The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-26
TAKE IT ALL BACK
House Decides 1t Doesn't Want
Senators Elected by People.
Then Straightway Concludes
That 1t Does.
nINA Oh Dill I'LL III
DIVORCE BILL KILLED
Representatives Didn't Want to
Add to Legal Grounds.
Employers Liability Bill Passed
After Stormy Session.

The feature of the house session of
Thursday afternoon was the action of
the members in voting to nonconcur
in the action of the committee of the
whole which had voted to recommend
that the Morrison of Neosho bill to
provide for the election of United
States senator by direct vote of the
people be not passed.
The bill introduced by the Demo-
cratic member from Neosho provides
that the names of all candidates for
senator be placed on the ballot in gen.
eraI elections and that the candidate
receiving the highest number of votes
be declared elected by the legislature,
the action being formal and compul-
sorry.
In committee of the whole a Re-
publican member moved that the en-
acting clause be struck from the bill
and the motion carried on party
vote only three Republicans, Morgan
of Reno, Snyder of Leavenworth and
Cranston of Labette voting with the
Democrats.
When the committee Of the whole
rose to report and the house was
again in session Foley of Rice moved
to nonconcur in the action of the COM
mittee on this particular bill, and
FOleyS motion prevailed. No one
seemed to know why. but it did. AS
the vaudeville stars who have visited
this city this winter distanced.
Watson's divorce bill was killed by
the house by an overwhelming ma
iority. The members, as Foley put
it, were opposed to extension of the
divorce law, rather favoring the re-
Striction of the law
party to a marriage contract is de-
clared by medical authority to be in
curably insane this shall constitute
sufficient grounds for divorce. There
the Kansas statutes; this would have
made the eleventh cause. Ryan,
Brown. Mitchell and Foley all spoke
against the bill
The bill by the judiciary committee
defining the liability of employers of
labor in case of injury or death to their
employees had a stormy time in the
house but finally weathered every gale
and was recommended for passage. The
house resisted every effort to destroy
the efficiency Of the bill by amendment.
The two militia bills were recon-
mended by the committee of the whole
without question or debate. One of
them provides for inspection and or
ganization of militia companies and
the other that armories may be built
in cities where companies of the ma
tional guards are located.
Lot Ravenscraft, the old-time Pop
ulist member of the house, got off a
good one on Edwards of Greenwood at
last nights session when the bill tol
restrict the spread of Johnson grass
came before the committee of the
whole. Edwards objected to consider
ing the bill until it had been printed
and distributed. Ravenscraft asked
him if this bill was one of the Re-
publican party pledges, and If that was
the reason he wanted to look it over
carefully and be sure of the brand be-
fore he voted for it. The bill was rec
commended for passage. Imprisonment
in the penitentiary was the penalty for
violating the provisions of this bill as
Johnson grass is a great pest to farm
erS in the southern part of the state,
especially to those VINO raise afa!fa;
but this was stricken out and civil
suit only may be started against any
violators of the law.
The following is the minority re-
port by the judiciary committee on
the house concurrent resolution by
Davis of Kiowa to elect state officers
for term of four years and restrict
has been placed on the calendar and
will come up for consideration early
next week:
''The judiciary committee which has
had under consideration house con-
current resolution No. &c. proposing
an amendment to the constitution
concerning the tenure of office of the
executive officers of the state and fix
ing their term of office at four years
and making such officers ineligible to
reelection, have had the same under
consideration, and the minority of the
members of that committee attending
the meeting believe that the resolu
tion ought to be adopted by the house.
"a short time ago the judiciary
committees of the house and senate
met in joint session and this proposed
amendment was one of the three most
favorably regarded by the meeting of
the joint committee. Since that time
one or two members of the house
committee have apparently changed
their views that question, which
leaves those favoring the resolution
in a minority of one.
''This committee would respectfully
urge that in it's judgment the time
has come in Kansas when state Of |
ficers should hold for a period of four
years and be ineligible to reelection.
Such a policy would give greater
stability to our laws and enable state
administrations to more effectually
carry out state policies. The vast ex-
pense attending primary election
would be largely avoided. We also
believe that state executive officers
should be ineligible to reelection and |
that the temptation and opportunity
should be removed for the upbuild- |
ing of a great political machine to |
further personal ambitions. We ex-
press the hope that the house will |
entertain the soundness of these views
and that the resolution will pass. !
DAVIS of Kiowa,
'MORRISON of Neosho,
RYAN of Brown.
BUCK of Lyon,