The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-03-01
|. AND R. BEATEN.
House Refused to Accept Sem
ate Measure.
Republicans Voted Solid
Against Compromise.

conference report and blocked. its
adoption after it had received favora Bile
consideration in the senate. By vote
of "a to IS, the report was rejected,
the measure failing by ten votes of a
constitutional majority.
One of the most stubborn fights of
the legislative session marked the con-
sideration of the l. and r. conference
report. The house had passed its bill al
most unanimously. Both Republicans and
Democrats endorsed it. Then the SEN
ate passed something entirely different.
The resolution went to conference. The
first conference CO. m1ttee failed 10
agree. The house passed resolutions
declaring it would accept no compro-
mise and that the original house meas
ure or nothing should be given. A
second conference committee dld It's
best But to no avail. The SEN
ate committee crowded them over
and compelled the house conferees to
accept some substitutes.
1t was with that condition facing
them that the house opened the flnal
|. and r. fight of the session. The
i Republicans had caucused and agreed
! to support the report. Each side lost
one vote the Democrats gained the
| two Socialist votes, but were still short
! of a two-third vote.
| Speaker Brown led the fight for the
adoption of the report. He displayed
/ all of his art and cunning and pleaded
and begged with the minority mem
| bers to accept the compromise as the
| best that could be had at this session
Brown called down the promises OF all
parties, the speeches OF the campaign
| orators in vain.
stone of shawnee started the fire
works for the minority members as
Brown returned to his seat. Ihe ShaW-
nee county member called GOWN lLie
high heavens to witness that he would
support no measure labelled i. ana X,
which in it's provisions did not permit
court review. And stone spoke as d
Progressive Republican, too lie re
minded Brown that he had voted for
the T. and r. thing when it was un-
popuIar but even in the height or
the measures present popularity ne
would not support the Dill WITH It's
iniQuitouS provisions.
Democrats Were Routed.
Brewster of Doniphan was the one
big attraction, though, in the l. and r.
argument. Nothing in Brewster's SEN
ate performance of two years ago even
compared with the exhibition on the
conference report. The tOuSled head
ed lawyer from Troy kept Brown and
the Democrats guessing as to the
things he would spring IN ms next
move to beat the report. He opened
with the declaration that he would
gladly support the original house L.
and r. 1t called for question from
the Democrats and Just when Brown
and all the Democratic oratorica1 fire
crackers believed they had Brewster
in a box, he unloaded surprise He
challenged the Democrats to, stand
firm declared that the senate Repub-
licans would support the original
house measure and that the measure
would be no com promise. Then Brew
ster walked over to the senate cham
Der and came back with the names
of ten Republican members whom he
said had pledged themselves to sup
port the house bill. 1t was clever
move and routed the Democrats.
DRnnnr9t 10
ty ranks on final roll call, Brewsters
move had cemented the party lines
and the minority forces, backed by
their caucus agreement of two days
previous, held like wall.
AS the roll was called, the Demo-
Gratis were placed in the position of
accepting the compromise measure or
standing out for the original house bill,
which came from the administration
side of the house. They chose the
compromise pleading the late hour
and the conviction that it was
the best that could be had at this time
Drew, Democrat, voted against the
conference report and Strain, Republi-
can, supported it. Those were the
only changes from strictly party votes.
Immediately following the roll call,
Stone of Shawnee moved the request
for a new conference committee which
would demand the original house reso-
luton. The Democrats held a hasty
conference. They had been badly
beaten and Speaker Brown asked that
the motion lie over for a day stone
consented. That night the Democrats
caucused. They agreed that they had
made their fight and lost and under
no conditions would consent to a new
conference. J
comes from this session of the legisla-
ture, it will unqueStionabIy be the /
original house bill. The house minor |
ity holds the situation in its own hands |
and nave gone on record for accepting /
no substitutes. Yet the only manner |
in which the resolution can be submit |
ted, is for the senate to reconsider it's |
vote whereby it adopted the confer /,
ence report and to then substitute the :
original house bill for the conference |
report.
House members who opposed the con- |!
ference report sent the following state
ments to the speakers table in explana-
ton of their votes:
The house initiative and referendum
came from the Democratic side. The
Democrats voted for it on final passage.
Every Democrat voted to substitute it
for the senate measure. By a unani- /
nous vote the house instructed its con- !
ferees to stand by the house bill. The
speaker has supported this bill as the
one the people wanted 1 get the OPP +
p0rtunity. 1 cannot vote for this con- !
ference report. If the Democrats |
honestly want an initiative and refer |
lu0y Cetn nave TIE SAINT at ally |
time by voting for their own house bill /
I vote no.
There is fear in the hearts of the |
railroad heads today concerning the
passage of the mortgage registrationI
tax bill. The measures have been con- :
sidered in the legislature. The senate /
passed it's original bill and the house !
substituted it's original bill for the /
senate measure. In looking over the /
senate bill, the railroad heads have
discovered a Joker which they claim |!
will make railroading Improbable in
Kansas for many years.
In the senate bill there is a pro-