USA > Kansas > Kansas; a cyclopedia of state history, embracing events, institutions, industries, counties, cities, towns, prominent persons, etc. with a supplementary volume devoted to selected personal history and reminiscence, Volume II > Part 28
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in the laws referred to in his proclamation, as well as the failure of the last regular session to make an appropriation for the state board of health. He also gave an account of the Cheyenne Indian invasion of the previous year, and the strike on the Missouri Pacific railroad in March, 1885, shortly after the adjournment of the legislature, and recommended the enactment of a law providing for some means of arbitrating disputes between the workmen and their employers. He announced that ex-Gov. Samuel J. Crawford, state agent at Washington, had turned over to him drafts on the United States treasury aggre- gating $332,308.13 "for reimbursement for expenses in repelling invasions and suppressing Indian hostilities," exclusive of any Price Raid claims.
Although the session was a short one a number of good laws were enacted. A complete legislative apportionment was made; the errors suggested by the governor in his proclamation and message were cor- rected; cities were authorized to establish and maintain free libraries ;
the game laws were amended; jurisdiction over certain lots in the city of Wichita was ceded to the United States as a site for a Federal build- ing; counties were authorized to establish high schools; the appoint- ment of boards of arbitration was provided for, and upon the recom- mendation of Gov. Martin May 30 was declared a legal holiday. (See Memorial Day.)
On Jan. 29, 1886, while the general assembly was in special session the quarter-centennial of the admission was celebrated with appropriate ceremonies and observances in the city of Topeka. The movement for a celebration of this character originated with the survivors of the Wyandotte constitutional convention on July 29, 1884. At a second meeting on Nov. 24, 1885, a committee of arrangements was appointed, with Col. D. R. Anthony, president of the State Historical Society, as chairman, and Franklin G. Adams as secretary. This committee per- formed its work well, and the celebration on the twenty-fifth anniversary of admission was an acknowledged success. Speeches were made by ex-Gov. Robinson, Samuel N. Wood, Cyrus K. Holliday, John Speer, T. D. Thacher, Noble L. Prentis, Daniel W. Wilder, Eugene F. Ware and a number of others, each reviewing some particular feature of the history and development of Kansas.
In March, 1885, a strike occurred on the Missouri Pacific railroad, and it was chiefly due to this fact that Gov. Martin recommended to the special session of the general assembly the enactment of some law providing for arbitration. Another strike began in March, 1886, when the Knights of Labor employed on the Missouri Pacific lines left their work and used every effort to prevent others from taking their places. The center of the difficulty was at Parsons, and on the 14th the sheriff of Labette county notified the governor that he was not able to control the situation. Gov. Martin at once despatched the adjutant-general to Parsons, with instructions to call out the state militia if necessary. This was finally done and order was restored. (See Labor Toubles.)
On July 7, 1886, a Republican state convention assembled at Topeka
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and nominated for reelection all the state officers except auditor and treasurer, which places on the ticket were filled by Timothy McCarthy and James W. Hamilton.
The Democratic state convention met at Leavenworth on Aug. 4. Thomas Moonlight was nominated for governor; S. G. Isett, for lieutenant-governor; W. F. Petillon, for secretary of state; W. D. Kelley (colored), for auditor; L. P. Birchfield, for treasurer; A. S. Devenney, for attorney-general; W. J. A. Montgomery, for superin- tendent of public instruction; and W. M. Whitelaw, for associate justice.
The prohibitionists also placed a state ticket in the field, headed by C. H. Branscomb as the candidate for governor. At the election in November Gov. Martin was reëlected, receiving 149,615 votes to 115,- 697 for Moonlight, and 8,094 for Branscomb. The Republican candi- date for Congress from each district was also elected.
Gov. Martin was inaugurated for his second term on Jan. 10, 1887, and the next day the legislature met in regular biennial session, with Lieut .- Gov. Riddle again presiding in the senate and A. W. Smith as speaker of the house. Gov. Martin began his inaugural message by saying: "To be elected chief magistrate of this great, intelligent and prosperous state for a second term, is a distinguished honor. And I trust it is not inappropriate for me to express to the people of Kansas, through you, their chosen representatives, my grateful appreciation of their generous confidence, my profound sense of the responsibilities devolved upon me, and my earnest hope that I may, by honest, faithful and conscientious performance of my official duties, in some measure justify the faith they have reposed in me."
