The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-02-27
Initiative and Referendum Re-
ceives a Big Vote.
Senate Plays a Good Joke on
the House.
PRICE TROUTMAN : MAHIN.
Mighty Anti-I. II. Trio Went
Down to Defeat.
Primary Bill Calling for DOna-
ton Is Killed.

The Democrats, solid as rock. af-
ter caucus of admonition, and many
Republicans, feeling that it was their
last chance to line up with the wishes
of the people, combined their votes
in the senate late Wednesday after
noon and passed the initiative and ref
erendum as proposed under the origi-
nal Waggeuer resolution and as agreed
upon by the conference committees OF
the house and senate. The vote was
81 to s, after a debate lasting nearly
the entire afternoon
Making his last stand against the I.
and R.-a stand which was even more
cleverly executed and managed than
previous attacks. Senator Price OF
Clark county assaulted the constitu-
tional amendment for as minutes on
the floor Wednesday afternoon. Earn
est and eloquent and insisting that he
was serving and not pleasing his con-
stituents, the leader of the Republican
forces, with only q few faithfuls IN
his fold, tore the initiative and refer
endum into oratorical shreds-but
with no avail in the final ballot. He
was supported ably on the floor by
Senators Mahin of Smith county and
Troutnan of Shawnee with Lambert
son of Brown adding fuel to the
flames.
For the Democrats the invincible
Bale Waggener retorted with his m
was not amending the constitution
only giving the people chance to do
il. Senators Gray of Osborne, KING OF
Cowley and Joseph of Butler carried
the flag of the administrator FORCES /
The senate paid back the house IN
its own coin this year. 1t will be re-
membered that last year the house
passed the initiative and referendum
in order to place their votes right
with the people, knowing that the
measure.
house members voting for the .consti- /!
tutional amendment received all the
credit from their constituents and the
senate opposition received al the
blame. This year. the senate Repub- l.
licans. knowing that the house minor ..
ity members had caucused sondly
against the I. and r. allowed their
votes to line up with the popular
clamor and the house Repuohcans
will be blamed for their stand.
Very few members of the senate are
anticipating the passage of the amend
ment. But they have placed them
selves on record and are satisfied.
The vote on the initiative and referen-
dunn follows: For the amendment: Bow
man. carey. Carney. Davis. Gray, Kinds
Klein Logan, Malone, Macmillan, Meek.
Milton. Nighswonger, Nixon, Pauley Por-
ter Prize Of Greenwood; Sho3Se see Sa,mp
Williams. Wilson of Jefferson, wilson o.
Washington. and Wolf Against the
amendment: Denton, Lambertson, Ma
hin. price of Clark, Overfield, Paulen,
Stavely and Troutman. The Republicans
voting for the measure: Carey, HUFFMAN,
INinkel. Logan; Pauiey. Porter, Slfnpson'
and Wolf
The Carney primary bin stripped of its
combination convention and election
clause but retaining the features which
required candidates to deposit 1 per cent
r,p =, off 4fNaI-
ing was killed and buried by the senate
Wednesday afternoon. The bill was I'M
popular when placed on the calendar but
when Senators Davis and Mcmillan. DEM
ocrats rose up in rebellion on the floor |
of the senate and led the mutiny agains+ |
the pet of Il party colleague, the death
Snells sounded.
Members OF the senate are telling a
good story on Senator Price of Clerk
county. A stranger walked into the upper
gallery late Wednesday afternoon while
Senator Price was delivering his bitter
Grafton against the initiative and refer
endum. The man took seat and listened |
to Price for several minutes. then leaned |
over to his seatmate and said
''Say, will you tell me what he is talk
THAT is the I. and r. debate came the
answer.
The stranger settled back in his seat
and said nothing until Price finished his
talk. Then he leaned over with one more
query:
II don't like to bother YOU but will you
tell me what railroad that L. and r. is?'
Billy Morgan of the Hutchinson News
and Walter johnson OF the Hutchinson
Gazette have been sitting breathless at
the press table in the senate the last four
days, waiting for the outcome of the
tie faith in the claims Of their senator
that the battle was only matter of roll
call.
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