The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-03-03
is THERE 4 JOKER?
Believed That Recall ResOIu-
ton Has One.
Lit Has to Do With QuaIifica-
tiOns of Voters.

That there is a joker in the recall
resolutions as adopted by the Kansas
legislature is the firm belief of many
OF the members, who declare that the
measure will be made positively in
operative with it's present provisions.
Inc complaint filed against the recan
as offered to the voters by the Demo-
crarc legislature is in the provision
s Ma-cn REQUIRES recall petitions to be
signed entirely by persons who sup
ported in the previous election the
oIIlclaI sought to be recalled
"hen the measure was first intro
duced 1t provided for a recall petition
Whlch might be signed by per cent of
the voters, but did not specifically state
tnat they should be the former sup
porters of the official against whom the
complaint was filed. The house and
senate passed two different bills and
the measure was submitted to a con-
ference committee. The report of the
e to1 nm was subsequently adopted
oy the necessary two-thirds vote.
Now 1t is found that in order to re-
call state official, that ten per cent
or the persons voting for that official
in the recent election must sign the
petitions. Suppose the voters of Kan
sas mad the recall in their power at
the present time and desired to petit
ton for the recall of Governor Hodges.
In the recent election Hodges received
167,437 votes. To petition his recall, it
would be necessary for 1874 persons
to sign petitions declaring that they
supported the governor in the recent
election. 1t is claimed that such action
is impossible. On the other hand,
there are persons who see an entirely
different joker in the bill They are
just as firm in their declara ton that
of the 1874, 600 people who voted for gov
hot ',
to find 1874 people who in their zeal
to recall an official would sign such
statements and place an official in the
embarrassing position of facing a re-
call election.
For the recall of district judge or
city or county official, the percentage
of petitions is higher. To recall a dis
trict judge, it would be necessary for
Is per cent of the persons voting for
that judge in the previous election to
sign the petitions. For the Mccall of a
city or county official petitions signed
by % per cent of the persons voting for
the official must sign the petitions for
a recall election Yet as to the ques-
ton as to whether these petitions are
genuine, there is no opportunity for
contest. The mere fact that person
signs the petition, makes it absolute
and final. And while there is objection
to that fact, there is also just as seri-
Gus objection from other sources to the
effect that it would be absolutely i'm
possible to induce ten per cent of an Of
ficial's supporters to petition for his re-
mova1 from office.
Viewed from either angle, there is
occasion for claiming a joker in the
bill. But the measure will be sub
mitted to the voters in the 1914 election
and they alone will pass on the adoption
or rejection of this proposed constitu-
tionaI amendment.
The house ways and means commit
tee has virtually agreeu to recede from
it's demands for reductions in the edu-
cational appropriation bills as recon-
mended Dy the senate com com
been held by members of the house
and senate committee and it is prob
able that the appropriations for the
state schools will be recommended to
the legislature approximately as
agreed upon in the senate committee
rooms.
When the educational appropriation
bills were sent to the house commit
tee for the official o. K. of that body, |
several of the members stood firm
for the removal of several items from |
the bills. In the first place they in
sisted that no appropriations should
be allowed for any of the proposed
new buildings. They contended that |
such appropriations were i'll advised |
in view of the agitation against state |
lakes and that no new building should |
De allowed at this session of the leg-i
stature. Reductions in other items |
we're also made by the house commit |
zee.
Then the bills were considered in |
Joint sessions of the senate and house
committees. The senate stood pat.
That committee refused to yield to the |
demands of the house members and
several of the members of the COM
nittee from the lower bBanch of the
legislature are said to have weakened
n their stand against new buildings.
In the last few days the joint COM
11ittee has had under consideration
he bills for appropriations to Kansas
the state agricultural col
eye and the state normal. While 1t is
probable that at least one more con-
-erence will be held before the bills
ire finally reported to the legislature,
t now seems probable that the house
will concur in the recon-
nendations of the senate committee
ind that appropriations, virtually in
he same amounts suggested by the
enate committee, will be recommend
ID to the legislature.
1t is not considered probable that
Inv effort will be made to reduce
hese appropriations on the floor of