He pointed out that, since the last regular session, nearly 2,000 miles of railroad had been constructed and placed in operation ; over $40,000,- 000 added to the value of the taxable property of the state; more than 2,000,000 acres of land brought under cultivation, and approximately 400,000 added to the population. Fifteen new counties had been organ- ized, and since Jan. 1, 1885, the state debt had been reduced $105,000, leaving a bonded indebtedness of $830,500, of which $574,500 was held by the different state funds and institutions. (See Finances, State.)
Regarding municipal debts and taxation, upon which he dwelt at such length in his former message, he said: "I called the attention of the legislature to this subject, in my biennial message of 1885, and again in my special message of 1886, and I earnestly urged that stringent limitations be placed on the debt-creating and tax-levying authority of counties, townships and cities. No action was taken, how- ever, and the municipal subdivisions of the state have gone on, voting bonds, and piling up interest-bearing debts that will, in a few years, cripple and dishearten every energy and ambition of their people, and paralyze public spirit."
He then goes on to show that the municipal indebtedness of the state had been increased $3,445,922 since Jan. I, 1885, and had reached a
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total of $19,397,851, of which over $12,000,000 had been voted to aid in the construction of railroads. In addition to this, within the pre- ceding two years bonds to the amount of $11,222,000 had been voted, but not yet issued. Of these bonds $11,146,000 had been in the interest of railroad companies. If they should be issued the total municipal debt would be augmented to over $30,000,000.
""I am as anxious as any citizen can be," said he, "that every section of our state shall be provided with the most abundant transportation facilities. But, in my judgment, Kansas long ago passed that stage of development when a bond-voting stimulus was necessary to promote the building of any legitimate railroad. As long, however, as authority to vote bonds is given by law, the railroad companies will make sub- sidies a condition precedent to building roads, and the people of different counties, townships and cities will be compelled to give the aid asked in order to protect their own local interests against injury or destruc- tion. To repeal this authority will not prevent the building of railroads, but it will prevent the necessity of any further increase of our already large municipal indebtedness."
The authority was not repealed at this session, but by the act of March 4, 1887, the law of 1877, relating to extending aid to railroad companies was amended so as to require a petition signed by two- fifths of the resident taxpayers before an election, to vote on the ques- tion of issuing bonds, could be ordered by the municipal authorities. A second election on the same subject could be ordered only upon the petition of a majority of the legal voters, and in all cases the railroad company seeking the aid was required to deposit with the county com- missioners a sum of money sufficient to defray the expenses of the election. It was also provided that no county could issue more than $100,000 worth of such bonds, with an additional five per cent. of the assessed value of the property in such county, and no township more than $15,000 worth of bonds, with the additional five per cent., and in no case should the total amount of aid voted by any county, township or city exceed $2,000 per mile for any railroad constructed in the county.
Another act, on the following day, provided that all bonds hereafter issued by counties, townships or cities, should be redeemable at the option of the authorities at any time after ten years from date of issue, payment to be made from a sinking fund created and maintained for that purpose.
Other subjects discussed by the governor in his message of 1887 were the state institutions; the necessity for some sort of relief for the supreme court, which was overburdened with cases on appeal; the work of the pardoning board, the insurance department and the labor bureau ; silk culture; the advisability of making some equitable adjustment of judicial districts ; and an amendment to the divorce laws, so that citi- zens of other states could not take advantage of loose provisions to secure divorces in Kansas. On the subject of railroads he said: "The issuing of 'watered stock' should be prohibited, under the severest pen-
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alties. No railway company should be permitted to issue a single dol- lar of stock in excess of the actual cost of building and equipping the road."
During the legislative session, which closed on March 5, a large num- ber of acts were passed. Provision was made for the payment of the Quantrill Raid claims; the office of commissioner of forestry was cre- ated; the appointment of supreme court commissioners was authorized ; an equitable division of the state into judicial districts was provided for ; the political disabilities of a number of persons were removed; and amendments were made to the laws relating to the improvement of highways and to the assessment and collection of taxes in cities of the second and third classes. The legislature of 1887 also passed what is known as the "Municipal Suffrage Bill," giving women the right to vote "for the election of city or school officers, or for the purpose of authoriz- ing the issuance of any bonds for school purposes." (See Woman Suf- frage.)
