The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-12-08
WHAT A BATTLE
Street Naming Question Stirs
Up the Councilmen.
Tradition and Sentiment Isn't
Cast to the Winds.
BIG LOBBY PRESENT.
LOBBY PRESENT.
There to Protest Against Pro-
posed Changes.
Another Effort Will Be Made to,
Straighten Out Tangle.

The street naming proposition be-
fore the city council is getting to be a
serious joke. Ever since the matter
was suggested not long ago the council
has wasted on an average of two hours
a meeting over it and the special COM
mittee appointed for it's infringement
has spent hours and days in an at
tempt to satisfy the majority of the
people and still maintain the street
naming system used by the city.
But it was proved at the council
meeting last night that the matter was
too important to trifie with and citi-
zens all over the city were UP in arms
over the thing. When the mayor Sug-
gested that the street naming question
be brought before the council last
night the council chamber was crowd
ed with residents of the streets in
question. Every man and every wo-
man had a speech up his or her sleeve
and if it wasn't for the excellent fore
sight and executive ability of the time
fighting mayor the council would have
been in session this morning and over
the same old fight.
The whole trouble with the street
naming changes in Topeka is that the
people are too selfish about the dis
trict in which they live. Half of the
proposed changes are opposed by a
petition which borders upon some
landmark or sentiment and when the
signers back their petition by WIN
ming over their councilmen and trying
to spread a wave of passion over the
business men in the council it makes
matters all the worse. Last night
there were tear-inSpiring speeches and
speeches that lacked everything put
sentiment and beautifully constructed
sentences. Some people resort to this
for their armor and the committee
which made its final report resorted
to a month of actual chasing about the
city and studying every situation.
However, the city council is as much
to blame as any of the petitioners for
the delay in settlement. For instance,
last night members of the council took
the floor and repudiated their own
committee-and still they complained
because the matter was not settled and
because it took time.
But there was the humorous side to
last night. c. H. Kutz was the big
hero of the masses. When he had
acquired the floor last night the peo-
pie sat behind him in breathless
silence. Then in fowery language
sprinkled with the tears of past in
spirations the councilman-orator COM
menced When the flow had ceased it
was found by a series of boilings and
siftings that Mr.. Kutz had made the
following remarks: Lets not rename
our streets" Mr.. Kutz gave as one of
his arguments that if the council
changed the name of one street all
the people in the city would holler
about their streets and before the
council could turn around the whole
city would be up in arms. He also
suggested that the council heed the
landmarks and not follow the advice
of the whole community. When he
waved his arms and expostulated,
what is Emporia to Topeka?" the
visitors went wild and he was applaud
ed time and time again. National
patriotism seems to be but minor
matter to Mr.. Kutz. He said during
the Grafton. what do we care about