The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-03-02
Senate Again Reverses Itself
on Pass Question.
Stringent Bill by Wysndotte
Senator Is Adopted.
BELTS STOOD ALONE.
Shawnee Senator Only Oppon-
ent of Measure at Close.
Fitzpatrick's Brilliant Parlis =
mentary Battle in Opposition.

! After having reversed itself five
times in two days, the Kansas state
senate on Friday afternoon passed the
Getty antipass law by vote of S9 to
1, and reached the end of one of the
most remarkable and spectacular
struggles ever witnessed in the KAN
sas legislature. Senator Belts, sena-
tor from Shawnee, was the only man
| in the entire railroad crowd, who had
the nerve to stand by his guns, and
vote against the antipass bill to the
| bitter end.
The struggle was a battle between.
| the foremost parliamentary and politi-
cal generals of the state. Senator's
Fred Dumont Smith and James F.
| Getty led the forces of the antipaSS
crowd. Smith, resourceful and we'll
posted, selected the points of attack
and devised methods of defense, while
Getty. a natural born 1oor-hghter.
waved his oratorical sword and shout
ed for enemies of the free pass to fol-
low him into the conflict.
! For the other crowd, the recognized
leader was Senator Fitzpatrick. Twice
when it seemed that the free pass was
doomed, it was Fitzpatrick who rallied
| the forces, and spurred them on to
another tussle. But sometimes
| happens in great campaigns, there was
! jealousy between the generals. 1t is
said that something of this sort start
ed the break in the Fitzpatrick army.
After the battle seemed to be over.
crowd to do but gather up the spoils.
there arose a difference of opinion be-
| tween Senators Fitzpatrick and Noftz-
ger Fitzpatrick refused to yield to
| Noftzger on little parliamentary
point; NoftZger was dissat isfled, and
on the ballot which followed he
switched his vote to the Getty crowd.
and marched in the triumphant army
of the antipass supporters as they re-
occupied the field from which they had
| been driven. and crushed the Fitzpat-
trick battalions under the final vote Of
| SO to 1.
] 1t was a hard jolt for the nervy
and persistent little fighter from Chau-
| tauqua county when, on the roll call
where the test vote came. he saw his
| friends deserving him. Caldwell was
the first to go; then Fulton and Gil
bert voted against him. Hayden and
Huffman, upon whom he had counted,
Noftzger himself deserted his old lead
er, and Joined forces with the square
| Dealers
And through it all, Fitzpatrick. lean
ing back in his swivel chair, smiled.
and smoked a big cigar. and only the
| tense muscles of his tight clenched
fist showed the kind of emotions which
We're raging within him. GE
A Two Days Fight.
| The fight in the senate on the anti
pass bill opened up Thursday morning.
Up until noon of Thursday, everything
indicated that the friends of the anti
pass
expectedly easy victory. The senate
railroad committee bill, which was
practically the same as the Stone bill
in the house, was apparently sure to
pass.
Fitzpatrick the leader of the opp
sition. rallied his forces during the
noon hour. When the senate met at 2
o'clock, he was back his feet, AMI
his supporters were ready to stand by
him. He had his barricade built. and
he stopped the further progress of the
anti-pass fighters. He had further
consideration of the whole proposition
put over for 20 hours. He also had the
railroad committee instructed to draft
entirely new antipass bill, on plans
and specifications furnished by himself.
Friday morning Fitzpatrick was
ready for the hght.vsHe had subst
tute ready for hesrailroad COMMITTEES
bill, and Senator Porter introduced II.
Certain cliangas had been made in tho
railroad commit teesfbill by its friends,
and these changes were embodied in "A
new bill presented by Senator Getty.
Throughout the morning the fight
ragged between the Porter and Getty
bills, and the result was that by
vote of Is TO II, the Porter bill was
knocked out, and the Getty bill sub
stituted.
Was Parliamentary Skirnlish.
Fitzpatrick was beaten again, but
he recognized that it was only by one
vote. and that five senators were alb
sent. He commenced to play for a re-
consideration. Clever parliamentarian
that he was. he hunted for a flaw in
the proceedings upon which, to base a
point of order. and finally found what
he wanted. At the afternoon session.
he induced his supporters to override
the chairman. and sustain his point of
order wiping out all the proceedings
of the morning. The senators were
about talked out. They were ready to
vote. They quickly substituted the
Porter bill for the Getty bill, and re-
ported the Porter bill for passage.
Fitzpatrick was on top, and'apparent-
" there was no possibility of dislodg
that the antioass crowd was irretriev-
ably and finally beaten.
Square Dealers Gave 1t Up.
The square deal crowd gave up the
fight, and many of them took no part
in the discussion which followed the
amendments to the Porter bill
The friends of the Porter bill were
allowed to make any amendments they
pleased. senator Waggener made one
amendment providing that any public
officer accepting a free pass should
upon eonViction forfeit his Office. Sem
ator Getty moved that all after the
the following substituted:
From and after this date 1t is law
full for any railroad to give free trans
portation to any person or persons
that they may be able to use, either in
politics or business"
This amendment was received with
a burst of laughter and applause from
the crowded balconies and Hobbies.
The crowd was with the square deal
ers." Senator Quincy of Salina also
had an amendment TO offer. 1t was