The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-10
cast, or just one-half vote more than
was absolutely necessary.
In the Senate

This is the way the senators lined up
on the bill when a roll call could be
] taken on it. For it We're: Benson. Car
yer, Dolley, Fulton, Getty, Griffin. Hay
den, Lower, Martin of Bourbon, Noftz-
ger, Porter of Crawford, Porter of Mont
gomery, Quincy, Smith and Waggener.
| Against it We're: Belts, Blaker, Brew
er, Buschow, Caldwell, Chapman, Con-
| ner, Fitzpatrick, Gilbert, Harrison, Has
kell, Hodges. Huffman, Hughes, Mar
| tin of Woodson, Miller, Robertson.
| Simons Stannard, Stewart Stillings
| Tucker, Wilkerson, and Young. Senator
Hamme was absent and therefore did
| not vote.
The bill, which was introduced by
| Senator Quincy yesterday, proposed to
| increase the salaries of the Justices of
| the supreme court from 5000 to S. 900.
! 1t was rushed to a second reading yes
terday on plea of emergency and
was made a special order for considera-
| tion in the committee of the whole this
| morning. A committee of the whole was
tor Young in the chair. AS soon as the
first section of the bill had been read
Senator Simons offered amendment
fixing the salaries at $4,000 instead of
$1,000 and Senator Fitzpatrick started
the debate. He gave the intimation
yesterday that he was entirely opposed
to the proposition. He started off today
by saying that he did not think Senator
Simons amendment should prevail.
That If it was the desire of the senate
to pass the measure, the right thing
ought to be done far as the size of
the salaries were concerned. He admit
ted that $1,000 was little enough for
Kansas to pay its justices of the SUI
preme court. He objected to rushing
the bill through without proper consid-
Grafton. After this first speech of his it
looked as though he had switched on
the debate he took a strong stand
against the measure and Hkened it to
graft" pure and simple.
Speaking to his amendment Senator
faf -O1rIH
agree that the justices were underpaid. !
He insisted that there was not a single |
officer in the service of the state from |
the highest to the lowest, who was get |
ting enough money for his services. He |
did not think, however that the people |
would sanction an increase of 2000 /
but would stand for an increase of ST. |
0oe
Senator Getty expressed the opinion |
that $1,000 was little enough to pay the |
supreme court judges. When their sal |
the population of the state was about |
one-third of what it now is and that |
its wealth was hardly one-half of what |
Senator Gilbert favored the PROPOSE |
tion but did not think it had been |
placed before the people properly. He |
was in favor of passing. the bill in such |
shape that it could be referred to the |
people of the state for their approval.
Senator Dolley favored the increase I
and said that so far as he knew none |
Il.
He would favor a bill giving the chief /
justice of the court from $500 to I
$1,000 more than the other justices.
Common sense. said Senator Tuck
er, would tell everyone that the jus
tices of the court of last resort should
receive at least $4,000 a year. But
there was a question in his mind as
to the wisdom of passing this IegisIa-
ton at the present time.
Senator Hodges, one of the three
Democrats, made ringing speech
against the passage of the measure in
any sort of form. This measure has
reSulted@from the concerted action of
a few railroad attorneys and other
attorneys who are interested in it. 1t
is said that the people favor it. I say
the people do not favor it. Does any
one mean to tell me that a judge can
not live here in Topeka on a salary
of $4,000 year as BELTS his station.
They were elected by the people to
serve for $4,000 salaries and they
looks to me as though they had not
put on a judicial dignity until they put
on their ermine." Senate Hodges
called attention to the fact that a good
a salary as large as the justices. of the
supreme court and that they appar-
emily were able to live on their sala-
ries.
us it not fact" asked Senator
Smith, that the other state officers
indulge in lines of business besides
looking after the duties of their
THAT question is not patent to the
discussion" replied Senator Hodges.
THE justices of the court have no
right to come before the people now
and demand an increase of salaries.
And there is no reason for this lobby
here to rush this bill through in three
or four days.
A vote was then taken on the ST.
mons amendment to fix the salaries at
t. Ice hxy Iva
vote. This left the bill in its original I
form and it looked as though it was ,
going to get the approval of the sem /
ate.
But Senator Fitzgerald moved that :
the committee of the whole report the !
bill to the senate with its enacting
clause stricken out. This would kill t
the bill and another lengthy debate
Porter of Montgomery expressed the
opinion that the bill ought to be act
ed on favorably as matter OF Justice
Senator Stewart thought II was or
equal Importance to raise the salaries
of other state officers but that this was r
an issue which ought to be taken be-
fore the people.
Then Senator Fitzpatrick took the
floor and spoke against the merits of
the entire proposition He was trif1e | d,
b liter in his remarks at times. He said :
that he believed that If the bill was :
enacted into law and was considered I
with the same scrutiny that the court :
had considered other laws, notably the :
oil refinery measure the court would !
declare it to be unconstitutional. He y
said that if it was not for the slip in q
the constitution about the meeting of the :
legislature and the swearing in of the
officers elected at the last election that
legislation of this kind could not be at
tempted
1T is graft pure and simple" he de-
clared. IF we want to graft we should 6
graft ourselves. 1t is graft unadul-
terated and cannot be explained in any
other WAY Ii is Nrnng in rr.inciroIf.