The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-03-06
Many Explanations Accompany
the Record.
TAKES A QUEER TURN
Successful Measure Bears the
Stone Title.
Bill Itself Is One ChampiOned
by Senator Getty.
Only Few Changes From
Original House Bill.

The fight in the legislature for an anti
pass law was settled as far as this ses-
sion is concerned late Tuesday after
noon when the house of representatives
by a vote of 81 to "a declared them
selves in favor of concurring in the
senate amendments to the Stone bill.
ThoCgh the bill passed by the house
bears the name of Robert stone az its
author it mas oeen more often referred
to as the Getty antipass bill by both
branches of the legislature
The bill is almost Identical with the
one introduced early in the session by
Representative Stone in wording ex-
cepting where the senate has amend
ed it. The original bill did not pro-
vide for a local attorney and physician
and surgeon nor did it contemplate
the interchange of passes by the rail-
roads for their employees nor the issu
ing of them to chiefs of police in cities
or the first class, nor to sheriffs. The
bill as amended by the senate includes
these in the favored class.
The bill does not go into effect until
January 1, 1908
The Stone bill went to the senate for
passage AID that body struck out all
but the cnacting clause and substituted
the Getty bill. The senate bill which
had been passed previously was placed
at the bottom of the house calendar
WHeTS II WOulQ nave undoubtedly Q1eG
as 1T required a two-thirds majority
to advance it and the friends Of the
bill could rot muster the required vote.
Taen 1T was that the house tooA
the action which resulted in the pas
sage of the Stone bill when it recalled
its bill AMI amended it and again sent
it across the hall for the concurrence
and passage through the senate. 1t
was then up to the senate to take
action on the house bill and five times
in two days that dignf1ied body revers-
ed itself and H. the meantime the house
awaited impatiently the fate Of it's bill.
Finally the Stone bill escaped from the
senate its authorship ciouded with the
names of numerous senators and COM
mittees but the body of the bill was
the same as that passed by the house
with the exception of the amendments
enumerated in the para graph above.
There were numerous conferences
in the house among the members on
the bill and when it came up before
that body for the concurrence or non
concurrence in the senate amendments
it all but met its fate on numerous oc-
casions. Then Cunning CHAM, who was
one of the leaders of the fight for the
bill in the house resorted to roll calls
and every time that an attempt was
made to advance the bill a roll call
was demanded which placed the mem
bers of the house on record.
This was more than the timid mem
bers could withstand and one by one
they fell in line and finally the friends
of the bill announced that they had all
the support necessary for the passage
of the bill and it was decided to make
the final stand late yesterday after
noon. The opponents of the bill
realized that they had lost and decided
on a filibustering fight in the hope
that the vote on the bill could be stay
ed off for another day hoping that in
the meantime something might hap
pen to change the trend of sentiment.
Lively Time in House.
The bill was messaged from the SEN
ate shortly after it convened at
o clock and Stone of Shawnee moved
it's adoption though the motion was
not put until the enemies of the bill
had exhausted their resources to pre-
vent it. Stone made speech in which
he advocated the adoption of the bill
as amended by the senate and said,
while the bill comes far short of be-
ing such a bill as 1 had hoped to see
passed by this legislature it is vastly
better than no bill at all and 1 think
that we should accept it as a compro-
mise measure. If the bill is sent back
to the senate al this late day there is
but little hope that we will be able
statute books this session..
Hendricks of Rawlins then spoke in
favor of the bill and charged those
opposing it of using unfair tactics to
He said: I'VE have now reached a
point where the vote taken will be a
lest of the members of the house. If
he bill becomes a law ii will take the
passes from your pockets and un-
loubtedly it hurts you. Two years
from now the legislature which will
meet here will come to Topeka with
1ut their pockets filed with passes il
his bill becomes law, but I want to
say that 1 do not believe that more
han half of this house has the back
bone to vote for this bill"
Foley of Rice said: I'VE are either
half whipped or not whipped
1t all and I for one do not think that
We will gain anything by accepting this
bill as it comes to us amended by the
Ienate. I am going to vote against
his bill and 1 hope that every one else
who wants a real antipass bill will do
likewise.
representatives was crowded by lob
1yists who were opposed to the pas
age of the bill but as soon as the vote
passing the bill was taken they van
shed as frost before a warm morning
Jun. acknowledging their defeat
The bill falls short OF being such a
one as the members of the house de-
tired passed and many of those who
Eoted for it did so under protest and
explained their votes while many more
,oted swallowed hard and took the
dill as amended. AS soon as 1T was
decided to attempt the passage of the
bills there was a bolt to the minority
side of the house by the leaders among
he friends of the bill and an attempt
which was only partially successful
made to line up the minority
The bill passed by the house and