The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-02-08
Senators Fitzpatrick and Gilbert
at Swords Points.
LATTER WAS EXCITED:
Said Chautauqua Man Called
Him q Liar.
Little Fire Eater Didn't Deny
Soft Impeachment.
Brown County Man Snbsided
Without Delivering Blow.

For an instant in the senate cham
Der this morning it seemed as though
one senator was about to make physi-
cal attack on another and the tense
ness of the situation for the moment
was quite as great as it was dramatics
1t was the really only exciting thing
that has occurred since the senate con<
vened five weeks ago.
Senator Gilbert, of Brown, and Sena-
tor Fitzpatrick, of Chautauqua, We're
the actors. These senators have seats
on the front tier next to each other
except for a narrow intervening aisle.
Senator Fitzpatrick was discussing a
resolution introduced by Senator Gill
bert which insisted on excluding from
the floor of the senate chamber all lob
byists for railroads, insurance and 9TH
er corporations. He said that the res
olution sought to put on the senate
records a fact which was not a fact.
With flushed face Senator Gilbert
slowly arose from his chair and with
out asking leave to make an interrupt
ton and while Senator Fitzpatrick was
still talking he said in harsh voice.
trying to call me liar"
Il have a right to discuss this reso-
luton in the manner 1 am pursuing
replied Senator Fitzpatrick, and he
went on talking in the same vein. Sem
ator Gilbert slid back into his seat and
after Senator Fitzpatrick had continued
for perhaps half minute he rose again.
It seemed as though his face would
burst with a rush of blood. He faced
Senator Fitzpatrick who was not arms
length away saying in a husky voice
that was full of emotion:
( rs the senator from Chautauqua
calling me a liar?'
Senator Fitzpatrick stood his ground
and kept on talking, not deigning TO
answer the question. Senator Gilbert
took step towards him and it seemed
TO many In the chamber that he was
on the point of delivering a blow when
he suddenly. turned on his heel and
sank into his seat. He made no fur.
ther outbreaks and the incident was
The resolution which caused this
rather exciting episode was introduced.
by Senator Gilbert yesterday. 1t was
brief and stated in the preamble that
the senate chamber was infested with
lobbyists for railroads. insurance COM
panies and other corporations. Then it
resolution all of these lobbyists should
be kept from the floor of the senate
chamber He called the resolution up
for consideration this morning under
the proper order of business.
Speaking to his resolution, Senator
Gilbert insisted that the rules of the
floor were unusually harsh. He be-
lieved that the floor of the senate
should be opened to the people of the
state, to the constituents of the sena-
tors, the farmers and the like who
came to visit the senators. He said.
however that the rules were not en-
forced except as to the farmers and
the plain people. He had seen in the
chamber time and time again men who
were not farmers, men who were re-
puted on all sides to be lobbyists for
railroads, insurance companies and
other corporations.
'It does not look very good" he
said, when you exclude farmers and
the plain people from the floor of this
chamber and when you do not keep
out the men who are reputed by every
one to be lObbVfsts'
Senator Fitzpatrick then took the
floor and proceeded to give Senator
passes were obtainable for the friends
and constituents of the senators on ap-
plication for them to the lieutenant
governor.
"If the senator from Brown (Gil-
bert) does not want to go to the lieu
tenant governor and ask for these
passes it is unfortunate"
Right here 1t might be well to state
that some days ago Senator Gilbert
was rebuked by the lieutenant gover-
nor and the senate for the use of un-
parliamentary language in his char
acterization of senator.
1.-The senator from Brown might
ask that he alone be excluded from
the operation of the rules of the sem
ate," said Senator Fitzpatrick, land
think such a request would be granted.
But this resolution of his that the
floor of this senate chamber Is infest-
ed with lobbyists who are interfering
fishing to the world as a fact some-
thing that is known to be absolutely
false.
mo statement could be more untrue
or unjust. / am aware and regret 1t
that the senator from Brown has
feeling which prompts him to make a
fuss. 1 regret that 1t has been neces-
sary for the chair to make rulings
which have not pleased him.
That however, Is no justification
for this attempt of his to cucumber
the records of the senate with propo-
sition which If true, would stamp this
body as being lobbyridden. His reso-
luton undertakes to record as a fact
that which is not a fact"
1t was at this point that Senator Gill
bert rose with flushed face and the
dramatic incident, described above.
occurred.
81 have perfect right to discuss
this resolution in this way" Senator
Fitzpatrick went on, land I wish to
enphatical1y state that the business Of
this senate has not been interrupted
or interfered with by anybody who
has been on the floor of this cham ber.
A motion was made by Senator
Robertson that the preamble of the
resolution be stricken out. Senator
WaERener moved that this motion to-
gether with the resolution be laid on
the table. This motion prevailed by
practically a unanimous vote. Sena-
tor Gilbert did not vote one way or
the other on it.