The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-12-31
TO ASSIST ALLEN.
--r---S---
Session To Start With Friendly
House and Senate.
Governor MayAdd New Strength
and Finish With Record.
MEMBERS WON'T BE- BOSSED
Reports From Over State Indi-
cate They Want To Help.
SIush Fund Causes Much Dis
turbaRce In Kansas:
MEMBERS WON'T BE- BOSSED

start the legislative session with a
friendly house and senate. But there
IS no man in Kansas wise enough to
foresee the relations which viii exist
in February and March. Organization
will determine final results. The gov
ernor may develop new strength and
finish with a Man o War record. And
The state may see a repetition of the
sad spectacle of 1919 when the state
administration hit an open switch and
was SO we'd from destruction by SYM
pathetic opposition.
Want To Help Allen.
Reports from a large majority of
the new house and senate members
Indicate they want to help the Allen
program. But they are a somewhat
sensitive and temperamental bunch OF
legislators. While they want to help,
they don't want to be bossed. And
in Consequence the legislative course
at this time seems destined to pc de-
termined by leadership-not dictation.
In short Governor Allen may work
with the legislature and by logic and
reason gain many things On the
other hand his 1919 wreckinE crew
may expect about the same generous
reception as would come to toreador
rehearsal in a he-cow pasture.
Already Fred Trigg of Kansas City,
Mo, has frankly stated that the
Kansas legislature has gone to he'll
Thereby Trigg seemingly meant that
the program which had been drafted
for Kansas in the pure and virtaous
Missouri town had a slim chance OF
enactment During the regular sess
sion OF 1913 and the special session
of 1920, Trigg was a right-hand man
of the state administration. He is
slated to leave his home town flat on
its back this winter and give his entire
Of IL n s01
make Topeka and other towns just as
wholesome to live in as Kansas City,
Mo.
William Allen White Is Alarmed.
Then there is William Allen White
of Emporia. In the last few weeks
the Emporla editor has been viewing
with much alarm. He has locked on
the new legislature with suspicion.
on several occasions ne has seen the
sinister influences of Dave MulvaEe,
Charley Curtis and others who have
spent their lives in the Republican
party working to shape state legisla-
ton.
rnare-the slush fund. Already it has
occasioned disturbances. The first dis
:uriJance comes in the form of sug-
gestion from several legislators. They
want to pass a resolution the first day
of tho session and invite Trigg and his
all star cast to tell just where the
100000 can b. found. Then they
want to know just the members whose
votes are to be bought and the legis-
lation that is to be controlled with the
money.
In Amlable Frame of Mind.
Yet the legislature is coming to To-
peka in a rather amiable, kindly tenn
pered frame of mind. 1t wants to help
celebrate the big Republican victory
by helping Governor Allen with such
chores as may need immediate atten-
ton. Then. without outside interior
ence, it seemingly wants to close it's
books and go home. Most of the mem
hers seemingly want to help with a
frankly state that they want to aid
i'm putting the farm tenantry plan in
operation. But they want to do it
very largely in their own sweet way
They don't want too many people
keeping the time sheet and they are
not especially soliciting the aid of a
bunch OF straw bosses.
So that is the situation as it seems
TO exist just now. Counsel, guidance,
organization will determine the legis-
lative procedure. The molasses bar
rel may get more votes than the pie
counter. Yet to date the governors
friends have merely waved red rags
ana poured NllTlOl III olQ sores. II mas
aroused interest, but seemingly made
no converts.
May Take Active Hand.
It is probable that Governor Allen
may himself be forced to take an ac-
tive hand in the legislative activities.
His selection of leaders and managers
viii probably determine hts~suceess or
failure IN the scpAQfng session. Two
Years ago when the session started It
looked as tho the administration could
own the moon. A. the end of the sec
ond week it was unable to get the
legislature to pass anything except the
time. Now sstlTe, governor is starting
the 1877 session with a seemingly
friendly majority in both houses.
There viii be a lot of interest in
Kansas in the next two weeks in the
steering