The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-02-12

hilating the Davis bill by an enacting
clause motion, he tried it out on the
Carey bill-but this time the adminis-
tration Democrats balked-and the vote
failed.
Senator Howe succeeded in making
the efficiency committee give the in
stitution or office heads a hearing be-
fore they made a radical report against
the management and Senator Waggen-
er extracted stingers in the. form OF
other committee authority.
This efficiency committee is moth
ing but a board of detectives housing
around hunting for trouble is the way
Waggener explained it,
The vote: For the efficiency commit
tee-Carey, Carney, Davis, Denton,
Howe, Kinkel, Lambertson, Logan,
Mahin, Overfield, Paulen, Porter, Price
of Greenwood, Shouse, Simpson, SUIT
ton, Trott, Troutman, Wilson of JEFF
ferson, Wilson of Washington, and
Wolf. Against-Bowman, Gray, Kinds,
Joseph, King, Klein, Maline, McMil-
ley. Price of Clark Stavely, Stillings,
Waggener, and Williams. Absent
Huffman. For, 21; against, 10; absent,
1t is the opinion of Senator Davis.
of Bourbon county, that scores of lob
byists are whispering in the ears of
members of the upper house and their
names are not registered on the books
at the office of the secretary of state.
He introduced in the senate late Tues
day afternoon a resolution calling for
the appointment of three senators to
work with the attorney general in
smelling OUT the lobbyists and bring.
ing them to the penalty clause of the
lobby law.
Senator Davis made no explanation
of his resolution on the floor of the
He however
the senate has been alive with lobby
lists since the session began-and he
has been able to find only a few of
their names on the books in the Office
of the secretary of state.
Senator Davis is an enemy of the
lobbyist. Early in the session he tried
to force through a bill preventing per-
sons from lobbying either in the state
house Hobbies or at the hotels or on
the streets. His bill was killed in COM
mittee-and now he brings it for in
vestigation.
The Judiciary committee has killed the
Bowman bill providing for the ap-
pointment of a reviSor of statutes.
This committee also stopped the bill
providing for lien on gravestones
and the registration of attorneys
throughout the counties in the state
The bill giving county officials authori-
ty to investigate crime as the liquor
violations nov are investigated, has
been recommended for passage
The Kansas legislature may go on
record in opposition to the custom
practiced by United States congress
men and senators distributing garden
seed to constituents in this state. In
the senate late Tuesday afternoon
Senator Davis, of Bourbon county, in
troduced resolution petitioning the
members in congress to abandon the
old idea that Kansas was in need of
garden seeds every spring.
In his resolution Senator Davis sug-
gested that the Kansas senators and
Representatives at Washington spend
their time in the interests of the state
they represent and not waste energy in
mailing seeds to commonwealth
where experiment stations and agri-
cultural colleges flourish with advice
and counsel. ~~
The senate late TUESDAY afternoon
again disagreed with the house on the
Massachusetts, ballot law. As a re-
suit the bill will go back in conference
between committees of both houses. |
The senators by vote of % to II
decided that the foreign element in |
the state, possessed with citizenship |
papers, but unable to read the Eng
lish language, should have the right |
to vote. The debate was won by a |
I0TCo dtldCk Oh the Dill Dy senators
Mahin, Joseph, Troutman and Nc
MILAN.
The ballot as supported by the |
administration forces under the lead
ership of Senator Carney forbids ig-l
nOrant voters from receiving assist
ance in the booths. The majority of |
the membe of the senate insist, how
ever, that these persons be allowed to |
vote, thereby defeating the platform |
plank which ruled against the ignor-
ant.
The enemies of this clause, however,
state that it is unfair to the thousands
of Germans and Swedes in the state !
who own property. make good citizens
but who are unable to read the names
on their ballots.
A further safeguard against illegal vot- |
ng by foreigners in Kansas was provided |
FOR in bill introduced in the senate this;
morning by Senator Porter of Crawford |
The Porter bill would make It
necessary that all aliens file their first
and second papers with the county clerk
and record transferred to the precincts
before a registration is allowed
Senator Davis of Bourbon county be-
ieves that Kansas should have the right
% submit ten constitutional amendments
% the people for vote He has offered
constitutional amendment providing for
he number of constitutional amendments
hat be submitted to the people by
he legislature. If this amendment passes
t will give the voters in 1914 the right tn
yote on an opportunity to make ten the
maximum number of constitutional
amendments.
The senate this afternoon, in respect to
he memory of Abraham Lincoln, passed,
~ rising vote, a resolution written cy
,ring the anniversary of the birth of the
amous American patriot ex-presider,.