The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-01-28
AFTER POLL TAX.
Senate Drags Hated Law Out OF
MOsS.COvered Cave.
Debate Centers on Whether or
Not 1t Really Exists.
NIGHSWONGER SAYS IT DOESN'T
Anyway, Measure Is Now on
Brink of Oblivion.
Tax Rebate Bill Back to Com
mittee with Amendment.

The Kansas poll tax law stood on
the brink this morning and shuddered.
Then it laughed at it's Would+be Rur-
derers and started back to Its moss
covered cave to lie down to pleasant
dreams. But the villains. led by SEN
ator Hickey. still pursued and the last
act of the senate before recessing at
noon was to carry it back to the brink
and tie it there to await further tor
tqFe.
When the senate went into a COM
mitfee of the whole this morning there
were few bones that could be used tor
eonte ntion, and, of the few. the poll
tax measure OF senator Hilkey seemed
the juiciest Hickey started things
when he was asked to explain senate
bill No. 96.
This bill relates to our venerable
and moss backed poll tax law, ne
said land the purpose of the bill is 10
abolish it," Then he told of some OF
the nuisances and Inconvenience and
bothers the poll tax law causes. ana
of the unfairness of making the ex-
tremely poor pay SO a year when per-
sons with property are allowed ex-
enptions to the amount OF $2Oo-
Senator Sutton of Stafford was the
first to take up the championship OF
the law, asserting that he ola not
know whether or not 1t snoulo DC
HDllEheQ
Joined him. Satterthwaite urged thai
every person should be made to pay
some kind of a tax and that II the
poll tax should be abolished many
would escape every kind of obligation
to the state.
Mr. Getty Gets In.
Paulen, OF Wilson. then lined up
on the side of Hickey. stating that in
his opinion the poll tax was the most
foolish law on statute books and that
when the constitutional convention is
called it undoubtedly Will remove the
5000 exemption ether taxpayers now
enjoy. Getty, of Wyandotte, followed
and after apologizing for butting into
a family affair thanked Paulen for
bringing the senate'5 attention to an
other great advantage the state would
enjoy by calling constitutional con-
ventfon IT thought everything that
could be said in favor of constitu-
tional convention had been recited,"
Getty said. but l am grateful to know
that 1t Will be necessary to have
constitutional convention to straighten
out this poll tax problem and put 1t
away for all time, as we'll as removing
thr present $500 exemption"
NighswOnger. of Sedgwick. gained
tha floor and insisted that the Hilkey
Trrosure was striking at something
which did not exist because the poll
tx law passed at the last session of
the legislature had been declared I'M
constitutional as a result of a clause
Inserted ny Getty exempting Kansas
city Kan, There is no poll tax law
et tbs time" Nighswonger asserted.
17d he produced un.entary evil
d0nce to suhstantiate his assertion
Whereupon he succeeded in getting
thru a motion filming Hickey a barrel
OF apples.
Insisted Law FIJI Force.
Hickey did not object to the fine but
insisted that q poll tax is now in force
in the state and offered to produce re-
ceipts showing that he pays three dol
lars a year into the poll tax fund.
This practically ended the arguments
End Sutton's motion that the bill be
sent back to the committee on taxa