The Topeka state journal., 1909-01-26
DROPS WITH THUD
Fatal Defect Found in Anti
Lobby Bill.
Some One Has MiSIaid the En-
acting Clause.
Do 1T ALL OVER AGAIN
Referred Back to Committee to
Be Made Over.
Discovery Made as the Bill Was
About to Be Passed.

Should the dignified and venerabl,
chaplain of the senate mount tn,
clerks desk and turn a s.fip-fiop" il
lieu of offering the customary invoca,
tion, the senators could hardly be more
amazed than they were late Monday
afternoon over the surprise uncorke6
for them by the eagle-eyed Senator C
L. Chapman. from Barton county.
The senate had taken up the much
discussed anti-lottery bill, which had
been before the body from time to time
since last Wednesday. The majority
had finally succeeded in getting the
bill on the third reading, after beating
down the discreet, but stubborn resist
ance of the opponents of that particu-
lar bill, when Senator Chairman who
must certainly be something of presti-
digitatOr, quietly reached up his sleeve
and in full view of the audience, pull
ed forth a point OF order that made the
rest of the lawmakers bat their ewes
and even the irrepressible pages pause
in their skating across the carpet.
And no wonder; for the point raised
made absolutely null and void the
principal part of the work performed
by the senate during the past few
days and made it necessary for them
to do practically all their anti-lobby
legislation over again
Mr.. President" exclaimed Senator
CndpIndIl, just dIIeT the secretary had
started to read section l of the anti
lobby measure. Mr.. President; I rise
to a point of order. There is no en-
acting clause in that bill; it cannot
be amended or debated. and IS abso-
lutely invalid. It cannot be consider
ed by this senate
And then it broke loose. A confused
murmur of astonishment arose all over
the chamber.
Let me see that original biIl,' de-
1a6 n I1n
struck the block resounding whack
with the gavel to restore order.
After the president had been shown -
he looked up with a faint smile show
his decision: THE chair sustains the
point of order raised by the senator
from Barton
well, I'll be- but this is a family
newspaper. and it isn't necessary to re-
peat the prophecy concerning their fu-
ture, to which a number of the sena-
tors gave expression at that point.
Il move that the bill be referred to
the judiciary committee said Senator
Chapman. Senator Porter seconded the
motion.
But the friends of the bill did not
want it to get into the clutches of the
judiciary committees "A. short time pre-
Viously they had voted down the pro-
position to refer it to that committee.
They had visions of what Senator Price,
the astute statesman from Clark coun-
ty, might do to that carefully nurtured
little bill if it fell into the hands of his
committee without the protection of its
closest friends and next of kin. They
seemed already to hear it's shrieks of
agony under the judiciary knife.
Meanwhile Senator Price sat quietly by
with a smile on his face similar to that
worn by the cat as 1t waited for the
to hop out of the cage
Senator Stannard offered as an
to Chapman's motion that
the bill be referred to the judiciary
committee with instructions to tack on
an enacting clause and report it back
to the senate within Is minutes. Sena-
tor Brady spoke in favor of the pro
posed amendment, but President Fftz-
gerald informed him that the bill could
not be referred to a committee in that
s.Wel. what are we here for, any
way?" demanded Senator Brady, ARE
we here to work all week on the thing
He guessed right the first time.
As substitute for the Stannard
Senator Carey moved ref
erence of the bill back to the special
anti-lobby joint committee, with in
structions to prepare a new bill or the
same one properly corrected and report
it back to the senate.
1--WE have fooled away $500 worth
of time already in threshing out this
bill" objected Senator Stannard, who
seemed to be nursing a crouch, and
/ object to spending $500 worth of
time in addition for doing the same
work over again.
Senator Price opposed referring the
bill to the judiciary committee mere
ly to have it perform a simple clerical
service as suggested by the senator
from Lyon, he considered it beneath
the dignity of the committee and all
the same as an insult to refer it in
such manner. He thought the measure
ought to go back to the antilobby
committee. However" said Senator
Price, with a flash of irony, eff you
want to refer the bill to the judiciary
committee with full authority to cor
rect it and mutilate it, we will take
great pleasure in doing So
Everybody believed in the absolute
truthfulness of Senator Prices asser-
ton.
The question finally came to vote
and the senate decided to send the bill
back to the joint committee of the
house and senate as Senator Carey
suggested. 1t was learned that the
bill passed by the house is also shy"
the enacting clause and the house will