The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-01-14
FEAR ON The LIPS
Administration Frightened at
Situation in Senate.
Leaders Appreciate That Regu-
lars Have Whip Hand.
PRICE NOT PASSIVE.
Says Measures Must Be Up to
Standard Before Approved.
Glenn Says Patronage Was Ev.
enly Distributed.


ministration friends are awaiting the
action of the senate committees on
the important socalled progressive
bills. If these bills find hard shedding
IN the committees, then it is about
equally certain that they will be sub
ject to a fierce assault on the floor.
The action of the minority members
will also play an important part in the
final disposition of the bills.
Senators representing the two fac
tions of the Republican party and mi
nority members have already made
statements that the war is over and
that there Will be no further trouble
on the floor of the senate. The in
Gus because they failed to chop Sena-
tor Price below the patella and he
again landed at the head of the judi
ciary committee. The regular forces
carry a few wounded spots because the
insurgents tried the trick.
1t has been intimated that some of
the important measures of the session
may be reported back on the floor of
the house without recommendations
giving the senate a chance to fight the
entire battle in the open; and remov-
ing any possibility of later day argu-
ment that administration law was
killed behind closed doors.
This theory is exploded by the gen.
tleman from Ashland, who vows that
nothing but waterproof measures will
come from his committee, unless there
is an equal division of sentiment on
the bill that makes necessary It's set
tlement on the floor.
"A bill is either a good bill or bad
bill" declared Price, "and the best way
to handle a bad bill is to doctor it
before an expensive operation is nee
essary. don't think anyone wants to
stif1e legislation, but everyone is anxi-
Gus to secure the best laws possible"
Evenly Divided, Says Glenn.
t. - TT 1T
many of the administration measures
will go through without difficulty. Glenn
was grieved because the newspapers re-
ported that the insurgent members of
the upper house landed only the lesser
committee appointments.
1T is misleading" said Glenn, s'and ]
never knew of a legislative session
where the patronage was more evenly
divided. Some of the socalled regulars
have committees not nearly so good as
two years ago while several of the
'progressives' are on better committees
than in the 1909 session"
OF course if the insurgent members
can convert fair per cent of the reg
ulars a solid working majority will be
held throughout the session. The first
real test is yet to come. If the ad-
miniStration measures strike rough
travelling, then the minority bill will
be crowded ahead by the Democrats
and they will try to secure an enact
istration bill is remodeled, there is
fair chance for the enactment of at
least one minority measure in the sem
ate. That bill is the Robertson public
utility bill.
Several Republican members have
already shown a preference for the
Robertson document. 1t provides for
the election of the utilities commits
sion, while the administration bill pro-
vides for the appointment of the COM
mission by the governor.
Initiative and Referendum.
1t was intimated the elections COM
mittee may decide to report the con-
sid Grafton of the amendment for an
initiative and referendum back to the
senate without recommendations and
let the senate as a whole batIle over
the details of the proposed new pro-
vision in the constitution. This COM
mittee is divided in sentiment on the
proposed amendment
| Several committee meetings will be
| held Monday afternoon and by the lat
ter part of next week the public may
receive a pretty thorough understand
ing on the attitude of the committees
toward the measures that made up the
party platform in the 1910 campaign.
| The first expression of the session
came yesterday when the assessment
and taxation committee reported ad-
versely on the Price bill to repeal the
| inheritance tax law. Th1s committee
| Will SuDDOTC the at ACoto
part way in the support of this law. 1t
| is not expected, however, that the new
bill which is being prepared in the
committee will be all that Governor
Stubbs and his friends have asked for.
| Several administration bills have
been introduced by Senators Myers OF
Jackson and Quincy of Saline, and
they will be reported sometime the
coming week.
/ i oh Of l.
ule and the public will be given an
early line on conditions in the upper
| house.
When the full meaning of Senator
Brewster's bill, introduced in the SEN
ate Friday, is generally understood
over the state the standing of the
gentleman from Troy may not be ma
terially increased in the eyes of the
Kansas corporations, as 1t contains
some medicine that is not expected to
| bring pleasant dreams to the big con-
Germs doing business in this state.
1t is Brewster's theory that when 6
Kansas corporation is convicted of 6
wrong doing that the court should i'm
| mediately declare every office of the
company vacant.
An abuse of the corporation laws o1
the state, as outlined by the Doniphar
Icounty senator's bill, will empower the
court upon conviction of the corpora
| ton of wrong doing, to Immediately
declare vacant the offices of president
| vice president. secretary. treasurer
general manager, directors and trus-
tees and to order the stockholders OF
the company to call a special election
of officers. This election. according tt
Brewster. must be held under the
supervision of the court and no officer:
removed by that tribunal shall ever bt
eligible to future election to any Office
of the company.
Il B. F. Nye of Chanute, is an uncle
of Frank Nigh. of lola. The Chanute
man is document clerk in the senate