The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-01-06
DEMOCRATS WILL
FARE SCANTILY
IN DISTRIBUTION
VIII Be Given One-Fifth of Leg
islative Patronage.
Both Houses for Minimum
Number of Employees.
~
INDIVIDUALLY IT'S Different
Every Senator Wants a Clerk
and a StenOgrapher.
The Legislature Is Too One
Sided for a Fight.
VIII Be Given One-Fifth of Leg
islative Patronage.
Both Houses for Minimum
Number of Employees.
INDIVIDUALLY IT'S Different
Every Senator Wants a Clerk
and a StenOgrapher.
The Legislature Is Too One
Sided for a Fight.

Members of the 1917 legislature
backed by old and experienced legls-
iators-will do as they please ABOUT
naming their employees. Unless some
thing is done to stop the movement
the senate will kick the Lambertson-
Burton efficiency and economy recon-
4nendations down the back stairs. Both
houses will favor a minimum number
of employes. But there is slight ten
dency to adopt anything so radical ana
drastic as the committee recommendil-
lions. Democrats are to draw ONE
fifth of the senate patronage and COM
inittee assignments.
20 Legislative employees is one OF tue
matters of concern to the men VINO
are coming to Topeka early for the
session. There are few issues to dis
cuss and the matter of employees al
fleets the welfare and happiness OF sew
eraI hundred ambitious men ana Won-
en- who desire to connect with the
state pay roll.
one of the plans outlined by the leg
fsla tive members who have nad eA-
perience in former sessions calls Tor d
clerk for each senator. Nearly thirty
of the members absolutely need clerks,
the veterans argue. To deny the re-
naming members clerk would pc
rank discrimination. Some one might
resign and go home. SO each MEMBER
is to have a clerk-unless the economy
boosters can block the present pro-
gram.
Must Be Stcnographers.
There will also be a sufficient num-
Der of stenographers. Many OF the
legislative members-especially sena-
tors=came to Topeka at personal
financial loss They want sufficient
number of stenographers to permit
them to keep in touch with conditions
at home. What is more, they want
sufficient legislative help to permit
the session to wind up its affairs at
the end of fifty days and go home to
the cows and native sod.
The meek and Iowly Democrats in
the house and senate are receiving
little consideration in the organization
plans There are scarcely enough
Democrats in the two houses to fur
nish a first class wind break. So the
minority is to be recognized only in
accord with its strength. The old
members recall the arrogance of the
Democrat senateS OF two years ago
and the DenocrRt.house of 1918. Now
the Republicans will repay the Demo-
Gratis in their own coin.
One-F'ifth to Democrats.
Under the plan as outlined in the
informal hotel lobby caucuses, the
Democrats will draw one-fifth of the
committee assignments That there
may be no dispute about the matter,
the Republicans will also tell the
Democrats which fifth they can take.
The plan will give the Democrats at
least one place on each committee.
They may also be given such chair
manships as the committee on hygiene
and public health, temperance-al-
ways regarded good Democrat com
mittee-and possibly the chairman
ship on federal and foreign affairs.
In the house the Democrats will be
recognized. But no one is certain as
to just what extent. Among a number
of the members, tho, is a tendency to
follow the senate lead both in the mat
ter of selecting employees and handing
the Democrats jobs filled with empty
honor and decorated only with title.
Arrival of legislators for the 1917
session has been slow. Members did
not hasten to leave their homes as in
former sessions when heated contests
surrounded the organization. This
year there is little spirit of fight in
either branch of the legislature. As a
result members of the 1917 session
stayed at home until the last minute
At noon today less than half of the
members had arrived. Many of the
law makers will not come to Topeka
until Monday