The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-10
SENATE SAYS, NO
Defeats Bill to Raise Salary Of
Judges.
Mr. Fitzpatrick Leads the Ants
to Victory.
VOTE IS ONE SIDED.
Follows a Lively Debate on the
Question.
Senator Getty Takes Up Cudgel
for the Judges.
HOUSE DOES BETTER.
Passes the Bill by Bare
Majority.
Provides for 81 900 for Supreme
Court Judges.
HOUSE DOES BETTER.
Passes the Bill by a Bare
Majority.
Provides for 81, 900 for Supreme
Court Judges.

BY a vote of "a to Is the senate this
morning killed the bill increasing the
salaries of the supreme court justices
from $4,000 to $1,000 a year.
At the same time this was going on,
the house of representatives in whip
ping finish, passed by a vote of 6S to So
the bill increasing the salaries from sS,-
600 to $4,000 and increasing district
judge salaries from s., 500 to $4,000.
The house bill will now go to the sem
ate, and the friends of the measure hope
that in the form adopted by the house,
st will be swallowed" by the senator's
1t is claimed that the district court
rider. which came mighty near killing
the bill in the house, will help pull 1t
through in the senate.
The bill in the form it was finally
passed by the house was exactly the
same as it came from the committee OF
the whole. 1t is as follows:
Section l. Each justice of the su-
preme court shall receive for his SER
vices the sum of four thousand dollars
per annum.
sec. 2 Judges of the district and
their salaries the sum of three thousand
dollars per annum, payable in quarter
ly installments.
Sec g. This act shall take effect
the official state paper"
The bill was made a special order for
IL o'clock in the house, and promptly at
the time set. the war broke out Sec
tion one of the bill was passed without
opposition.
c. F. Foley of Rice county, a Demo-
craft then presented substitute for
section 2 Mr.. Foley's substitute was
intended to help the district judges who
now have to travel a good deal to reach
the various places where the law re-
quires them to hold court, and also the
district judges who have exceptionally
heavy work 1t provided that the salary
of district Judges shall remain at 81, 800,
but that when a district judge holds
court more than 120 days a year, he
shall receive So for each extra day This
would help the judges in the districts
where work is heavy For the benefit
of the travelling" judges. it was pro-
Vided that the state should pay all their
travelling expenses while on the road
provided the judges do not use free
passes. The judge was required to file
a sworn statement of his expenses with
the state auditor in order to collect his
expense money.
There was a storm of opposition to
this amendment. w. B. Ham of
Rocks read some law which indicated
that such an amendment would be un-
constitutional. G. a. Stannard of
Lyon. ]. w. Bergman of Clark, W.
w. Gordon of Wyandotte, ]. d. Flant-
gan of Decatur and others spoke
against the amendment on the ground
that it would be undignif1ed to treat
judges like commercial travellers, and
compel them to file expense accounts.
It was urged that the amendment
would afford a graft" for dishonest
Judges and not be of much benefit to
honest ones
When Foley's amendment came to
vote, it was showed under, not sin
gle vote being cast for it. though at
-
the bill, had stated that he had no
objection to it.
Then came the vote on the passage
of the bill When the call was finish
vor of the bill to pass it. Stone de-
manded call OF the house-the sec
ond during the session. The doors
were locked, andSin a few minutes a
couple more votes were found for the
bill.
Orc Legislator Baked.
Just at this stage of the game pc
Morgan o. Hodgeman-the Billy
Morgan H. of the house-refused to
vote.
1.-The people in my county" said
Morgan "are bitterly opposed to the
first section of the bill increasing the
pay of supreme court judges They
are in favor of increa sing district court
salaries. Therefore I don't know how
to vote on this DILL ask to be passed"
Its too late for that replied
Epeak ker Pro tenn Cunningham. "a call
Of the house is en-. and you can't be
excused without the consent OF the
house"
dozen members made a rush for
Morgan and tried to line him up. The
north side of the hall was in confusion,
and everybody was talking at once,
while the speaker kept up a constant
din with his gaNel. trying to restore
order.
u move that the gentleman be ex-
cused from voting" shouted Robert
Stone.
The motion was put. and defeated
by a decisive vote.
"You'n have to vote said Cunning
ham to Morgan.
Does the speaker rule that must
vote ?" demanded Morgan.
THAT is the will of the house." re-
piled the speaker.
s'Well. If 1 must vote. I'll vote no.
and Morgan banged his fist down on
his desk emphatically.
Morgan is in Judge c. E. Lobdell-s
district. and though Lobdel is a Re
publican, the Democrats all like him.
When the call of the house was fin
ally raised. w. F. Peter of Riley coun- |
~ cast the deciding vote for the bill. IT
received SO votes out of a total of 122