The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-02-14
BrOadside of Sarcasm Aimed at
Them by Arch Enemy.
WyandOtte Man Likens Them to
HerOesNOf a Great Battle.
WAGE WAR FOR 1.-THE PEEPUL .
And It's Great Fight They
Make on the Corporations.
Their Romantic History Is Re-
viewed in Full This Morning..

Speaking to a question of personal
privilege Senator Getty. of wyandotte,
arose at noon today and with carefully
selected .verbiage clothed the three
members of the public utilities com
mission in the gaIb of heroes. He
armed them, not with swords but with
funds from the state treasury, he sta
toned a phalanX of stenographers.
rate clerks and attorneys behind them
in the trenches, hen sent them forth
tc do battle for the people.
For ten minutes the senate was
given box seats at -'eview of a great
conflict. between the three heroes and
their mortal and hereditary enemies
the railroads, the telephone COM
panies, the gas companies and other
lesser foes inhabiting the wilds. And
it was great battle, altho there We're
no casualties. Arms. such as funds
from the treasury. were used with
energy and abandon. but apparently
the blows We're not well directed. They
fell short or overreached. There was
much smoke and fog at the height of
battle. and many loud reports. but
when the smoke cleared away the
scene of strife was clear of dead and
wounded.
A Real Romance.
Last Friday said the senator
from Wyandotte, Il was called away
from this body. | was called into the
outer darkness, as it were. Saturday.
in another city, received present,
book. romance.
THE scenes were not laid in coun-
tries across the sea, in foreign lands
They were laid on the plains of Kan
sas and in Washington, ID. c. The ro-
nance dealt not with the days of old
when men were bold but with the
present day
i cit was a story of three heroes go-
ing forth to do battle for the people.
/ Behind them, covering in the trenches
was the army of rate clerks, stenog-
raphers and rate attorneys, regular
and irregular. The three heroes with
fearless mein drew their swords, not
from their scabbai DIS, but from the
state treasury and the battle was on
Oh, it was a terrific battle.
''Then l awoke. l had reached the
end of the chapter and read that the
romance would be continued after the
appropriations for the next biennium
I had been completely expended. This
romance this thrilling story of the
three intrepid heroes who went forth
to do battle for the people, was con-
tinued. 1 must wait for the rest of
the thrills. 1 looked at the title page
and now L wish to thank the senators
from Clark, Wilson, Washington and
johnson for a copy of the third BIZ
ennial report of the public utilities
commission.
He's an Arch Enemy.
Senator Getty has been a thorn in
the flesh of the public utilities COM
mission since the present session be-
gan. He has overlooked no opportun-
;ty to insert his trouble shooter at the
psychological moment. Appropriation
bills providing for the commission
have not reached the senate but when
they do the senator from Wyandofte
will be on the floor with drill and a
can of powder. In a recent address to
the senate he referred to the commis-
J sion as the court of never. never do