The advocate and Topeka tribune. [volume], January 11, 1893, Image 1

About The advocate and Topeka tribune. [volume] (Topeka, Kan.) 1892-1894

Image provided by: Kansas State Historical Society; Topeka, KS

                
D TOPEKA TRIBUNE.
Sm atuiLI TOPEKA, KANSAS, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1893. mruarSmo Iahsu. i
A DOUBLE-HEADER.
Two Sets of Officers Trying
to Run the Lower House
in Kansas.
WORKING UNDER DIFFICULTIES
Mcst Complicated Situation Ever Jjiown
in Kansas Politics The Senate
Organized, bnt Doing
No Business.
Now exists the most peculiar condi
tion ever known in a Kansas legislative
body. Two houses of representatives
are holding forth in representative hall
waiting to be recognized by the senate
and the governor. At this time, Thurs
day morning, all the members, contest
ants and both sets of officers are in their
seats waiting to hear the result of a con
ference between the party chairmen,
Breidenthal, Jones and Simpson, with
little hope of a settlement of the diffi
culty. ( the nousE.
At noon on Tuesday the interior of
representative hall presented the appear
ance ,of a well-regulated church confer
ence with no politics attached. The
galleries were filled with well behaved
spectators, and the members-elect kept
gliding in to the floor in little bunches
of two, three and four, all looking the
picture of quiet determination. Outside
the hall the corridors and stairways were
a solid mass of humanity from the doors
to the lower floor. Men and women
crowded and jostled as though their life
depended on their getting very near the
entrance, for most of them knew well
that there was no Hope of their getting
inside. The secretary of state's office
had been besieged for hours by those
who wanted admission tickets. But
they were told that the tickets had all
been issued to the members, and to
them was the place to go for tickets.
The minutes glided away and the peo
ple on the floor became restless. They
gathered in groups, talked in low but
earnest tonec, held miniature conven
tions, separated and gathered again.
Some of them looked distressed. The
republicans dreaded what was coming
and the Populists did not seem anxious
to force the action. A dozen reporters
sat at the table yawning and writing
stuff that was soon thrown away because
it was too mild for the occasion.
At 1:25 p. m. Secretary of State Os
born appeared near the speaker's desk
and met with a round of applause. Each
member-elect seemed to clench his teeth
and draw himself together for business.
The dreadful suspense was at its highest
when the secretary mounted the stand
and siezing the huge gavel, brought it
down with a force that jarred the win
dows. It sounded like business. The
audience became quiet.
Mr. Osborn said in pursuance of the
duty imposed on him by the statutes,
(quoting a part of the statute) he had
come to lay before this body a list of the
members-elect of the house of repre
sentatives. It had been the custom for
City, followed in the line of Douglass'
objection, and relieved himself of some
eloquence.
Secretary Osborn was equal to the
occasion. He listened with calmness and
fortitude until he was satisfied as to the
course the insurrectionists intended to
pursue. Then he dropped his gavel on
the desk and left it there. With the
assurance that he meant to adhere to
the announcement he had made in the
start, and that he was ready to lay be
fore the house a list of the members-elect
but Cubbison remained at the desk. The
republicans crowded to the front and
continued making motions which only
their chairman seemed to understand.
They occupied the south side of the hall
and the Populists the other side. Dur
ing the confusion which followed, Cub
bison's voice could be heard above the
din, as he declared J. B. Remington to
be elected temporary clerk, and later,
Geo. L. Douglass permanent speaker.
It would have been strange if during
all this racket the Populists had not be
come excited too. Their enthusiasm and
indignation did reach a very high mark,
by reason of the revolutionary methods
their opponents were pursuing, but with
the exception of one or two members,
reason and good judgment held sway on
that side of the house.
The situation was canvassed quickly.
The republicans had refused to receive
the roll of members from the secretary
of istftt?, and bad made the first attempt
at arbitrary organization. Now was the
time to effect an organization that would
be recognized by the senate, the governor
and the people of the state. Republican
members were crowding around their
side of the speaker's desk to be sworn in
The noise was like that of a cyclone.
Mr. Dunsmore nominated J. B. Ryan,
of Miami county, for temporary speaker,
and aempie put the motion. Ryan was
elected rd was soon in the speaker's
desk beside Douglass. Ben C. Rich waa
elected chief clerk, and soon afterward
J. M. Dunsmore was elected and in
stalled permanent speaker. Leroy Dix
waa elected sergeant-at-arms, other nec
essary officers were elected and the Pop
uliat organization of the house waa com
pleted. Before the real organization was ef
fected, the republicans had got so far
along as to be introducing bills, but no
one could tell what they were doing
without getting one ear very close to
the side of the speaker's desk and hold
ing the other shut. By that means, one
could hear Douglaas say (aa he took the
papers that were handed up): "The gentle-
man from Marion introduces the follow
ing bill," and "First reading of thebilL"
The republicans flattered themselves that
they had made the quickest time on
record getting the law making power in
working order. Scarcely half an hour
had passed since Osborn called the as
sembly to order, but most of the mem
berg and spectators present saw more
excitement and confusion during that
time than they had seen in a " delibera
tive " body during their lives.
The thing began to assume a ludicrous
appearance, and the signs of bad humor
disappeared from the faces of those who
had shortly before shown an inclination
to fight. The two speakers were making
(tonttnutd on jpagt 8.)
i
M SvSSsVts
L. ID. LEWELL1NG.
Inaugurated Governor of Kansas, January 9, 1803.
secretaries of state to act as temporary
chairman at the organization of the
house and senate, but as that was not
required by law he would not attempt to
do so except by unanimous consent of
the members.
George Douglass, of Sedgwick, ad
dressed "Mr. Secretary" and objected to
his acting as chairman. He made a five
minutes speech and was cheered by the
republicans.
J. M. Dunsmore, of Neosho, talked in
favor of the secretary as temporary chair
man. He said it was true that the secre
tary had no constitutional right to pre
side over the house, but this was not the
house. It was only an assembly of the
men who claim to be members-elect of
the house which is to be. He said when
Mr. Douglass arose and addressed the
secretary he recognized him as the chair
man. He said it was necessary for the
secretary to call the roll so that the
members might determine who should
be members. Douglass replied that
the question of wko were members had
already been determined by the state
officials. J. K. Cubbison. of Kansas
whenever the house was ready to receive
it, he pocketed his roll sheets and left
the hall.
For a moment the republican mem
bers were stunned, but their opponents
were not swift to take advantage of the
situation. The leaders of both sides
left their seats, and in a moment more
the house was in wild confusion, the
leaders trying to hold conference and the
other members wondering what would
come next.
In a minute after the secretary left R.
II. Semple, of Franklin, made for the
speaker's desk, and capturing the gavel,
began using it in a very businesslike
manner. But it was no use, the Popu
lists were not yet ready to push for an
organization.
At this juncture the republican mem
bers lost their head and made their fatal
mistake. J. K. Cubbison, of Wyandotte,
took a position beside Semple and plied
another gavel. Then Hoch, of Marion,
moved that Cubbison be made temporary
chairman. It will never be known how
many voted on this or any other motion
that was made during the . next hour,