The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-09
Senator W.. 8. Fitzpatrick Leads
the Fight.
IN TOO MUCH HASTE.
Measure Should Not Be Rail-
rOaded In Legislature.
Senator Getty Makes Spirited
Reply for Measure.


pay of the justices of the supreme
court will not have easy sailing on its
passage through the senate was evil
denced this morning, as soon as that
body got down to the business of the
| second day of the session. There was
a fight on the proposition from the
very drop of the hat and it was led by
Senator w. S. Fitzpatrick, who has
| been elected president pro tenn of the
senate and in that capacity is supposed
to be the leader of the Republicans.
An apparent effort was made to rush
the bill increasing the justices salaries
/ through to final passage under an ''em-
ergency,'' but Senator Fitzpatrick sue
| ceeded in blocking this course and it
will be considered as special order to-
morrow morning.
| Almost as soon as the senate conven-
ed, and this was not until after 10:30
| o'clock, the introduction of bills was in
order and Senator Quincy of Saline,
was among the first to get recognition
for this purpose. He introduced the
justices salary bill. 1t increases the
pay of the justices of the supreme court
| from $1,000 to $4,000.
| When the title of the bill had been
read Senator Quincy moved that in
view of the ''emergency'' which existed
on this measure that the rules be sus-
pended and the bill have it's second
reading. Somebody objected and a viva
| voce vote showed such a volume Of
noes" that division was called for.
A rising vote, after the noses had been
counted, was announced as Is for the
motion and II against it, The bill was
then given a second reading, and when
this had been concluded, Senator Quincy
renewed his emergency plea and moved
! that the bill have it's third reading.
Senator Fitzpatrick was on his feet
before the entire motion had been ut
tered by Senator Quincy. He started
off by saying that the time was not
ripe to discuss the merits of the meas
ure but before he got through he gave
his ideas on the subject in a rather Wig
orous fashion. He characterized the
effort to hasten the passage of the
measure as a piece of Unnecessary
railroading.''
He contended that the legislature
would never have had the power to
pass such legislation under existing
conditions if it had not been for a slip
in the constitution which allowed the
legislature to be in session before the
state officers elected at the last gen
eral election were inducted into office.
can attempt to railroad through
such bill as this should not be coun-
tenanced," said Mr. Fitzpatrick. mo
intimation that the salaries Of the su-
preme court justices were to be raised
was given to the people prior to cleo
tices who ran for office are under a
contract and agreement with the peo-
pie of this state to serve out their
terms of office for which they were
elected under the salaries that prevail
ed at the time they took their nomina-
tions.' He concluded by saying that he
did not think the people of Kansas as
a whole favored legislation of this
sort.
Senator Getty replied to Senator
ri he 1nf
catch the logic of his argument. He
added that every man in the state
knew that the matter had been agitat-
ed for months. He said that the peo-
pie of Kansas ought to be able and
willing to pay the justices of the SUI
preme court reasonable salary, sal
ary which would be commensurate.
with their abilities and services, a SAL
ary which would permit Kansas to
keep on the supreme bench men
whose services as lawyers are in de-
mand at much larger salaries by cor
porate interests.
Are the people of this state so pic
ayunish," he asked. so small, that they
for their services in the supreme court
as to make the places attractive to
them and keep them in the service of
the state?
worth $4,000 to the Santa Fe as a law
yer, his services to the state of Kan
sas ought to be worth considerably
more than $1,000 year"
Senator Porter, of Montgomery,
thought that there was no need of un-
usual haste in acting on this measure
and suggested that it be referred to
the judiciary committee, under instruc
tions that the committee report it to the
senate within day or two.
Senator Waggener declared that the
proposition of increasing the Justices
paw was not a new one. When he was
in the house of representatives in 1893
he introduced similar measure and
that it passed that body but failed of
paSsa ge in the senate. He recalled the
fact that Justice Horton was another
lawyer to resign from the supreme
court to take position with a corpora
ton He suggested that the bill be |
made a special order in general orders |
for tomorrow morning at ten o'clock. |
This suggestion was agreeable to Sem
ator Quincy and he withdrew his mo- |
ton for the immediate third reading |
of the bill Senator Waggener's motion |
then prevailed. !
AS soon as this matter had been dis |
posed of Senator F. Dumont Smith in |
troduced a bill increasing the pay of the |
judges of the district court from $500 i
a wear to $500. On his motion the bill |
had it's second reading and then the |
same disposition was made of it as |
had been done with the Quincy bill and |
1T will have special consideration to- !
morrow.
troduced Senator Do1ley offered reso- |
luton making the committee on en- |
ployes of which I d. Young Is chair |
man. and which was appointed by the |
Republicans in caucus, permanent |
special committee of the senate to look |
session. The resolution was adopted |
Senator Young then reported from