The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-03-03
MAY TALKIT Over
Senate Passes Bill Letting Down
Party Council Bars.
Permits Debate of Platform at
Meeting.
EW COMMITTEE PLAN
Will Permit Candidates tt
Choose County Chairman.
Stewart Bill Affecting Congress-
men Is Passed.

men Is Passed.
| When the senate this morning passed
the Caldwell a. endment to the cleo
ton laws. it revolutionized the seIec-
tion of county central committees and
made provision for chesty orators TO
gain recognition on the floor of the
party council. It was Senator Glenn
who injected an amendment permitting
| debate in the party council and this
amendment embarrassed the members
who believe that righteous platform
| promises are made only behind closed
doors.
| 1t is the intention of the Caldwell
bill to secure county central commit
tees that Will work fer the good of the
| order and do away with the half heart
ed, weak kneed organizations that
sometimes sleep until the day after
the election. His plan is to allow the
successful candidates for party nomi-
nation to appoint a central committee
| for their county, who shall name
chairman, secretary and treasurer.
This, it is claimed, will enable ths
| candidates to secure real assistance in
the campaign and to pick men who
have the success of the party deeply
|
of the county committee, together
with the nominees for representative
and state senator, may attend the
party council.
This plan went along nicely until
Senator Glenn of Greeley county pre-
pared an amendment that would allow
persons to voice a few sentiments On
the floor of the gathering. His amend
ment went through with much stand
pat rejoicing. Then Stannard and
others began to complain. They point
ed with sorrow to any law that would
allow mere man to say things in
a sanctified party gathering, where the
powers that be had prepared declara-
ton of principles that voiced the senti-
ments of the entire people without a
ooubt But the bill went through.
Throughout the session the standpat
the party platform They have re-
called, to the regret of the reform
| forces, that every attempt to debate
party promises in the council was
| overruled: and these standpats repud-
lated the platform pledges in II
straightforward manner. They declared
| they would stand on no platform ID
| which they did not participate in the
making. They alluded to the 1. and r.
| and recall as Populistic vagaries and
denounced a half dozen other meas
/ ures They supported only such things
as they chose and made no apologies.
The insurgents were sore They lam
basted- the regulars for breaking faith
with their constituents, but their argu-
ment did everything but change votA
Now it is different. When the 1913
| legislature assemblies, it will be bound
hand and foot by promises in which
| every member had a voice. And the
| change came from the so-called reac-
tionary wing of the party.
Every administration member of
the senate this morning voted against
/ the passage of the Stewart bill allow
ing a person to be a candidate for the
| congress and the United States SEN
ate in the same primary election.
The vote on the final passage of the
the house does likewise there will be
no trouble about Victor Murdock
running for congress in the Eighth
district next year and still testing his
| strength with the dear people over
the state.
art measure as though it had been a
sacred campaign promise. The stand
pats voted for the bill to man, al
though Fagerberg did contortion
stunt to get in the right berth. He
| voted against the bill, saw his mis-
take and hastened to get right. The
II insurgent members voted against
| the bill. An amendment to allow any
| person to be a candidate for any two
offices at the same time. passed and
this provision had tendency to
| weaken the real bill Robertson saw
| the mistake and moved a reconsid-
Grafton. 1t carried and Glenn, who Of
] fered the amendment cleverly with
drew 1t from further consideration
! There was very little oratory wasted
on the bill and the mem bers doggedly
| voted their sentiments and trusted to
the organization to win. Huffman was
not present when the roll was called
and the administration crew lost one
vote. The vote on the bill was as fol-
lows:
For-Anderson, Brewster, Caldwell,
Carey, Cooke. Fagerberg, Glenn,
Hodges, Hunter, Lower. Milligan, Mil
ton. Overfield, Porter, Price, Reed,
Robertson, Stavely. Stewart, Stillings,
Travis. Total-22-
| Against-Avery. Bender. Brady,
Brown Cambern. Denton, Fowler,
Ganse Harris. Hamilton. Hostrup, Muir
ply, Myers, Potter, Quincy, Smith
Stannard. Total. II.
The senate passed the Huffman bill
providing for county assistance to char
table associations The bill provides
/ that where 30 or more persons establish
i a charitable association incorporated
for not less than 81, 600, that the county
commissioners may levy a tax of not
. more than one-tenth of 1 per cent on
l all property for the support of the in
stitution The Provfdent Association OF
Topeka. would come under the terms OF
the new bill.
Another banking measure struggled
through the senate this morning. Wher
that body passed a bill prepared by the
committee on banks and banking. The
measure provides that the establish
ment of a new state bank shall be
: granted only after the state charteI
board has carefully canvassed the sit
, uation and is convinced that the pro-
|. posed field will support the institution
and that the persons promoting ths
lscheme are competent. reliable bushes.