The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-01-27

their votes Friday and lifted Governor
Capper from a hole which We had dug
for himself in recommending the
executive budget system for appro-
priations. The vote came when the
house supported 4 motion to table the
Stone resolution, extending privileges
of the floor to the governor nd
adopting for this session of the legis-
lature, the Maryland budget system
which Governor Capper had recon-
mended in his campaign and in his
message TO the legislature. On a roll
call 81 members voted in support of
the motion to table, while 16 voted no.
Earlier in the week the house by a
vote of SO to adopted the resolution
Every effort of administration
forces had been brought to bear today
to beat the Stone resolution. In n
speech on the floor Stone bitterly as
sailed the governors lack of courage
in seeking to defeat in private a pro-
gram ne had made paramount in his
public utterances- 1t was the most
bitter denunciatioa of executive cow
ardice on the floor of a Kansas legi.-
lature in years. Stone declared he
had incorporated in his measure every
provision asked by the executive and
challenged Governor Capper to send
to the legislature a recommendation
of the things he had privately asked
the lower house members to do to save
him from standing behind the appr3-
priation bills.
Stones resolution came up under
motion to reconsider, offered after the
reading of the governors special mes
sage Wednesday evening. Stone Of
fered amendments to his resolution
embodying all of the provisions of the
Maryland budget system endorsed by
the governor. Then, for forty min
utes he talked turkey to house
members and challenged the governor
to come out in the open with a pro-
gram he sought to adopt in secret.
1T has been my pleasure to ask
the governor to assume the same re-
sponsibility as he asked his successor
to assume, said Stone. at is nv
pleasure to- ask the governor to. act
under his own recommendation
do not believe governor of Kansas
should advocate one thing for sue
ceeding governors and refuse to apply
the same policy for his own admins
tration. This resolution gives to him
all the power he asks under the Mary
land budget system. 1t is an oppor-
tunity to test here and now the merit
of that system and his program
Before this resolution was offered
it was submitted to the governor and
discussed with him by me. He ap-
| proved it except to say that it would
| compel him to prepare a budget in
| haste"
i lSedu OOVcrnOrS approval.
, Stone then read the governors note
to w. A. Layton, speaker pro tenn,
while the resolution was under con-
sideration earlier in the week. In
| his own handwriting the governor
said: This is Mr.. Stones idea 1
see no objection to it,
IF 90 of you voted your convic-
| tions when yous adopted this resolu-
ton a few days ago. I ask you to
| vote your convictions now. If you
voted to please the governor. then 1
ask you to vote to carry out the pro-
visions in his message to you
| Il understand authoritatively that
the governor wants this resolution de-
| feated. Then let him send us a mes
sage and make a record of that desire.
/ If he has thru his department urged
this resolution defeated and makes no
placed you in? Here is his public
| record and work. He hasn't changed
it. Where will he leave you on your
record? Does he. want to climb out
F., of a hole and leave you in it? Is
that fair? Is it fair to you? Again.
he asked you to, then let him make
a record of that request.
IT'S Sad, But True
''He has said to you and others. kill
| this resolution and let me out of the
hole very much deplore that this is
true. That depreciates all of his pro-
| fessions-aN Of his message 1t means
you must inquire secretly whether he
| means this or that on every issue. 1t
is the most disgraceful spectacle be-
fore this legislature don't mean
| this session, either.
/ why two years ago the governor
assumed the responsibility to blue PEN
ell fifteen or twenty appropriation
items. Now he tells you it will take
six months to prepare budget Didn' I
he know enough of conditions to act
! then? Hadn't he been benefited by
two years experience in office? Now
If he can't act, what does he expect
his successor to do who will take his
! oath of office the day before the legis-
| lature convenes? He knew conditions
two years ago-or assumed to-and
if he didn't know, he violated the spi-
rit of his OATH This house stood with
him then and as speaker stood with
him. 1 ask you if in his next cam
| 1. o.