Baxter Springs news., 1919-01-17
'GALENA after THE
|sCHOOL. SEGREGATION
Yount of the House and Sparks
of Senate win Put Up Fight
TO Separate White and
ColOred Pupils

Oscar M. Yount. Of Galena, elected
last fall to the state house Of repre-
sentatives from this district, sprang
into prominence as q fighter almost
before the legislature convened Tor
business It Is hard as yet to deter
mine whether this sudden prominence
should be termed popularity, motor
iety or perhaps fame. It Is certain
that he already has enthusiastic
champions and furious opponents.
It is all due to his announcement
that very early in the session ne
would introduce again the often tried
but never successful bill to segregate
the white and colored school pupils
of the state up to and including the
eighth grade.
A dispatch to the Galena Times
from Topeka is as follows:
Members Of the negro legislature
lobby should prepare for long hours
this winter. The school segregation
bill for second class cities, which pass
ed the house in 1917 and was blocked
| in the senate only thru the interter-
ence of Governor Capper, Is on the
slate for the coming session. Senator
10. w. Sparks and Representative os'
car M. Yount-bOth from Gaiens
town-are here to make the fight Of
their lives for passage Of the bill.
There isn't the least bit OF soft ant
tender sentiment about the Sparks
Yount, who took an initial survey o.
the colored population Of the state
good education. They are willing u
give them good schools. But the!
don't propose to share seat space an
spelling books with them. They wan
the negro scholars placed in separat
: schools and are willing to fight an
bleed and die to secure the passage o
the measure.
Their bill does not provide for com
pulsory segregation. It merely pei
mits such action. And that is all Gs
lena wants.
: "You can just bet your last 90
: lar the segregation bill will 60 int
: the hopper" said Representati'
: Yount, who took an itial survey
: the state house and legislature ha
q today. 1--WE want such a law for q
8 lena and / think there are a numD'
b of other towns that want it. Oh Spari
!: will make the fight in the senate al
=lI will introduce the hill in the house
ri Yount is a member of the GaleI
8 school board. He is Che only nemb'
3 of the board with children in the pu
2 lie schools.
3 "Galena wants this bill passed
= continued Yount. "That is why
q was elected. I don't know whether
8 will return for another session or M
Fl don't know whether ! will want
8 return. But / told the people OF y
= lena / would fight for this bill.
q haven't the slightest idea Of breaki'
= faith with them"
= Two years ago Sparks slipped t
= bill thru the house on final passa
= when all the dOpesters said it couldl
q be done. But Sparks had come to !
= peka with single hope and . sinl
8 dream. And he made. the night
e his life for that bill. It is prObal
9 the bill would have passed the Sen'
Elhad not Governor Capper taken
81 hand in the matter. The negro lob
81 got on the job after the house roll c
had been completed. It'was the !
a which Governor Capper gave u
q probably kept the measure OF the .
81 sion laws. Now the measure promii
to arouse one of the biggest nights
= the coming session.