1t was too complicated for
ordinary people to understand. It
proposed too many radical changes in
the present system The principal
trouble with Kansas elections now is
that there is too much law on the sub
1ect- Somebody ought to be appoint
ed to put the election laws into
English so that people will under
stand them, and so that it will not be
necessary to pass so pages of addi-
tional election laws every time the
legislature meets
There were some pointed remarks
made when the bill was on final pas
sage and the members were explain
ing their votes.
ALBANIAN of Atchison said Under
some conditions new primary cleo
ton law would be a good thing. But
this proposed law will be a very ex-
pensive change. and do not believe
that It VIII help any political party
very materially"
Bergman Of Clark: t am in favor of
s law which gives US a direct vote in
the primaries. 7 don't like the plan
proposed in this law