In the first administration of Gov. Martin, serious difficulties occurred in several counties over the location of the county seat. An election was held in Pratt county in Oct., 1885, to determine the site of a permanent seat of justice and resulted in a local war, which was only settled by Adjt .- Gen. Campbell and Col. W. E. Hutchinson, of the governor's staff, going to the scene of the disturbance and adopting the somewhat heroic remedy of placing guards about the rival towns, with instruc- tions to permit no one bearing arms to enter the town. In Hamilton county there was a contest over the county seat, which was finally adjudicated by the supreme court. In some instances, in the organiza- tion of new counties, as many as seven elections were held before the county seat was permanently located, and even then there was more or less dissatisfaction over the result.
To remedy this condition of affairs, the legislature of 1887 enacted a new law regarding the organization of new counties and the location of seats of justice. Under the provisions of this law, before a county could be organized, a census must show 2,500 bona fide inhabitants, 400 of whom must be householders, and that the property of the county possessed a value of at least $150,000, one-half of which must be in real estate. When these conditions were complied with, the governor was authorized to appoint three commissioners, a clerk and a sheriff, who were to designate a temporary county seat and order an election, within from 90 to 120 days after the county was organized, to determine the permanent county seat.
It was thought that this would alleviate, if not entirely put an end to, the acrid disputes in the organization of counties. But on June 7 an election in Stevens county started a feud which resulted in the killing of Sheriff Cross and three others, and the wounding of several more. The towns of Ingalls and Cimarron in Gray county became involved in a contest and a detachment of the militia was sent to restore order. In Wichita county the towns of Coronado and Leoti became contestants (II-16)
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for county seat honors, and the excitement was quieted only through the intervention of Adjt .- Gen. Campbell. (For a more complete account of these county seat wars, see the historical sketches of the several counties.)
Near the close of the legislative session of 1887, Speaker Smith was presented with a gavel by a Grand Army post of Richmond, Va. It was made from wood taken from the historic Libby prison, in which Mr. Smith was held for some time as a prisoner of war in 1863.
In the spring of 1888 a movement was started to remove the capital from Topeka to some point nearer the geographical center of the state. Some 600 delegates met at Abilene in April, adopted resolutions oppos- ing any further appropriations for the completion or improvement of the state-house at Topeka, and inviting the cooperation of the people of central and western Kansas to secure the removal. Nothing ever came of the scheme, however, as the people were not inclined to abandon a state-house that had cost them nearly $1,500,000, and go to the expense of erecting another.
Conventions of the various political parties were held early in 1888, for the purpose of selecting delegates to the national conventions, but the first convention to nominate candidates for the state offices was held by the Democratic party at Leavenworth on July 4. John Martin was nominated for governor; H. M. Moore, for lieutenant-governor ; Allen G. Thurman, for secretary of state; W. H. Wilhoite, for auditor ; William H. White, for treasurer; C. F. Deffenbacher, for attorney-gen- eral; A. N. Cole, for superintendent of public instruction; and W. P. Campbell, for associate justice. John C. Sheridan and J. L. Crider were named for presidential electors at large, and the district electors were : B. A. Seaver, C. E. Benton, E. A. Scammon, John Watrous, W. C. Buchanan, W. D. Covington and B. F. Milton. The platform indorsed the nomination of Cleveland and Thurman by the national convention ; expressed the party's opposition to sumptuary legislation ; denounced the metropolitan police system, and demanded a reduction in tariff duties on imports. Two changes were subsequently made in the state ticket, F. W. Frasius taking the place of H. M. Moore for lieutenant- governor, and Albert Hurst that of A. N. Cole for superintendent of public instruction.
