The Topeka state journal., 1909-03-01
ON THE SCRAP PILE
Two Administration Measures
Ruthlessly Slaughtered.
Board OF Control and Utilities
Bills Apparently Dead.
ANOTHER IN DANGER.
Bank Guaranty Is Far From
Being Safe.
IN DANGER.
LegislativeLibrary and Forestry
Bills Yet to Be Considered.

providing for the consolidation of the
state boards, both pet measures of
the administration, are on the scrap
heap.
There is a possibility that the utili-
ties measure may be revived in some
acceptable form later this week.
Thee house killed the first and the
senate put the other out of business.
All the efforts of the square deal lead
ers were unavailing when it came to
loading these bills into the bandwagon
and driving that vehicle down legisla-
tive lane Governor Stubbs and his
lieutenants worked day and night for
a month for the utilities bill. but as
it developed they never had chance.
Most of the house leaders in both par
ties worked for the bill. Mitchell of
Douglas. Cunningham and Buckman
of Cowlev Stone of Shawnee. Speaker
Dolley, Matson of Sedgwick and 9TH
ers- While Morgan of Reno, Brown
of Kingman, Ryan of Brown and
Davis of Kiowa fought the bill to a
finish. Foley of Rice and Davis of
Bourbon, Democratic leaders. took the
floor for the bill the last day of the
battle but could not stem the tide.
The administration offered a COM
promise on many features of the bill,
but it's enemies would accept nothing.
The utilities fight occupied the
house all week. Tuesday afternoon
and Saturday nights sessions were
spectacular. Nearly a score of mem
bers took part in the debate. The
square dealers tried all the time to
force the issue to a point where the
members would have to choose be-
tween the corporations on the one
hand and the people on the other.
But the insurgents always succeeded
in lodging the real issue. The week s
fight developed Davis of Kiowa as one
of the iveliest debaters on the floor
of the house. This lawyer from
western Kansas has a tongue s sharp
as a lance and he pours salt into the
wounds. His speech Friday night was
a masterpiece.
The utilities bill proposed needed
reform along the right lines. It is a
measure for the people and against
over reaching on part of corporations.
1t can be said that two things de-
feated the bill. First was the belief
among certain members that its pas
sage would result in the building up of
a Stubbs machine for the United
States senate job, and then it was as
serted that Kansas is a new state. with
few dangerous corporations. whereas
New York has hundred, and that it
was too early yet for such a bill. plen-
ty OF time. after the corporations have
become more numerous and stronger.
But it may be still harder then to get
such bill through than it is now.
The following are few of the ex-
pressions used by the orators during
the debate Friday on the utilities bill:
Morgan of Reno-"This has not
been heard of since the dove alighted
on Mt Ararat This bill proposes
powers equal to those of the czar of
Russia
Allen of wyandotte-'The screen
before the real object of this bill is as
thin as the gauze veil worn by Sa-
lome dancer
MitcheIl-"If you pass this bill you
will have helped hold up the hands of
the attorney general in his fight
against corporations"
Hopkins of Jackson-''This bill is
directed against the insatiate greed of
corporations
Foley of Rice-'Nothing was ever
invented and perfected at the same
time"
Morrison-''This administration bill
is now a hybrid monstrosity.'
Stone of Shawnee never knew
before that a lawyers cunning was To-
Gated in his hands,
Ryan of BrOwn-"If it was not for
fear of a political machine I would ia
vor appointive rather than elective Of
fees
Buckman of Cowley-"Our attorney
general. whom you all know and love
for his great work, needs this addition
to the law and is asking you to help
him that much in his fight on the cor
porations.'
The governor cannot lay the blame
for the failure of his two pet bills to
pass on to Speaker Dolley. The sage
of Maple Hill did all that one man
could do in the matter. He got the
state board bill through
the house and he fought bravely and
craftily for the illafted utilities bill.
But the opposition was as cunningly
and boldly led and the Lord was on the
side of the heaviest battahons.
The pledge of the party for guaranty
of deposits is in greater danger at this
time than ever before this session. The
burden falls upon the senate, for the
in conference committee
last week made great concessions to
their conferees of the upper house and
when these committees finally reported
an agreement it was generally suppos-
ed that the bill was as good as a law.
The house did pass it promptly and
further protest, but the senate
voted to nonconcur. This looks like a
deliberate attempt at assassination un-
der cover of an imaginary disagree
ment 1t can hardly be expected that
the house after granting nearly every
thing to the senate demands on this
bill will yield any further 1t is ex-
pected that the senate, will get in a
hetter huDor before this week is out
There remains to dispose of nearly
au the important matters that confront
ed the session at the beginning except
ing only good roads legislation. The
good roads bills are all safely through
both houses. But the utilities bill is
stuck in the mud, the guaranty bill is
up in the air, the forestry bills are vet
to be considered. as we'll as the ap-
and the school text book
measure.
The house has about two hundred
bills ahead on general orders and a
number of these are important meas
ures. A reasonable estimate is to