The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-17
Returns to John Madden the
NJ. X. & L. Annual.
SERVANT OF PEOPLE.
Believes He Should Be Faithful
to Pledges.
Democratic bersVOluntarily
Reduce Mileage Allowance.

ta1Ve from Bourbon county. In1s
fact which the railroad attorneys can
put in their pipes and consume at their
leisure.
Mr.. Davis, along with other members
of the house, both Democratic and Re
publican, received yesterday from John
Madden, the Kansas attorney for the
Missouri, Kansas & Texas, an annual
pass good over the company's roads in
Kansas during 1907. This is the letter
which accompanied the pass:
Hon. j. NJ. Davis, House of Represen-
tatives, Topeka, Kan.
Dear Sir:-Herewith annual pass No.
B17S6 good over the lines of the com
accept with the compliments of the
company and the Undersigned.
Kindly acknowledge receipt.
JOHN MADDEN.
General Attorney.
Mr.. Davis reply was as follows:
Mr.. John Madden, General Attorney NJ
K. & T. Ry. Co., Parsons, Kan.
Dear Sir:-Your letter of January IA
at hand and noted. Also the enclosure
of a pass for this year received. 1 en-
you care to make of it. / can not ac-
cept it. I was elected to represent the
people in the legislature. 1 have ship
ped considerab BILE stock over your road
and expect to ship considerable more
and 1 never was the recipient of such
a favor at your hands before. In fact
never have been granted the rights to
which 1 am entitled under the laws of
Kansas, of a return pass for one car
shipments.
You say nothing whatever in youi
letter as to whether you would expect
me to be under obligations to you or
not il I accept the pass, but l take it,
coming as it does when 1 hold a posi-
ton OF trust given me by the people
OF my district that you would expect
some favots or at least less opposition
10 measures which the railroad inter-
ests wish passed if I accepted and used
this pass. 1 promised my people that
If l were elected to the legislature
would neither ask for nor accept rail-
road transportation. I do not refuse II
because / have so much money but be-
cause / believe that it is absolutely nee
essary that the people should be faith
full to the pledges made when asking
for election; and the pledges made by
me in regard to the acceptance of passes
/ have no intention of breaking. L do
not wish to do anything particularly
against the railroads of the state but
do believe that 1 should be free to
work for the interests of all the people,
railroads included and should not be
biased in my judgment. ., as 1 believe |
continued to hold this pass.
Very truly yours.
It is likely that the other Democratic
members of the house will follow Mr..
Davis example, and return their passes
from the katy
1t is understood that the Santa F'e
and other railroads are not sending out
ANIMALS without request for the same
from the members of the legislature.
One of the leading members from south
ern Kansas Republican-stated the
other day that the Santa Fe had sent
him no pass, and that he wouldn't ask
for one. They can take their pass and
go to - with it. was the picturesque
way that member expressed himself.
Cut Down Mileage Allowances.
The house has been treated to the
rather unusual spectacle of members
voluntarily cutting down their mileage |
allowance as made by the committee |
on mileage.
T. ]. Curran of Comanche county, |
chairman of the committee of |
mileage made his report showing the !
number of miles for which each mem |
Der is entitled to collect the per" or 10 |
cents.
It is worthy of note that all the MEM
hers who reduced their own mileage |
were Democrats.
Brown of Harper reduced his from
4SO. which the committee allowed him.
to AGO, thereby handing back to the |
state the sum of SO. Flanagan of De- |
catur reduced his from 720 to 700, which |
cost him $3 McKinnie of Mitchell said I
he was entitled to only 32S miles, in
stead of 3SS. and thereby lost So Nor
gan of Hodgeman announced that he
could only claim legally 620 miles in
stead of 644, which meant a loss to him
of S3. so.
Hendricks of Rawlins confessed tc
the house that by riding across coun-
try 80 miles, he might have saved lit
tie mileage, but that the only way he
could come to Topeka on the train was |
by going around by way of st. Joe. .! /
went by way of st. joe said Mr.. Hen
dricks. "and paid my fare at cents a |
mile all the way. But if the house |
thinks L should draw mileage on the |
basis of the shortest possible route, my |
allowance as reported by the committee |
should be reduced" The house thought |
Mr.. Hendricks was entitled to mileage |
by way of st. Joe.
Craddoclx VIII Get $136.5O.
The largest amount of mileage due |
any one member will be received by /
q. Porter Craddock of the One Hun
dred and Twenty-fifth district, consist |
ins Of stevens and Morton counties. |
c,ra6docx will collect for go miles, or |
a total of $136.50-
Hendricks of Rawlins is second on /
the list with SS4 miles Finley OF /
Cheyenne was allowed $50 miles. |
stone. Bird and Hutcheson of Shaw |
nee got nothing for mileage.
Democrats Cry for Help.
There are so many Democratic I
members in the house this year that
they want the house to allow them an /
additional stenographer and clerk, as
the arrangement last year provided
for only one stenogra pher The mi
nority- have selected Miss Anna Bartel
as their stenographer, and will go be-
fore the rules committee and ask for
inson and Mrs NJ. d. Cohn as their
o5difioual helm One StenORra pher