The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-02-13


Senator Harry Mcmillan. who is moi
| only a veteran in the senator bushes.
but for eight years mayor of Mime.
| apolis, Kan, wanted to give the presi
dent q word of encouragement in hi
| efforts to purchase merchant vessels
for the American trade. To this end
he drew q perfectly good resolution
| inviting Kansas congressman and sen.
ators to get busy and vote with the
president. If the resolution evel
| reaches the delegation. 1t will be in
q sadly mussed-up condition. Certain
senators put certain joshers in said
resolution, and as 1t stands, it is mere
| ly q request that the Kansas delega.
ton do whatever it wants to II it feels
like it.
| that is extremely unkind. To let a
ship resolution go adrift without
anchor or steering gear is careless. to
say the least, and certain senators
think seriously of recalling the noble
craft and sinking it with appropriate
ceremonies.
The child hygiene bill. with appro-
priatiOns) will undoubtedly pass. This
bill with appropriatiOns) will add an
spOnsibility carried by Doc Swathefly
Crumbine, but he likes to carry such
| burdens with appropriations), and as
| the idea embodied in the bill is an ex-
| cellent one, the measure should be
popular with all classes.
They have swatted Senator Davis's
proposition to fine those voters who
do not vote. The senator's idea was
to make people vote, but maybe he ap-
preached the idea from the wrong d.
| rectiOn. 1t may be that charging peo-
pie for the privilege of voting would
get better results. The right to vote
| il free, and free things are unpopular
The boy who works in a candy factory
seldom eats as much as he did when
he had to buy it at a retail price. II
| the price of a ballot was one dollar
it could be marked down to 50 cents
and get results with the new voters.
For many, many seasons and SEES
sions, the paramount thought with
every legislature was: Gig the rail-
roads" 1t isn't done now. you know.
as Ruggles of Red Gap might say. The
railroads have been gigged to a fraz-
xle, and an occasional bill that will
only bump the iron track people OF
Kansas q mere matter of two or three
millions il all that is demanded to
keep up the legislative batting aver
age. But in days Of old, 1t was diff
ferent, and legislation had its lighter.
as well as tragic side. The railroads
have a kindly feeling for the bunch
of long-horn ref0rmers who took 1t
upon themselves to abolish that Aw-
full Pass EVIL The Pass Evil was a
real evil, and the railroads were the
holtow-horn ruminants. The reform
ers hanged themselves in their effort
to get publicity for their great Move
ment, because they held their 0rgani-
ration by virtue Of their ability to get
railroad passes ad Lib and send their
satellites over the state. They didn't
expect the anti-pass bill to get by. but
certain humorists saw the joke and
| boosted 1t across the plate. It for
ever queeFed the bunch that started
| it. and did the railroads an invaluable
service. Nearly every man who voted
for the anti-pass law had . pass in his
pistol pocket and . streak Of old gold
wider than the pass. It chopped the
passers but fittle. but It raised hech
with the pass-ees. The ceased u
90 home Sundays. and no longer did
the pass departments of the railroads
get brief notes-on legislative note pa
per-like these:
Deer Sir: My wffe's sistern-
laws neece, wants to go to Cali
forny for the summer. PLEASE
furnish pass round trip and make