The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-12-28
Chairman DOlley Is Enthusiastic
Over the Primary Law.
Glad That Senatorial Question
Has Been Disposed Of.
TRAVIS is A REFORMER
lola Senator Wants Initiative
and Referendum Submitted.
Getty Milton Contest Being
Pushed in WyandOtte.

State Committee Chairman j. n.
DoIley, while in the city Saturday,
spoke of the published opinions of
many of the members of the next leg
islature in which the large majority
/ declared themselves as favoring pro-
gressive legislation and carrying out
the pledges of the Republican party
platform. Mr. Dolley is looking for.
ward with confidence to a successful
session at which all important state
questions will be fairly and inteni-
gently discussed and disposed of to
the satisfaction of a large majority of
the people of the state.
Mr.. Dolley ascribes the credit to the
primary law for the auspicious pros
poets for the next legislature. I'm
stead of spending the first month of
( the session wrangling over the selec-
tion of a United States senator and
being torn and rent by factions after
that matter has been disposed Of"
said Mr.. Dolley, the Legislature will
at once get down TO the business for
which it was assembled to transact.
Nothing so engenders political fac
/ ton the distribution of patronage.
| The legislature is law making body
and has no business in the conduct OF
a pie counter, which latter occupation
detracts just that much from it's ef,
! fectiveness. Kansas legislators, in the
old days made merry war over the Of
fees of senator and state printer and
the winners reaped a harvest from the
patronage of the first named office.
! Il do not believe that any one viii
dispute the advantages named in hav--
ing the primary law wipe clear the
patronage slate before the legislature
! assem- bles. The members are now dis
cussing laws. good and bad instead
/ of appointments. and the state, not the
Individual, will reap the advantage of
this attention to the states needs"
A strange coincidence lies in the
fact that F. H. Stannard of Ottawa,
| representative-elect from the Fif-
teenth district was in the senate at
the last session. while G.. A. Stannard
of Emporia, state senator-elect from
the Twenty-feurth district, was in the
house of representatives at the last
term. The two STANDARDS have
changed places from the west to the
east wing of the second floor of the
capitol building. that is all.
H. w. Avery of Wakefield. clay
county senator-elect from the twenty
second district, was in Topeka look
ing for rooms during the next ses-
sion. He is a young man and a new
member, but he refused to be inter-
viewed on prospective legislation.
That he has some measures he will
introduce at the next session Mr..
Avery did not deny but he refused to
commit himself on old or new legisla-
ton. He is prudent as was
D'Artagnan when the Gascon plunged
into the court intrigues of Paris and
fought for the king against Cardinal
Richelieu.
1t is said that Senator Frank L.
Travis of lola is preparing a resolu-
ton to introduce at the next session
of the legislature to submit the matter
of the initiative and referendum to
= 80.
is framed largely on the plan of the
Oregon measure. Senators Arson S.
Cooke, w. NJ. Moore and Fred Rob
ertson have stated their advocacy OF
the system and it is reported that
Senator VIM. Glenn is giving the mat
ter friendly consideration. At least
a dozen members of the lower house
are known to openly favor this plan.
lust because Fred Robertson. of At
wood, state senator of the Thirty-ninth
district, the second largest in the state
and composed of 13 counties, beat Will
lam Weels, a square deal Republican,
for the place, it has been widely stated
that Robertson is a reactionary and
mossback among the Democrats
Friends of Robertson declare that he
has always had ideas of government
along Bryan lines and thct he regards
IaFollette as one of the greatest men In
America. 1t is said that in the legisla-
ture he will strongly support the revis-
ed code of civil procedure prepared by
the state law association. He favors
new memorial building for the state his
torfcal society. He is not sure of the
efficiency of the system of regents for
state educational institutions and may
favor abolishing them all.
AS was generally expected, Governor
elect Stubbs has already reached an
agreement with Attorney General Jack
son as to a plan of campaign which
will make the road of the violators OF
the prohibition law even more rough
and rocky than it has been in the past.
Additional laws are needed to this end
and they will be recommended in the
governors message. Much attention is
to be paid to the Joints which have drug
store running gears. A law holding
druggists to stricter account for liquor
sales and more drastic punishment to
chronic violators will be recommended.
The y-Milton contest for state
senator again occupied the attention OF
Probate Judge Van b. Prather in Kan
sas CITY Kan. Witnesses testified con-
cerning certain persons who had for
merly lived in the Second ward but who
il was asserted. had moved prior to the
election. A Republican challenger tes-
titled that a man representing himself
to be Martin Medved attempted to vote
and was challenged. 1t was said that
the real Martin Medved had been dead
for several years. Six witnesses were
examined and subpoenas were issued
for 20 witnesses who will testify in the
hearing today.