The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-09
REFORM BILL DEAD
Initiative and Referendum Is
Slaughtered in the Senate.
Insurgents Join Regulars to En-
compass That End.
VOTE WAS ONE SIDED.
Lacked Three of Having Even a
Majority.
Price Leads the Fatal Onslaught
on Measure.
Action a Blow to Administra-
tiOn Faction.
VOTE WAS ONE SIDED.

Seven iron clad insurgents turned
rabbit this morning and helped in the
defeat of the administration initiative
and referendum, which was butchered
in the senate by a vote of 81 to 18.
Re-enforced by this assistance, the
regulars Inundated the reform crowd
in the most decisive defeat of the ses-
sion.
Although they have an 1. and r.
measure of their own on the calendar,
the Democrats, five in number, rode
with the insurgent Republicans to the
last ditch and the double jointed coal
ttion of good government advocates
suffered alike. The seven reform mem
bers, who left the administration ranks
were Bender Brown, Cambern, Den
ton, Fowler, Harris and Hostrup.
Encouraged by the factional feeling
over the passage of the equal suffrage
bill, Myers called up his pet measure
in vain hopes that the division of
Tuesday would carry victory for the
administration. His hopes in a change
of heart, were i'll founded. From the
start, the bill was attacked from every
side. Even Hamilton of Shawnee sug-
Bested Improvement, though he voted
for the final passage of the bill.
Myers made overtures to the oppo-
sition when ne moved to strike out a
chunk Of the first paragraph and leave
to the voters and future legis' ltures
to prescribe the per cent required to
submit measl. res to tie people. Price,
in the committee of the whole, had ham
mered the lengthy document until it
brought the blush of regret to the
faces Of the advocates of advanced gov
ernnIent.
This sally or the part of the jackson
county member was not wei received.
Brewster poi ted to the fact that the
reformer had made former speeches
against changes, and questioned his
sincerity in the suggestion of an elev-
enth hour change. He said that even
though the author of tie bill should
offer a compromise, the oppoSit ION de-
clined to recognize the alleged good
faitC.
Brewster pointed to the efforts of
the administration to throttle the votes
of the general public on large appro-
priations and charged that the reform
ers wished to trust the good people
give Kansas a round cornered square
deal. He said the initiative was a
dangerous thing. He said the public
conclusion came from a reading of the
title of the bills and not from a pc
rusal of the contents of the entire doc
ument.
The Troy lawyer pointed to the bad
effect on state institutions. "If the
people are competent to vote on some
things" said Brewster then they are
able to pass on the good or bad of all
measures. We are not making laws
for today or tomorrow, but perhaps
for a hundred years and we should
watch these efforts to desert our pres
ent form of government The senator
from Marion says the people are de-
manding this measure and said the
petitions presented here were large
enough to choke the entire senate.
Now let me call your attention to the
fact that petitions have come on every
thing from Sunday baseball to woman
suffrage, but from the entire great
state of Kansas there has not been a
single petition in favor of this reso-
luton"
Stavely declared the senate would
make a grave mistake by adopting the
Myers amendment.
Stavely read from The Referendum
News in which he said measure was
prop 0sed ..mbodylng double the amount
of matter incorporated in the Myers
bill. He urged the senate to oppose
the glittering geld brick which the ad-
ministration offered ald said the re-
formers were offering son ething which
the publ" neither den anded nor de-
sired. Even inSurgent Clad Hamilton
attacked the Myers Announcement and
said the changes were poorly clothed
and were not filing the requirements.
The Topeka member said the legislature
chould either pass a real measure or
kill the frame work bill in no uncer-
tain manner. Robertson pleaded to
give the people a chance and allow
them to decide the matter
To this statement Reed asked Rob-
ertson which ticket a man should have
voted if he Aad been opposed 10 the
initiative and referendum RobeI ison
said both parties advocated the policy
Evidently Myers had guessed poorly
on his prediction of senatorial sentf-
ment. If the stand pat or insurgent
members bore sore spots on account OF
the passage of the suffrage bill. they
forgot them in double quick time. The
formidable opposition to the L and r.
which was presented in the committee
of the whole was showing the same
harmonious organization. The stand
pats slapped at the insurgents from
every side. The quotations from par
~ platforms did not create harmony
in the reactionary ranks
Potter, the rabid reformer. saw q
storm cloud ahead of his party on ac-
count of the revolt ana factional up-
rising. His word paintings did NOT
produce new converts to the new pol-
icy. Then Myers talked. He talked OF
party duty and loyalty and declared
that his amendment would prove an
entering wedge and give the voters a
chance to say what percentage of votes
should be required to submit proposi-
tfons to the people.
Hodges, the Democratic leader. oh
jected to a mere reference to the
people of the S. and r. proposition and
said the plans should be fully worked
out before the bill was submitted. He
declared that it was bad practice ia
leave the matters to future legisla- :
lures He said his reform friends
should not shirk their duty. Hodges
said that the virtue of the reform