Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1912-11-01
TIE DEMOCRATIC RECORD AT LAST SESSION WAS
STRONG ONE

The Democratic record at the 1911 session of the legislature
of which the party boasts Senator Hodges is of course
Part and parcel with that record but more than that it
through his counsel and under his leadership that the record
made by the Democratic members Through the practically solid
support of the Democrats the House. resolutions submitting the
initiative and referendum and thu recall to the voters for approx
al were passed the lower branch of the Legislature In the Sen
ate the Democrats led by Senator Hodges lined up sOdy for
those progressive measures but they defeated by Republican
votes
In the 1910 campaign the platforms of both the Democratic
and Republican parties had declared against CannOnm and
for such changes the rules of legislative bodies would proven
from practically controlling legislation through his power
committees For many years the rules of the Kansas Senate
had provided that the committees should be appointed by the
presiding officer The Subbs administration insisted that the
rules should be changed The president of the Senate
member Of the administration machine and had he been permit
ted the committees the Senate would have been dOmna
ed in practically its every action by orders from the Governors
office minority of the Republicans in the Senate joined with
Senator Hodges and his Democratic colleagues insisting that the
platform pledges concerning reform in legislative procedure
should be redeemed Without Senator Hodges the fight would
have failed 20
Senator Hodges helped too organize the Senate for the
passage of the bill repeating the unpopular provisions of the in
heranc tax law and for passage of the mortgage recording
tax BILL AS the minority leader in the Senate he offered pub
lie utilities BILL embOdyng the home rule provisions for which
the Democratic state platform had declared When became ap-
parent that in order to pass public utilities bill at ALL would
be necessary rwe the that had from the
House. Senator Hodges selected member of the Senate sub
committee prepare the bill He the author of many of its
strongest and best provisions 1t largely due to his efforts
that the Senate rejected conference report this bill that gave
the railroads what they had fought for all winter in the way of
section governing the of stocks and bonds He of
the cOnfereS the part Of the Senate in the final negotiations
with the House which resulted in the passage of bill in its pre-
sent FORM and all unprecedented advocates of public utilities legs
aOn who followed its progress closely agree that would not be
the statutes today but for the constructive ability and fighting
qualities of George Hodges
He assisted in the passage of the bill placing the state pen
Tertiary at Lansing and the refOatOy Hutchinson under
board and of the earnest supporters of
Huffman bill to place all of the state educational institutions IN
der the business control of board 1t the hope of the sup
pOers of this bill to accomplish something toward placing the
educational institutions under sOunder business management and
their maintenance without mpairng their useful
The bill passed despite the fight wagd against by
the Republican administration only be vetoed by the Governor
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