Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1913-02-22
NEWS FROM THE LEGISLATURE
WHAT THE LAWMAKERS ARE DO
ING AT TOPEKA.
Interesting and important Happen
ings in House and Senate
During Past Week.

Dy q vote OF 3. to 81 passed the SEN
ate bill providing for the new form of
election ballots that is intended to
make independent voters and to stop
the buying of votes in Kansas. The
senate bill was amended in only one
particular, that relating to the educa-
tfonal qualifications of voters. AS
passed by the senate, no person, UNI
less he were able to read the English
language, could vote in a Kansas Elec-
ton The house changed this so that
if the voter were naturalized or had
filed his intention to become a citi-
zen of the United States but could not
read the English language, he could
make an affidavit to that effect, indi-
cate to the judges for whom he wished
to vote and the judges would mark
his ballot for him. The new ballot
plan puts all the candidates for an
office under one division and removes
iT.aTty emblems and party signs as an
aid to a voter. The voter can no
longer make a cross mark in the
circle but must pick out the man he
wants to vote for for each office The
bill goes back to the senate now and
1t is expected that the house amend
ment will be accepted at once and the
dill will then be a law of Kansas
Because OF the Importance of the
Textbook Law. the House bill was
called up out of its regular order so
that it could be passed at once and
the Textbook Law submitted to
the supreme court before any more
work was done on it. The bill was
sent back to the Senate judiciary
committee with instructions to report
on it at once and it probably VIII be
passed at once. The enactment of
the bill viii save hundreds of law
suits in Kansas, as after each session
of the Legislature there are many
suits brought to tset the constitu-
tionality of laws. By having the SUI
IRENE court pass on the law before
its enactment, it is hoped to prevent
many of these suits The question
involved in the State Textbook Law
IS whether or not the state has any
authority to engage in a business of
private nature. The suit to estab-
lish a state oil refinery was knocked
out partly on this ground If the
court should hold that the state publ
cation of textbooks was illegal under
the present constitution, a constitu-
tfonal amendment could be pushed
through the present legislature
The Senate and House worked a
complete reversal on the Massachu-
sets ballot law. When the original
bills was passed. the Senate put in a
provision that no one could have as
sistance in voting unless he We're
physically disabled. This would pre-
vent assistance in marking the ballots
to ignorant negroes and foreigners
who had not learned to read the Eng
fish language. The House refused to
stand for this provision when the bill
was up in that branch. The Senate
then forced a conference and the pro-
vision for help for the illiterate was
stricken out and the house, by a vote
of 65 to At, stood by barring the ignor-
ant and those unable to read the Eng
1ish language from voting. The con-
ference report then appeared in the
Senate and that body went straight
back on its former stand, and by a
vote of % to II refused to concur in
the House measure and demanded an
other conference.
The Kansas House of Representa-
tives took up the Senate initiative and
referendum resolution and after a
short squabble killed the Senate meas
ure and substituted the original
House proposition that the Senate re-
Gently killed. The Senate passed a
resolution for the constitutional
amendment providing for 10 per cent
petitions and prohibiting the courts
reviewing any legislation initiated by
the people. The House measure pro-
v1des for Is per cent petition and al
lows the courts to pass on any leSis-
lation. except constitutional amend
ments. The Senate bill also required
that before law could become eff
fective 1t must receive a majority of
all those voting at the election, while
the House measure provides that a
majority of those voting on any sin
gle proposition could carry the law
into effect.
Oil and gas committees of both
branches of the Kansas legislature
took whack at about 11e state Jobs
when they reported q bin in the
senate and house abolishing the pres
ent system of oil inspection in the
state. There are now 124 local oil
inspectors. The new law provides for
a state oil inspector and six deputies
The deputies are to be paid 81 200 a
year and expenses and they are to be
located at the various ref1neries and
inspect the oil and gasoline as 1t
leaves the plants.
Before attorneys can practice law