The Topeka state journal., 1916-10-14
Fewer Lawyers In Legislature
Is Move in Kansas.
Districts Represented by Busi-
ness Men Favored.
AN EXPENDITURE OF MILLIONS
Good Roads and Penal InStitu-
tiOns Are in Need.
Issue at Stake in Several Sena-
torial Districts.

"An equal representation of business
men with attorneys at the coming leg
islative session." seems to be an in
sistent demand in various parts OF
Kansas. This follows discoveries made
at recent sessions of the legislature
that the districts represented by busl-
ness men a rule have obtained
more consideration than others ana
the legislatures operated by attorneys
and professional politicians had enact
ed meaningless laws and laws that OIL
ten duplicated themselves on dl11erent
pages of the statute books.
The fight of the lawyer against the
business man for legislative positions
has been brought to a head more this
year than ordinarily on account OF the
important questions facing the legis-
lature at the coming session. The
recent Kansas Natural Gas receiver
ship has given the business man In
politics an excellent opportunity TO
rap the lawyer.
Tied in Litigation.
The business men point out that the
lawyers have been handling the case
: for the last two years and 90 not ap-
pear to have done much in untangins
the seemingly endless litigation IN
yolying the case in three courts, dls-
trict supreme and federal, not men
tioning the litigation before the utiil-
ties commission. Legislation govern
ing such cases will undoubtedly pe oe-
manded this winter and business men
believe that if a sufficient number or
them are elected they can do more TO
settle the endless and expensive Htl-
CATION than the attorneys.
Good roads legislation also promises
to be as important at the coming seS
sion. Expenditures of millions of dol
lars must be planned and laws drarteo
to provide for the expenditures. Lesls-
lative candidates representing business
concerns set forth that in TINS pus-
mess course must be pursued to avert
the graft and entangling legal pitfalls
into which New York and other east
ern states fell when they pioneered the
good roads building of the Unted
States.
To Rebuild State Prison.
The governors avowed determine,
ton to rebuild or repair penal anu
charitable institutions in the state oe-
mands like business sagacity ana 1ore-
sight in preparing for the expenolluie
of the funds, it is declared. The re-
building of the state prison at Lansihs s,,1t
will be provided for without doubt,
it seems, as well as repairing and add
ing materially to the size OF several
other state institutions.
Records of well known Kansas busi-
ness men in the senate are pointed to
bv the business candidates this year
There's Emerson Cary, the aggressive
salt manufacturer from Hutchinson,
who put the state fair on his shoulder
and took it home with him. There's
Senator Porter, the Pittsburg lumber
man, who did so much for the manual
training school in his home town.
There's Senator Walter Wilson OF
Washington a banker, who hasn't any
! opposition. There's Senator Vinton
Stillings of Leavenworth, a wealthy
dabbler in real estate, who, with the
assistance of C. E. Snyder in the
house, obtained the passage of a bill
| for the convicts at Lansing to build
brick road from Lansing to Leaven-
| worth A dozen other instances of the
| success of business men in state poll
tics in the senate and house have been
cited.
Only Issue at Leavenworth.
Over at Leavenworth the only issue
in the senatorial fight is whether a
business man or an attorney is the
proper man to be sent to the state
senate. The same c. E. Snyder who
aided Stillings in getting the convict
road built is running on the Republi-
can ticket to succeed Stillings. Snyder
is an aggressive young banker and a
relative of the Snyders in the Topeka
State bank. He puts the issue of busi-
ness man or lawyer of the state senate
squarely up to the people. w. w.
Hooper is the Democrat candidate for
state senator. He is admittedly a
clever attorney and seems as eager to
argue with the people that a lawyer
is needed in the senate as Snyder is to
argue with them that a business man
is needed. Like campaigns of lawyers
versus business men for tie legisla-
ture are in progress thruout Kansas
this year.