The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-01-19
HAS RIGHT OF WAY
Stannard Senate Special Has
Other Things on Side Track.
All Constitutional Amendments
Will Have to Wait.
HOLD A CONVENTION.
Revision of Constitution Being
Agitated as Way Out.
Abolition of the Insurance Rate
Sheet Being Discussed.

I
senate that the insurgent members Of
the legislature have backed up on at
least two platform measures and will
use their influence to defeat the in
| itiative and referendum and recall
resolutions in the dark of the commit
tee of the whole 1t is further claimed
| that the administration measures will
be sidetracked to give way for the
Stannard Special, labelled a resolution
for the calling of a constitutional con-
yentiOn.
When Fred Robertson. floor leader
for the minority members, made fight
for the consideration of the initiative
and referendum and recall resolutions
January IS. in open senate, it was
Stannard who urged the senate 10
sidestep and make way for other meas
ures that will be on the calendar as
constitutional amendments. But three
amendments can be submitted at one
election It is claimed that Stannard
wants the resolution calling for a vote
on constitutional convention. labelled
as one of the chosen few. The Stan
nard resolution makes the fourth con-
stitutional amendment now before the
legislature and it is certain that one
resolution of the list must be aban-
doned or defeated.
IT is freely claimed that the admin
istration has seen the proverbial hand
writing and is hunting a place to hide
No matter how we'll the insurgents
might organize in the senate, 1t is
hardly possible that the administration
initiative and referendum would pass.
The senate chances. however are many
times better than those in the house.
two-thirds vote is required on All
amendments. The minority have bills
similar to the insurgent bills on every
important proposition.
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members. Of the 125 votes in the
house the administration has a bare.
skin of your teeth majority. 1t is ap-
soIutely certain it cannot muster
two-third vote on the vital resolutions.
The administration, it is claimed, must
therefore allow the minority members
TO write some of the legislation, or Il
must back up on platform policies. me
latest claim is that the insurgents nave
preferred to back up
If the Stannard resolution shoulo g"
before the public for decision in 1917,
and the legislature should be instruct
ed to call a constitutional conVentloil.
it is morally certain that there would
he no immediate need of either an IT.
itiative and referendum, recall or eQual
rights bill: as the men sitting IN such
a convention would fix things in ae-
cordance with an individual liking
Should the present dope in the senate
be true. the insurgent members nave
within their power the. calling or an
executive session of the committee o.
the whole There will be no record or
the vote and discussion in such a ses-
sion and the opposition has its hands
tied even to the point of using the
minutes as 1912 campaign thunder In
this session the insurgents may Ireely
forsake their platform vows am
slaughter both the administration and
minority resolutions with knives that
N evidence,
The Lyon county senator pleaded
with his co1lea CUES to suspend decision
on these resolutions until other meas
ures looking to constitutional amend
ments are reported from the commit
tees This will enable the members
sitting in the committee of the whole
to consider the merits of the four res
olutions and to select from the list
such measures as they desire the peo-
pie to vote on.
If Stannard should succeed with his
resolution for constitutional conven-
ton. that convention might write into
the new document such measures as it
saw fit The changes might be few.
They might be many. There might be
e clause covering an Initiative and re-
ferendum. recall, equal rights;
changed policies governing the regu-
lation of the liquor traffic and doz-
en- other interesting features. The
anti crowd argues the
point, however, that whatever the
changes might incorporate, the change
would come after the Stubbs admins
tration became history and would not
be binding or the present governor
and his followers. Under no condi-
tions could a constitutional convention
be held earlier than the spring of 1913
and it might be later. If leglsla-
ture were elected with instructions to
vote for such a gathering. it would be
the members of the 1913 legislature
who would determine the date of such
convention
Credit is due Stannard for outgen-
eraling the minority leader for the
consideration of the resolutions. Not
until after the Stannard substitute to
the committee report had been adopt
ed did it occur to the regular forces
that there might be a joker in the
deck. The insurgents deny that they
are playing the game with trick cards,
but VOW that their work is in the open.
'sStannard did not know" explain
ed Myers of Jackson. that [ had an
administration resolution for the in
itiative and referendum. or he would
not have offered his substitute.
The jackson county senator. the
gentleman from Lyon county and 9TH
err followers of the faith of Stubs,
deny that the insurgents are trying to
grease the legislative track.
Copies of the administration and
minority measures are being printed
and will be distributed tomorrow
morning. The consideration of these
resolutions will be announced On the
senate calendar several days ahead of
the date of consideration. but this
announcement is not expected until
late next week.
Locked up somewhere in the room
of the committee on elections is SeEa-
tor Stewards bill! to enable candi-
dat fnr ornc ross m he a a
United States senator in the same pri-
mary election. The bill may be report
ed sometime this week. In the bill is
just the provision that will enable Sen
ator Stewards fellow townsman to run
for congress in 1912 and at the same
time be a candidate for the United
States senate. In case he should win
both offices he may. under the bill. re-
sign one of the offices and accept the
other It enables a congressman not
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