The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-02-20
FLAW is FOUND.
Important Point In Primary
Law Overlooked.
No Provision Is Made for the
Cities.
HELPS PARTY MACHINE
Would ReestabIish the Old
County Convention.
1t Is Proposed, However, to
Have Regulations.
HELPS PARTY MACHINE

A~J EAAAAAcAAy CACCLAOn law WHICH mas De6I
Introduced in the house or representa-
tives as IN official administration meas
ure. 1t makes no provision whatever
for city primaries.
Several meetings have been held by
members of the legislature representing
the leading cities of the state. and a
new section has been drafted which will
be presented to the legislature as an
amendment to the BeardsIey bill The
plan is to enable cities to continue to
hold their primaries as they do at
present, by the Crawford county sys-
tenn of primaries.
The Beardsley law was drafted by a
lawyer named Beardsley from Russell,
who has a job in J. r. Burrows office
1t is a peculiar sort Of a combination Of
the Crawford county system and the
convention system Apparently, the
administration" has tried to fix up
something which would satisfy both the
convention crowd and the Crawford
system is merely to give the people a
chance to vote for candidates in the
primary just as they vote IN the final
election. The political fxers do not like
this system as we'll, because it requires
more work for less certainty of re-
turns.
Under the proposed law, a primary
election is held in each township of the
county, at which the people not only
vote for the candidates for county Off
ces. but also vote for township dele
gate The township delegate goes to
the county convention pledged to vote
for the candidates who are declared to
have carried his township. He is not
really bound to vote for these candi-
dates. but he knows what his people
want. and is pretty liable to follow in
structions. it is thought.
The county convention is the source
of all the power Of the party machine.
Through the county convention dele
gates to other conventions are selected.
and the party machine is thereby put in
motion.
This system of giving each township
one delegate of equal power with all
other delegates is likely to stir up a big
fight, and there is a strong prospect
that the bill will be defeated for this
reason It means that every township
has equal authority with every other
township, regardless of the populat ton.
The little township cuts just as much
figure in the county convention as the
big township It is a measure which
ought to be received with favor by the
small townships.
It is rather an amusing circumstance
that from the Official primary election
bill the author should omit such an i'm
portant feature as the primary elections
for cities. 1t seems he became so much
involved with the intricate details of
his curious bifurcated system that he
completely forgot that there were such
things as city primaries
Passed Anti-Cigarette Bill.
Judge A r Clark persuaded the
house on Saturday afternoon that his
anti-cigarette bill is good thing, and
the house recommended the measure
for passage in committee of the whole.
The bill prohibits the sale of tobacco !
or cigarettes, or the giving of cigar
cite papers to all minors under p years
of age.
The committee on health and hygiene |
cd Tfrr7if he at
Is years instead of 81
Judge Clark said to the house mem
bers: IF you keep a boy from smoking
cigarettes until he is q. it IS my ex-
perience that he never will smoke them. |
You have just about saved him from
danger. If. on the other hand, he
smokes cigarettes until he is II, he is
probably on the highway to other forms |
of vice I would like to drive cigar
cites out of the state altogether if I
could. But as 1 can't do that. say, |
don't let the boy begin to smoke the |
things until he becomes a man, and
then the chances are that he will never
begin The principal change in the pro- /
posed law is that it prohibits the Civ /
ing away of cigarette papers. The boy |
could buy tobacco, and the dealer would |
give him some cigarette papers"
Worked in Committee
Nearly all day Saturday the house !
worked in committee of the whole, |
cleaning up the calendar. Saturday at
fernoon the Following inDortant hills
were acted upon:
Pringle's bill allowing militiamen to
be admitted to the Soldiers home. pro-
yided there is room for them without |
crowding out enlisted soldiers.
Stones bill providing for annual re- |
ports of the state labor commissioned. /
Holdren's bill authorizing county 4
commissioners to offer reward for the \
apprehension of persons unlawfully /
killing fish.
Pringle's bill appropriating $1,000 to
n inc
the Santa Fe trail
state Packing House Bill.
When the Brandon bill providing for
the adjustment of a state packing /
house was reached, Mr. Brandon arose
and said
I have about come to the conclu-
sion that the use of Is of our convicts /
at the state oil refinery will run the /
win not be enough to run my packing |
house Therefore am willing that my /
bill should go over"
The Brandon bill is one of the bills
which was introduced for the purpose /
Of having fun with the state refinery I
proposition
Judge Benson has introduced in the
house the senate bill providing for the |
taxation of pipe lines. 1t also provides /
for the taxation of telegraph and tele- 1
phone lines. and puts them all under /
the same board The bill was by con- /
sent OF the assessment and taxation
committee referred to Judge Benson's
committee on judiciary, together with |
house bill 2e0 which also relates to tax |
alton of pipe lines.
New Duties for Sheriff.
T. e. Adair, of Chautauqua this
morning introduced a bill which abol- !
ishes the board Of live stock sanitary |
commissioners and makes it the duty |
OF the sheriffs of the various counties |
OF the state the officers to execute the /
live stock sanitary rules. The sheriff |
IS given authority to make investiga-
tons, establish quarantine, and call on
veterinary surgeon of State Agricul-