The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-02-07
Miners Make Public Names Of
Legislative Enemies.
Involve Treasurer Kelly and the
Late Mr. DeVIin.
THE INSPECTOR BILL.
Explain Why 1t Failed to Be-
come a Law.
Refuse to Give Out Text of the
Report.

Another legislative blacklist has
been sprung; this time by the State
Society of Mines. The document was
presented to the society at the session
of the convention Tuesday afternoon,
and includes such names as Senator's
Noftzger, Benedict, Porter. and Rep
resentatives Mcbride. Rochester, Ala
man, Glasscock, Josserand, and
Pringle.
The report was made by J. T. Stew
art. chairman of the committee on
legislation, which spent the whole
session In Topeka working for the
passage of labor bills. The other
members of the committee were Hugh
Monahan OF Crawford and Oscar
White Of Usage.
A sharp fight was developed during
the discussion of the report by the
charge made that the committee had
betrayed the society into the hands
of its enemies by cOnsenting to the
amendment of the double entry bill
This bill as introduced required all
mines of certain depth to have two
entries for the safety of the miners.
An amendment was allowed to go
through providing that the bill should
not go into effect for two years. Some
of the members of the society charged
that this deal had been engineered by
the operators" and that there had
been some mysterious influence
brought to bear on the committee.
Mix Up Kelly and DevIin.
Charges were made in the report
against Tom Kelly, state treasurer, and
c. j. Devlin. Devlin was the leading
operator of the state, and was vitality
interested in fighting some OF the bills
presented by the miners. He seemed
to have used Tom Kelly to do the bulk
of the work for him. In several places
in the report Devlin's name is used, and
limitations are made distinctly uncOm-
plimentary to him. These parts of the
report the committee would not allow
to be published. They said they did not
want to reflect on the character of a
dead man. The following is a portion
of the report.
Estate Treasurer Kelly and c. J.
Devlin were very busy all day among
the senators at their desks and in the
ante rooms, it was said working for
an appropriation to some charitable
institution but in reality were working
for the defeat of house bill No. so, the
mine inspector bill as some of the
senators approached told US. Senator
Noftzer of Harper led the fight
against the bill, ably seconded by
Senator Benedict of Wilson. Noftzer
moved and Benedict seconded all kinds
of ridiculous amendments. Notwith-
standing the noble efforts made for the
bill BY Senator StillingS of IseaVen-
worth, Huffman of Cherokee. Miller of
Usage, Stewart of Sedgwick, and few
others. Senator Porter seemed so busy
at this time with his normal school
bill that he was not available for any
useful work.
'tIn both the house and senate there
We're many good and straightforward
men who were willing to aid Us in any
way they could but as a rule they were
not thoroughly posted on the argu-
ments produced against US
Among our most interruptions op-
ponents in the house were Mcbride of
Jewell Rochester of Scott, ALBANIAN of
Atchison, Glasscock of Wyandotte.
JOsserand of Gray and others not
worth mentioning. From the mining
counties we may mention the fact that
Hussey of Usage. Meagher. Phenecie
and Ohlhouseu of Leavenworth, Mon
tee and Fisher of Crawford. Hulett of
Bourbon, Cowan and Schermerhorn of
Cherokee did their best for the passage
of our measures. We can not com
mend Pringle who endangered the
passage at a critical time of the double
entry BILL