The Topeka state journal., 1909-03-03
Telephone, Telegraph and Pipe
Line Bill Also Passes.
AN EXCITING CONTEST
Democrats Hold Center of Stage
at Night Session.
Sentiment Against Governor
Stubbs Becomes Bitter.
House Rule" Is Slogan of Anti
Administration Forces.

tuesday nights session of the house
was the hottest from the standpoint of
battle and the most interesting in de-
pate SO lar this term. 1t witnessed the
last tight on the utilities bills, and as
In the case of the three previous battles.
the administration forces were routed
While the vote was not so overwhelm-
ing as in the afternoon session when
the Two Morgan home rule bills were
passed, yet the Morgan bill placing tel
egraph, telephone and pipe line COM
pan1es under control of the railroad
board was kept free from amendment
and In the end passed with a rush.
The night session opened with a Dem
ocratlc experience meeting. The Bour-
Don brethren got up and testified TO the
true 1a1th but all did not see it the
same way or read the signs alike.
| Party faction within is stronger and
more pltter than mere partisan politics
and the difference between the two mar
ties. Had this not been so At least one
small part of the original plan of con-
troll of public utilities would have been
grated onto the Morgan bill last night
for the Democrats were about evenIv
divided on the matter in roll call vote
on the FEEDER amendment but the in
surrectionists in the Republican ranks
stood sohdly and firm against the
slightest concession to the SQUARE deal
element of their party. It was great
victory for the anti-administratfon
forces and made one wonder whether
a1ter all the primary and general cleo
tIon Iast year in Kansas were not a
The sentiment against Goverpor
Stuoos IN the house reached a point
last night when an amendment to in
crease the railway board to five, the ex-
ira Two TO be appointed by the COVER
nor, was greeted with boots and ieers
from all parts of the house and the Re
publican members hooted louder than
the Democrats.
FEEDER Leads the Fight.
Feder, Democrat. of Barton, started
the night on the Morgan bill last night
by oferlng as an amendment to place
all public utilities in the state except
those doing business in the limits of
one city under the control of the rail-
way board, thus including Pullman. ex-
press and other car companies as we'll
as telephone, telegraph and pipeIine
companies Mr.. FEEDER made a strong
and convincing talk for his amendment
Foley of Rice took the floor for the Fe-
der amendment and talked straight ONT
to his Democratic colleagues. He de-
clared that this amendment to control
corporations was in line with the de-
clarat1ons and speeches of w. J. Bryan.
He said: wv Y. Morgan is irving 70
use the Democratic minority for the tail
rof the kite of one faction of the Re
publican party. 1 ask you, 1 implore
you. do not allow yourselves to be made
the tool of either faction of the ma
jority party" Foley made a great
speech and his sentences We're delivered
like bullets from a machine gun
Following this talk the Democrats
took possession of the floor of the
back and Davis of Bourbon spoke for
the FEEDER amendment. Malone, FIani-
gan and Brown talked against it.
Brown declared that the Democrats
a n nf
by supporting his measures when the
insurrectionists had blockaded them
and yet Stubbs had gotten all the
credit and given the rest to the Re
held the sack. Davis of Bourbon
made a most logical speech. The
Democratic orators talked about the
Long machine and the Stubbs machine
as though there had never been pri-
mary in the state of Kansas.
Morgan of Reno took the floor
against the FEEDER amendment and
cracked the whip and his men jump
ed on the amendment with both feet
In the early days of the session Dol
ley never had so long a whip with
such a fine cracker on the end of it.
Morgan declared that there was a
stinger in this amendment; that it was
nothing more than an effort to get
some of the Stubbs utilities bill into
this new and pure measure. Haskin
followed Morgan and opposed the
amendment.
Then came Judge Buckman of Cow
ley with a speech that was generally
regarded as the best effort of the ses-
sion. Buckman appealed for harmony
during these last days of the session
His lofty eloquence Gained the turbu-
lent house for a moment but it could
ton nor change prejudice. In closing
Judge Buckman said: "As I stand
before God, I tell you that I am sin
cere and earnest in this matter. Let
us forget that we are Democrats or
Republicans and instead be patriots.
Let US be Kansans and vote for the
good of Kansas. The people of the
state are watching us. 1t does not
make so much difference to me who
wins the victory tonight as it does
that we would DO our best to honestly
decide which plan will be of the most
benefit to the state. You are paying
make the motions here tonight and
not enough to the motions. I appeal
to you to cast this bitterness out of
your hearts and work for the good of
your state
The Vote in Detail.
After being beaten II to SO in the
afternoon in the effort to amend the
Morgan home rule bill for cities, the
administration forces lost last night
by a much closer vote in the effort to
pass the FEEDER amendment to the
Morgan home rule of state wide utili-
ties bill The gain, however. came
from the Democrats. The following
is the vote on the FEEDER motion to
amend Morgan's bill:
For the amendment-Amrine, Bon
nett, Dryden, Buckman, Carpenter
Carter. Case, Clay, Cranston. Craw-
ford. Finley, Cunningham, Davis of
Bourbon, Deacon, Edwards, FEEDER
Fisher, Flagg, Foley, Grabbe, Gray
Griffin. Hopkins of Finney, Jewett of
Sedgwick, Krehbiel. Lander, Landry.
Laubach, Louderbach. Matson. Nc
Cormick. Mcmillan, Mercer, Mitchell
Newlin. Parker, Ravenscraft, Schaun-
burg, Schlichting, sShideler, Stannard.
Stockton, Stone of Shawnee, Veatch,