The Topeka state journal., 1908-01-23
Whole Forenoon Is Spent in
Parliamentary Skirmishing.
NO FACTIONAL LINES.
Many Would Follow Advice OF
Attorney Grattan.
Sharp Debate by Those for and
Against the Measure.

This morning the house of represen-
tatiVes made all preliminary arrange
ments to jab the harpoon into the
heart of the 2-cent passenger fare bill
W. R. Stubbs and his friends made
desperate fight to take the bill out OF
the ambulance, where it had been
placed by the house committee on rail-
roads. But while Mr.. Stubbs was able
to muster a majority vote for his side,
he has not been able to get a two-thirds
vote, which under the ruling of the
speaker is necessary to get bill ad-
versely reported back on the calendar
Mr.. Grattans plea to let the bill alone
is having it's effect.
The whole morning was wasted In
parliamentary sharp-shooting between
the friends of the 2-cent bill, and the
enemies of that measure The fr1enos
of the bill claim that the position OF
G. R. Grattan attorney for the rail-
road commissioners, has been m1srepre-
sented, and that Mr.. Grattan Is really
not opposing the 2-cent fare law. They
want to get things in such shape that
Mr. Grattan can be called before the
house to make a speech explaining MS
position in the matter.
In this fight, the factiona1 align
ment is not preserved, for the Socalled
railroad crowd is reinforced by twenty
or thirty members who believe that 1t
IS better policy not to enact 2-cent
fare law at present, and thereby
knock out the possibility of falling
back on the mileage book law in case
the 2-cent fare law is found to be un-
constitutional when tested in the
courts.
Efforts to crack the factional whip
and force the old alignment have
failed.
In all the preliminary skirmishing,
the Stubbs crowd was successful, be-
cause it has a majority on its side. but
when 1t comes to the final test, a two
thirds vote will be needed, and it seems
likely that this number can not be Sc
cured. If 1t can not, then the 2
cent fare bill passed by the senate is
dead.
Almost before it knew it this
morning the house was plunged into
the midst of the 2-cent fare night
W. B. Ham, author of the house q
cent fare bill, moved that his bill and
the senate bill by Senator Brewer be
taken out of the list of bills adverse
ly reported and put on general or
ders.
w. Y. Morgan, chairman of the
railroad committee consented to this
but when Speaker Simmons ruled that
1t would take a two-rnirds vote to
carry Hams motion, objection ~as
made to the concession by Mr. Nor
gan.
well, I guess we might as we'll
uRnC LnlS OUT, SAID Morgan.
Ham demanded a roll call on his
motion, and the vote stood 81 for the
motion and As against. Speaker Sim
mons ruled that the motion was de-
feated because it failed of a two-thirds
vote
White of Ottawa moved to recon-
slider this vote, and Morgan, in order
to settle finally the question, sec
onded the motion. The debate on the
motion to reconsider was quite ex-
tensive.
Mr.. Ham said: The railroad COM
mittee cannot decide whether an
emergency exists, because the COVER
nor decided that in his message to
the legislature. In view of the action
of the senate on this bill, I think we
ought at least consider this bill in
committee of the whole"
Mitchell of Douglas thought that
the matter ought to be discussed on
the floor of the house.
Bird of Shawnee argued that the
railroad commissioners and ATTORNEYS
for the board had entered into a con-
tract, which the Legislature should
not abrogate.
Archer Of Brown moved to lay the
motion to reconsider on the table, and
the motion on roll call was lost bv a
vote of 81 to Al.
The motion to reconsider was then
passed with little opposition.
w. r. Stubbs appealed TO the house
to put the 2-cent fare bill back on the
calendar. The house will put itself in
a false light by refusing to consider
this BILL" he said I'VE passed the hiII
at the regular session by a vote of a. to
20, and the railroad lobby killed 1t in
the senate. This session the senate
passed the bill almost unanimously.
and I appeal to this house not to re-
verse its former action"
Speaker Simmons took the floor and
urged the house to stand by the COM
mittee report. TT is absolutely useless
for us to pass this bill'' he said. be
cause the whole matter is being Lti-
gated and the railroad committee has
decided that all possible is now being
done
Mr.. Ham questioned the decision of
the Pennsylvania supreme court against
the 2-cent fare law in that state.
THAT decision was rendered by a
vote of 4 to g." said Mr.. Ham, "and
Pennsylvania is notoriously a railroad
ridden state. 1 believe that this house
has been misinformed as to the atti-
tude of the attorney for the railroad
commission 1 think the house believes
the railroad commission is opposed to
this bill. and move that Mr.. Grattar,
attorney for the board, be requested tc
come before the house and state his
position.
This motion was ruled out of order
Wheeler moved the previous cues.
ton. Stubbs demanded a roll call or
the motion. The previous question
is also known as the debate gag" The
passage of a motion for the previou.
question shuts off all further debate
Stubbs and his friends pleaded with
the house to allow the debate to &c
on. The vote was Sc to 90. and show
ed that a bare majority of the hous,
was in favor of considering the 2-cen
fare bill on the floor of the house. Thi
was one of the important test votes OIL
the proposition. and the member
lined up as follows:
For the previous question: Archer
Banks. Beeson, Bergman, Bird