The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-04
THE sPEAKERsHIP.


that there is to be a struggle between
the interests of the people and the in
terests of the corporations, and it is
important that the speaker of the
house should incline towards the peo-
pie rather than towards the corpora
tions. The speaker has almost auto
cratic power. He names the commit
tees by which legislation is framed or
suppressed. His. influence counts for
much in securing the passage or de-
feat of measure. It is the speaker
who, towards the end of the session,
determines what measures shall be
pushed forward and which ones shall
be left to die upon the calendar. He
does it by his control of the commit
tee that revises the calendar.
If the interests of the people are to
therefore important that the speaker
shall be on the side of the people.
There are now three prominent
candidates for speaker of the house
]. S. Simmons. of Lane county; Cyrus
Leland, of Doniphan; and C. S. STAN
nard of Lyon. ]. S. Creech. of Dick
inson. is also a candidate. but it IS
not anticipated that his candidacy will
last long.
1t is generally conceded that the
corporation interests are behind Mr..
Simmons. Not only are the railroads
favorable to his candidacy. but D. w.
Mulvane, T. T. Kelly. and what rs
known as the old Seventh district ma
chine, are active in his behalf.
Unless he has recently resigned, Mr..
Simmons is also the local attorney for
the Missouri Pacific railroad in his
region. Now it is no crime to be a
railroad attorney. Many railroad at
torney is honest and conscientious, and
the fact that he is retained by the rail-
road is nothing against Mr.. Simmons
as man and a private citizen. But
when the interests OF the railroad are
involved it would be only natural for
him to see things from the railroads
standpoint and to act accordingly.
There is certain important legisla-
ton to come up this winter, a part or
which was embodied in the Square
Deal questions, promulgated during
the campaign. On July 10 last, the
State Journal published an interview
with Mr.. Simmons relative to these
matters. When asked what he pro-
posed to do about the Square Deal
questions he replied:
81 have done all propose to do. I
drafted the plank favoring the anti
pass law which was adopted at our
county convention. and I will run on
that platform. The plat
form is silent on the subject of pri-
mary elections. Our part of the state is
not inclined to favor that proposition.
The plank declares for an anti-pasS
law of reasonable stringency. and
pledges us to careful investigation or
the twO-cent fare idea"
This evidently means that Mr.. Sim
mons is opposed to the primary cleo
ton on lowering railroad fares, bur
that he is for an ant-pass law "of
reasonable stringency." "a careful in
vestigation of the two-cent fare idea'-
does not mean anything. The rail-
roads do not care how much the legis-
lature investigates, If it doesn't pass
q law on the subject.
Personally. Mr.. Simmons bears
good reputation, and were it not for
his corporation alignment and his
support. and the further
fact that most of the Curtis boosters
and the old Burton followers are behind
him, his candidacy would not be so
Objectionable.
The Square Deal and anti-corpora-
ton elements are divided between
Mr.. Leland and Mr.. Stannard. Both
declared for the Square Deal PROPOSE
tons right after they were nominated.
Mr.. Leland is an old hand at politics
and he knows the game thoroughly.
He has made enemies, of course, and
it was some of the old boss buster ele- /
ment that is in favor of the Square
Deal propositions but that still bears
little animosity to Mr.. Leland. that
brought out Stannard for speaker.
Mr.. Leland is a business man of
wide experience. Mr.. Stannard is the
owner of the largest fine stock farm in |
This part of the country. and he is also !
a large dealer in crude oil. No sus- |
picion of corporation control attaches |
10 him. Mr.. Simmons is a lawyer and |
banker.
The State Journal does not place |
much weight on the question of To-
,ality as a rule. but if locality is to |
inter into the speakership contest It |
ought to count against Simmons. The |
presiding officer of the senate comes |
from almost an adjoining county, |
Ford; and to have the directing pow
western Kansas seems like punching
matters, Notwithstanding the great ca
abilities of that section.
A GOOD WAY NOT TO DO.