The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-02-13
Senate Kills Measure Calling
for 1t by 25 to Is Vote.
Many Members Explain Their
Attitude as They Vote.
LITTLE REMORSE is SHOWN
Supporters of Bill Say They
Will Get 1t by Years Hence.
NighswOnger Takes Henry j.
Allen Over the Goals Again.


The proposal to hold a constitutions
al convention in Kansas is dead. Fiji
teen senators killed it just before noon
today-the same fifteen who voted
against it in committee of the whole
last week. With four or five days at
their disposal after the test vote was
taken, the friends of the measure were
unable to make even a dent in the OPP
position. Not vote was changed on
roll call today.
Here is the senatorial lineup on one
of the big matters to come before the
present legislature, one of the chief
administration measures:
For; Anspapgh Barr ,s Bergen o Gar
Getty. Gulick, Hart, Huffman, Kan
avel, Kimball Milligan, Montee, Myers.
Snyder, Thompson, Whitney, Wilson
Against: Anderson. Brunner Fer
reii, Hickey, Laing, Malone, Mccain,
Metcalf, .Nighswonger, Nixon, Price,
Satterthwaite, Smith, Sutton, Wark-
Is.
The adoption of the resolution re-
CURED a two-thirds majority and it
failed by one and two-thirds votes
Considering the agitation that has
been apparent over the adoption or
this resolution there was striking
lack of tears when vote was an
nounced. Its most ardent senatorial
supporter, Barr of Bourbon, who in
troduced the measure, showed no
feeling.
Its all right he declared. "a con-
stitutional convention is coming any
way. Well get it two years from
now"
No Remorse Shown.
The senate trampled upon this
| sacred administration measure with
| out remorse. As a matter OF fact
there were smiles upon the faces of
half a dozen who had voted aye"
when the result of the roll call was
announced. Had there been any dan
ger that the resolution might carry
there might have been more votes
against it,
Early in the session the senate
thought the house would kill the con-
stitutional convention idea before the
senate reached it and there was feel
ing of security. Then someone over
in the house slipped and the senate
discovered that it was going to have
to vote first. 1t discovered also that
: it would not be the part of wisdom to
trust too much to the house Dis
uuieting rumors reached the senate to
the effect that if any attempt was
made to pass the buck to the house
/ the house world simply adopt the
! resolution.
That was the situation in the senate
1 when the measure came up for con-
sideration in the committee of the
whole. The administration was not
! exactly uninterested. Senators were
called into the governors office and
urged to vote for a constitutional con-
vention. One senator replied that
wheneve, the demand For constitu-
tional convention came from the peo-
/ pie instead of the politicians he would
= vote for it and not before.
There vas considerable lodging
during the early deliberations over the
measure but it finally developed that
there was fairly well-defined line of
cleavage among senators and the jock
eying ceased. 1t was checked up to a
vote in committee of the whole and
was reported for adoption by a vote of
rs to 10. 1t takes only a constitutions
al majority to report a resolution for
adoption but it takes a two-thirds vote
: for adoption.
/ No Change in Vote.
| There were many votes cast in trep-
idation last week when the bill was
/ whole and because the friends of the
measure thought they detected a
! weakness in certain opponents they
put the final roll call over until to-
day. In the meantime different forces
and influences worked on the sena-
tors. Some of them told about it to-
day when they voted. But there was
mt a change. Every senator voted just
as he voted last week.
3 Il want to state that ] am voting
, my own sentiments and not those of
/ the Kansas City Star" declared An
derson of Saline land 1 vote no."
Hickey of Usage also explained his
vote
1.-The constitution does not say that
when two-thirds of the newspaper or
two-thirds of the voters believe a con-
shall provide for its call" he said.
The constitution says that when two
thirds of the members of both houses
believe it is necessary they shall pro-
vide for its call. That checks IL
squarely up to the members. vote
no.
Senator Nighswonger of Sedgwick
used fifteen minutes in explaining his
vote and in castigating Henry j. AL
len, publisher of the Wichita Beacon
/ He showed a petition containing 500
names, more or less, received this
morning from Wichita urging him to
vote for the resolution. He stated that
the Wichita editor had them circu-
lated at church last Sunday.
''In my simplicity he said. II mad
thought that the church was a place
for the worship of God rather than a
dreams and political dreamers."
People Against 1t.
He them showed a stack of letters
received from persons oyer his district.
unsolicited. he said. Urging him to
vote against the measure. He had the
reading clerk read an editorial from
W. -. Ii "a