The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-02-04
GETTY IN PROTEST
WyandOtte Senator Objected to
Allen Before SolOns.
Urged Separate Branches of
Govt Be Kept Apart.

a protest against one Dfanch OIL the
Kansas state government taking an
interest in what another branch does
was registered when the senate re-
ceived an invitation to join with the
house of representatives in hearing
Governor Allen urge the passage of
the constitutional convention measure
today. The invitation came to the SEN
ate from the house of representatives
and Senator Getty of Wyandotte was
the protestor.
the house, Senator Coleman. sponsor
for the convention resolution in the
upper house, moved that the invita-
ton be accepted. Senator Getty then
was recognized by the chair and said:
Gentlemen, without meaning to re-
fleet in the slightest upon our COVER
nor for whom I have the highest ad-
miraion, l want to go on record as
emphatically opposing any precedent
that will tend to permit one branch of
our government to participate in the
directing of the affairs of another part,
believe most sincerely IN keeping the
three branches separate, and just as I
would not want the legislature to pre-
sumo to assist the supreme court or
the executive branch of the govern
ment in running affairs that belong
exclusively to these branches, SO L OPP
pose any move that will bring either
the chief executive or the supreme
court into this legislature to assist us
in handling problems that the legisla-
tive members alone are responsible
for"
Getty and Coleman Mix
Hardly had Getty finished talking
when Coleman was again on his feet.
| He cited national precedent and
showed that the president of the
United States has frequently gone be-
| fore congress to urge the passage of
some measure he deemed essential and
| asserted that the constitutional con-
vention question is of statewide i'm
portance and is considered most es-
sential by the governor He brought
out the fact that the people knew AL
| lens attitude on the constitutional
convention and knew how he would
urge it when they gave him the larg-
| est majority ever received by a can
didate for governor and closed his re-
| marks for the moment by asserting
! that it would be most discourteous to
refuse to accept the invitation extend
| ed to the senate.
Getty replied by assuring Coleman
| that no offense was meant to the gov
| ernor and that he was registering his
| objection purely as a matter of prin-
| cipal. He said he would never con-
sent to move to have the governor
appear before the legislature to urge
| the passage or defeat of any measure
and said that in his opinion such ac-
| ton on the part of a governor only
| tended to lower the dignity of the high
| office conferred upon him by the peo-
| pie. He referred to the constitution
! and read therefrom the provision for
the governor to present his MESA ge
| to the legislature in which he could
| urge the passage or the repeal of any
laws he might see fit to sponsor or
| copdemn and asserted that only so
| long as the three branches of the gov
eminent az kept apart will the state
have the blessings it now enjoys.
"Argument Had False Premise.'
In reply to this, Coleman said:
| "A great many arguments are based
| on false premises. / do not know
| whether or not the senator is aware
| of it, but his argument has a false
! premise He seems to have an idea
! that Governor Allen is intruding him.
| self upon the legislature. This is not
| the case. ! myself was in the house
| when that body extended an invita-
! ton to the governor to appear be-
| fore it and 1t was after this that an
| invitation was extended to the senate
Governor Allen is merely doing all
that he can to sAsist the legislature
upon the special request of the house
of representatives and 1 think the SEN
ator from Wyandotte is going rather
far when he makes the statement that
| he is lowering the dignity of his office
| by doing So
The protests of Getty seemed to lack
| backing and support and when the
Coleman motion was put to a vote it
| carried with only a few scattered dis
tSenting noes"