The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-01-31
Constitutional
AMENDMENTS
STILL ION ICE"
The Senate Fails to Take Def
mite Action Today.
Resolutions Referred to Com
mittee After Debate.
NO DEMAND FOR CHANGES?
Administrations Pet Seems to
Have Weak Following.
Some People Want to Change
Commandments, Terrell Says.

As field day for all amendments
leading to a constitutional convention
and a new Kansas constitution, today
was a failure in the senate. Thru the
efforts of Senator orice, of Clark,
aided by Terrell. of Chautauqua, sax
terthwaite, of Butler. and finally by
The author of the resolutions Barr
Of Bourbon.-the consideration of the
measure was postponed.
And the resolutions were referred
to the senate judiciary committee of
which Price, of Clark. is chairman,
upon his motion. Under his motion
they will be reported back from the
judiciary committee next Tuesday and
either a faVorble or favorable re-
port will be attached. Senator Price
agreed that if The resolutions We're
sent to his committee they will not
come back without recommendation,
as they came from the committee on
federal and state affairs.
All this was not done without nearly
two hours debate, during which con
siderable opposition to a constitutional
convention and "a new constitution de-
veloped on the floor. Senator after
senator denied there is any demand
over the state for a new constitution
one after another declared the agitd-
ton had been started and f,stered ny
a few interested people around the
state house.
The Center of Fight.
The first resolution considered S
known as No. 6. 1t provides for the
submission to the voters at the next
general election the question as }
whether or not constitutional con-
vention shall be held. All the discus
sion was upon this one resolution
altho all of it and the motions applied
equally to resolution No. I which pro-
vides that after a constitution has
been framed it shall be submitted to
the voters for ratification.
The action of the senate today in
dicated that the upper body is not any
too friendly to the pet administration
measure It indicated the possibility
that all matters relating to a new con-
stitutfon are going to have hard sled
ding in the senate with an excellent
chance of failure. Senator Prices OPP
position to a constitutional conven-
ton and to a new constitution is well
known in the senate. Yet the senate
by a vote of 20 to 3 voted down
substitute for his motion and carried
his motion by a much larger majority
so large that no count was made.
The fight started when Barr. of
Bourbon. moved to report back to the
senate with the recommendation that
resolution No. 6 be adopted
Terrell of Chautauqua. took the
floor. and minimized the alleged SEN
timent for a new constitution
FcrrelI Makes Speech.
Il doubt" he said, eff there is any
widespread demand for this matter.
If the truth were known it would be
shown that the movement started with
few interested persons around the
state house. They sent out the call to
select few-few compared with the
number of people in Kansas who
would be affected. Then they come
back to the people and declare there
is a widespread demand. l know a
good many people in my section of the
state and 1 have never heard whim-
per.
The constitution we have has
stood the test for fifty years, and
usually when we try to amend it the
people vote down the amendments
We could try out nine constitutional
amendments in the same length of
time it would take to make a new con-
stitution. The people are satisfied
all except the few who change their
ideas with every changing breeze
Terrell was followed by Satter-
thwaite of Butler. also opposed to a
constitutional convention.
This movement looks innocent
enough" he declared, but 1 do not
believe that down at the grass roots
there is any demand for anything of
the kind. l know the people in my
district are not demanding it, They
L
know they would object to having the
state spend 100000 in submitting the
proposition.
1t should Be Permanent.
The constitution should be found
ed upon things that are eternal. Talk
about an elastic constitution; YOU
might as we'll talk about an elastic
foundation for this building. There
are people who think they could i'm
prove upon the Ten Commandme nts-
also those who think we should have
a new constitution"
1t was then that Senator Price
moved his substitute to the Barr mo-
ton.
Ihis senate" he said, lis entitled
10 the judgment of some committee
on this matter. | don't believe such
an important matter should be
dumped upon the senate without the
consideration of some standing COM
mittee and without a report of some