On July 18 the Prohibition state convention met at Hutchinson and named the following ticket: For governor, J. D. Botkin; lieutenant- governor, R. J. Finley; secretary of state, L. K. McIntyre; auditor, Gabriel Burdette; treasurer, R. M. Slonecker; attorney-general, Stanton M. Hyer; superintendent of public instruction, Miss Sarah A. Brown; associate justice, I. O. Pickering. The platform, in addition to the usual declarations regarding the liquor traffic, favored government ownership of railroads and telegraphs; the election of president, vice-president and United States senators by direct vote of the people; and opposed alien ownership of land. The Prohibition electors at large were J. H. Byers and W. H. Ransom; the district electors were: J. N. Schouller, W. H.
F
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Lemon, Miles Brown, J. H. Thompson, Charles Fairfield, C. H. St. John and W. M. Friedley.
The Republican state convention met at Topeka on July 26. Resolu- tions were adopted in favor of "Home rule against the saloon;" the strict enforcement of the prohibitory law; legislation to protect Amer- ican labor against Chinese, convict and pauper competition; the reduc- tion of the legal rate of interest to six per cent., and demanding the overthrown of the trusts. In the selection of candidates for the state offices, Lyman U. Humphrey was nominated for governor; Andrew J. Felt, for lieutenant-governor; William Higgins, for secretary of state; Timothy McCarthy, for auditor; James W. Hamilton, for treasurer; L. B. Kellogg, for attorney-general; George W. Winans, for superin- tendent of public instruction; and William A. Johnston, for associate justice. John L. Waller and Eugene F. Ware were the Republican candidates for presidential electors at large in this campaign, and the candidates for district electors were: Alonzo W. Robinson, Frank R. Ogg, Thomas P. Anderson, John Madden, Delbert A. Valentine, James B. McGonigal and Willis G. Emerson.
A Union Labor (Greenback) ticket was also placed in the field. The candidates for presidential electors at large on this ticket were John Davis and Cyrus Corning; for district electors, T. D. Fraser, D. O. Markley, J. L. Shinn, P. B. Maxson, L. G. Frybarger, Albert Fuller and Charles Rumsey. For the state offices P. P. Elder was nominated for governor ; S. B. Todd, for lieutenant-governor ; M. J. Albright, for secre- tary of state; J. H. Lathrop, for auditor; Samuel Nutt, for treasurer ; W. F. Rightmire, for attorney-general; H. F. Hixson, for superintendent of public instruction; H. A. White, for associate justice.
At the election on Nov. 6, the Republican presidential electors car- ried the state by a plurality of over 76,000. The vote for governor was as follows: Humphrey, 180,841 ; Martin, 107,480; Elder, 35,837; Botkin, 6,439. The Republican candidate for Congress in each of the seven districts was elected.
About this time the gigantic combinations of capital, known as "trusts," were attracting widespread attention. In May, 1888, a far- mer's convention met in Topeka to discuss the subject and propose a remedy. Five states-Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois and Indiana -were represented. Nothing definitely was at that time accomplished, and the convention adjourned until Nov. 14, when the "Farmers' National Congress" met in Topeka, where the National Grange, Patrons of Husbandry, met at the same time. The resolutions adopted approved of the encouragement and assistance extended to the sugar industry by the United States department of agriculture ; commended the liberality of Congress in making appropriations for experimental work in further- ance of that industry ; opposed all combinations of capital in trusts or otherwise to exercise control of the markets; urged the speedy passage of the bill creating the cabinet office of secretary of agriculture, and recommended "that said position be filled by a practical farmer :"
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expressed the opinion that the agricultural activities of the country would be much improved by an increase in the circulating medium, and favored the free coinage of silver.
By the provisions of the constitution, the governor's term begins on the second Monday in January following his election, and the legis- lature meets on the second Tuesday. In 1889 January began on Tues- day, the legislature convened on the 8th, and Gov. Martin did not retire from the office until the 14th. Hence, it fell to his lot to deliver a retiring message to the general assembly. After referring to the con- stitutional provisions governing the time of the governor's inaugura- tion and the opening of the legislative session, he said: "This year, for the first time in the history of the state, the term of the retiring gov- ernor does not expire until six days after the assembling of the legis- lature, and thus it is made my duty, under the provision of the consti- tution above recited, to transmit to you this communication."
