The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-18


Mr.. Davis rebuke grew out of an
editorial attack on him in this morn
ing's paper in which he was denounced
as a railroad attorney who placed thu
railroad above his state in loyalty and
was referred to as the author of the
utilities bill passed by the house this
week. The article went on to denounce
the bill as not being in the interest of
the people.
Yet on the floor of the house today
Speaker Buchanan and the administra-
ton leaders defended the bill as a good
and efficient measure, and John s.
Dawson, in statement made FrrSay,
praised the bill as being better than
any measure of the kind introduced in.
the legislature two years ago.
Mr. Davis declared that the Capital
article was mot only false as to facts,
but it is wantonly malicious and SIAN
derous and is calculated to deceive the
people of the state and the members of
this house as to the real facts in order
to serve its own privates ends"
He declared further that it was his
opinion that the Kansas City Star and
Topeka Capital were under one man
agement land have been operated for
the past five years for the purpose of
breaking up the Republican party
Mr.. Davis was cheered often during
Lis speech and at it's close he was ap-
out respect to party or faction The
house aisles and galleries were crowd
ed with spectators. The Davis speech
was the feature of the session and it
was most earnest and eloquent ex--
preston of the speakers outraged feel
1ngs in the matter. He was dignified
always, and while he denounced the
paper in scathing terms he did not re-
sort to 1nVective or personal epithets
The speech in part is as follows:
AS a member of this house, I wish
to state with as much brevity as pos
slble, the facts with regard to an arti-
Gle which appeared in the Topeka
Capital this morning rejecting upon
me.
The article in question is an edi-
torial in which l am expressly men
toned and reads as follows:
Mr.. Davis of Kiowa defines quail
hcations for public service, The pub
lie utilities bill introduced from the
judiciary committee of the house by
Representative Davis of KioWa is the
sort of legislation that keeps the
promise to the ear and breaks it to
the home Those lines are absolutely
false I introduced no public utilities
Dill in this house, and those lines con-
strued with what follows, attempt to
place me in. the wrong light.
The Objectionable features and
the omissions of the bill have been
pointed out and it is not necessary to
" specify LneIu again. L call the at
tention of the house to the fact that
the bill has never been printed and it
has been misquoted in the Topeka
Capital and the Kansas City Star, both
as to its authorship and as to its
meaning.
We call attention to the fact, how
ever, that Mr.. Davis for several years
attorney for the Rock Island railroad,
is the father of the bill, which pur-
ports to govern the Rock Island rail-
road
That is absolutely false This bill
does not purport to govern the Rock
Island railroad. but purpOrts to regu-
late and control all public utilities,
railroads. and everything else in this
state. Why the Topeka Capital made
that false statement you can only
Judge. leave it to you to judge
F'urther-'And Mr.. Davis. attorney
of the Rock Island further provides
that if any man owning stock. or hav-
ing such employment should be APP
pointed, he must within thirty days
get rid OF his interest and employment,
or lose his public job
THAT is meritorious provision of
any public utilities bill, and yet we
have this newspaper here casting a
slight and a discredit upon me and
the members of this house as WELL be-
cause that feature is in the bill.
Now, 1 want to ask the members
of this house, what the Topeka Capt.
tai, and its following would have said,
If we had expressly provided that any
attorney or stock holder in that rail-
road, or any other utilities of like
nature, could hold the position of
commissioner. They find fault with
me personally, because we have ex-
cluded those interests from the public
utilities bill, and from holding office
under it,
But let me go on. Now why,
should Mr.. Davis of Kiowa put such a
stipulation in his bill? Why should
employees of railroads be excluded in
this rude manner from the commits
sion. when an employee of the Rock
Island contrives to secure to himself
the actual making of the law govern
ing railroads?'
the privilege of coming here and MAX
ing lsws2 The people of my county