Municipal indebtedness again became one of the principal themes of his message. He pointed out that the law of 1887, reducing the amount of railroad bonds that could be issued by any municipality from $4,000 to $2,000 per mile, did not take effect until July 1, 1887, and that some municipalities had taken advantage of this delay to issue bonds before the new law became effective. At the close of the fiscal year on June 30, 1888, the total debt of counties, cities, townships and school dis- tricts amounted to $31,107,646.90, from which could be deducted the cash in the sinking fund ($373,712.03), leaving a net indebtedness of $30,733,934.87. Of this amount, he stated that four-fifths had been for bonds issued in behalf of railroad companies. Said he: "'Pay as you go' ought to be, henceforth, the motto of every municipality in the state."
He called attention to the fact that the secretary of war had requested, by letter, the passage of an act ceding jurisdiction to the United States over the Fort Riley military reservation; recommended a revision of the laws relating to insurance, public highways, fees of officers, capital punishment, judicial districts and railroads; and closed his message as follows :
"In conclusion, I desire to express my profound gratitude to the people of Kansas, who have not only honored me witli two elections to the highest office in their gift, but sustained me with a constancy as unfailing as it was generous.
"I wish also to acknowledge the steadfast and helpful support given me by all the state officers and heads of departments, during the past four years. No executive has ever had the counsel of more competent and faithful officers.
"That Kansas may continue to grow and prosper; that her citizens may enjoy, for centuries to come, the blessings of wise and just laws, protecting the rights and interests of all alike; and that your labors. gentlemen of the legislature, may be not only pleasant to you, but bene- ficial to those you represent, is my fervent hope and prayer."
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Marvin, Frank Olin, professor of civil engineering and dean of the school of engineering at the University of Kansas, was born at Alfred Center, N. Y., May 27, 1852. He was educated at Allegheny College, Meadville, Pa., where he received the A. B. degree in 1871 and the A. M. in 1874. He was principal of the Lawrence (Kan.) high school in 1876-78; was instructor in mathematics and physics in the University of Kansas from 1879 to 1883, when he became professor of civil engineer- ing. He was appointed dean of the school of engineering when it was organized in 1891. His great service to education has been in the build- ing of a successful engineering school at the university. In 1895 he became engineer for the Kansas state board of health. He is fellow of the American Association of the Advancement of Science, member of the Society of Civil Engineers, and the Kansas Academy of Science. His publications consist of papers before scientific societies, and contribu- tions to scientific journals. In 1901 he married Miss Josephine March, of Lawrence, Kan.
Marvin, James, third chancellor of the University of Kansas, was born in Peru, Clinton county, N. Y., Aug. 17, 1820. His childhood and youth were spent on his father's farm. His early education was obtained in the common schools of the township and in the Keeseville and Alfred academies. He engaged in teaching during the winter months in rural districts until 1849, at which time he entered Allegheny College, where he was graduated in 1851 and was appointed professor of mathematics in Alfred Teachers' Seminary in New York. In 1854 he went to War- ren, Ohio, as superintendent of the city schools and remained there until 1862, when he returned to Allegheny College as professor of mathe- matics. On Nov. 19, 1874, he was elected chancellor of the University of Kansas, resigned from Allegheny College, and assumed control of the university early in the winter. The institution under his administration made considerable progress notwithstanding adverse conditions. He served for eight years and eight months, and in the autumn of 1880 accepted the superintendency of Haskell Institute, the government school for Indians at Lawrence, Kan. Dr. Marvin spent eighteen months organizing Haskell, but resigned because he thought the school needed a younger man. In early life he had become a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and in 1847 was given permit to preach that faith. When he resigned from the Indian school he accepted the pastorate of the First Methodist Episcopal church of Lawrence. He was pastor five years, and during the last two years a new church edifice was erected at the cost of $40,000. In 1865 the degree of D. D. was conferred upon him by Alfred University and in 1883 that of LL. D. by the University of Kansas. On July 14, 1851, he married Armina Le Suer. To them were born two children, a son, Frank O., who is dean of the engineering school of the University of Kansas, and a daughter, Armina, wife of Prof. A. F. Wilcox of Lawrence.
Marysville, the county seat of Marshall county, is located a little to the northwest of the center of the county on the Big Blue river, at the
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