The province and the states, a history of the province of Louisiana under France and Spain, and of the territories and states of the United States formed therefrom, Vol. IV, Part 33

Author: Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852-1926, ed
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: Madison, Wis. : The Weston Historical Association
Number of Pages: 998


USA > Louisiana > The province and the states, a history of the province of Louisiana under France and Spain, and of the territories and states of the United States formed therefrom, Vol. IV > Part 33


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The legislature of 1895, with J. A. Troutman presiding in the senate and Charles Lobdell in the house, met on the 8th of Janu- ary. Governor Morrill took the oath of office on the 14th.


Edmund N. Morrill was born at Westbrook, Me., Febru- ary 12, 1834. The common schools and the Westbrook Academy supplied his education. He learned the tanner's trade with his father and at the age of twenty-three went to Brown county, Kan., where he soon became identified with the free-state cause. In 1857 lie was elected a member of the first free-state legislature, and the following year was chosen a member of that elected under the Lecompton constitution. When the war broke out, he enlisted as a private in Company C, Seventh Kansas cavalry, but was mustered out as captain. After the war he established himself in business at Hiawatha, where he was several times elected to some of the county offices. He served two terms in the state senate, and four terms as congressman-at-large, declining a nomination for a fifth term, in 1890. After serving his term as governor, he became interested in banking operations at Hiawatha and Leaven- worth. Hle was the twelfth governor of Kansas after its admis- sion into the Union.


The most important acts passed at this session were those establishing two appellate courts ; providing for an irrigation con-


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ยท mission ; prohibiting lotteries and gambling, and locating an industrial reformatory at Hutchinson. Lucian Baker, of Leaven- worth, was elected United States senator to succeed John Martin. Senator Baker was born in Fulton county, O., in 1846. He located at Leavenworth, in 1869, and began the practice of law. Ilis term expired March 4, 1901.


On March 10, 1896, the Republicans held a convention at Wich- ita, selected delegates to the national convention, and instructed them to support William McKinley for president. A second con- vention of the party met at Topeka, August 11, and re-nominated all the state officers elected in 1894, except lieutenant-governor, for which place H. E. Richter was selected. T. F. Carver was nominated for supreme judge, and R. W. Blue was renominated for congressman-at-large. The platform endorsed the declara- tions and candidates of the national convention.


Two conventions of the Populists were also held. March 18, they met at Hutchinson, selected delegates to the national con- vention, and adopted resolutions in favor of the free and inde- pendent coinage of silver at a ratio of sixteen to one; recom- mended the issue of all money by the government ; and denounced government by injunction. The second convention was held at Abilene on the 5th of August.


Democratic delegates to the national convention were chosen at Topeka on the 2nd of June. August 4, another convention at which a committee was appointed to attend the Populist con- vention the next day and arrange for a union of forces met at Hutchinson. At Abilene the following fusion ticket was nomi- nated : Governor, John W. Leedy; lieutenant-governor, A. M. Harvey; secretary, W. E. Bush; auditor, W. II. Morris; treas- urer, D. H. Hefflebower ; attorney-general, L. C. Boyle; superin- tendent, William Stryker; chief justice, Frank Doster ; congress- man-at-large, J. D. Botkin. A portion of the Populist party call- ing themselves "middle-of-the-road" Populists, met at Topeka on the nineteenth of September to nominate a ticket ; but, fearing it would be packed by the fusionists, the designs were abandoned, and presidential electors in favor of Bryan and Watson were chosen by petition.


A free silver convention met at Topeka, July 17, named dele- gates to the national free-silver convention at St. Louis; passed resolutions commending Senator Teller; and pledging the dele- gates to support W. J. Bryan for president. Two Prohibition tickets, one headed by Horace Hurley for governor and the other called the National Prohibition party headed by HI. L. Douthard,


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were in the field. A third faction nominated A. E. Kepford. August 25, the National, or Gold-Standard Democrats met at Topeka, passed resolutions repudiating the Chicago platform, and clected delegates to attend the Indianapolis convention in Sep- tember.


The Bryan electors received 171,810 votes; Mckinley electors, 159,541 ; Palmer electors, Gold-Standard Democrat, 1,200; Lever- ing electors, Prohibitionist, 1,941. For governor the vote stood, Leedy, 168,141 ; Morrill, 160,530; Hurley, 2,347; Douthard, 757; Kepford, 703. All the Fusion candidates on the state ticket and the entire Fusion Congressional delegation were elected.


During the year 1895 much prospecting for natural gas was in operation in the vicinity of Iola, in Allen county. Toward the end of the year the prospectors were rewarded, and the first great natural gas well in Kansas was opened. In 1896 more wells were drilled, and a number of factories were located in the gas fick, which has an area of nearly one hundred square miles with Iola as a center.


The legislature of 1897 was in session from January 12 to March 20. This was the longest session in the history of the state. Lieutenant-Governor Harvey and W. D. Streat were the respective presiding officers of the senate and house. On joint ballot there were 92 Populists, 59 Republicans, HI Democrats and 3 Silver Republicans. Nearly two thousand bills were introduced, but fortunately for the people of Kansas not all of them became laws. The principal acts were as follows: The anti-trust law ; requiring mortgages to be recorded in the county where the secur- ity is located ; authorizing cities to build waterworks and electric light plants when decided by a vote of the people; and the "anti- Pinkerton" law, providing a fine of ten thousand dollars for importing persons to serve as watchmen or officers. January 27, William A. Harris was elected United States senator to succeed W. A. Peffer. Senator Harris was born in Virginia in 1841. He went to Kansas in 1865 as a civil engineer in the construction of the Union Pacific railway. Liking the country he located at Linwood, and in 182 was elected to congress. His term began March 4, 1897. Governor Leedy's administration began with the assembling and organization of the legislature.


John W. Leedy, thirteenth governor of Kansas, was born in Richland county, O., March 8, 1849. His opportunities for acquiring an education were limited, as he was left an orphan in his boyhood, with the support of a widowed mother depending in a mea aine upon his labors. At the age of fifteen he tried to


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KANSAS, FROM HUMPHREY TO 1902.


enlist, but his age and his mother's objections kept the recruiting officers from accepting him. He followed the company anyhow, and at the close of the war went to work in a store at Pierceton, Ind. In 1880 he removed to Coffey county, Kan. In 1892 he was elected to the state senate, and had charge of the Australian ballot law while it was on its passage.


Early in the year the new superintendent of public instruction found fault with the text book on civil government, used in the Kansas schools, because it defined greenbacks as "promises to pay money." Ile had it changed to correspond to the Populist theory of money.


June II, an attempt to blow up the residence occupied by the governor of the Soldiers' Home at Leavenworth was made. The timely discovery of a quantity of dynamite under the building probably averted a serious catastrophe. An old veteran was arrested, tried and convicted.


The year of 1897 was one of general prosperity in Kansas. A . bountiful yield of wheat rewarded the farmers, and thousands of them paid off mortgages that had been carried for years upon their homes. A great oil refinery was built at Neodesha; new gas wells were drilled at Iola, Coffeyville, Independence, and other points ; new capital to be invested in manufacturing plants was brought to the state, and the hum of industry was heard on every hand. At Hutchinson the salt production amounted to more than 1,500,000 barrels.


All through the early spring of 1898, the war cloud hovered over the country. In no state of the American Union was a keener interest taken, or a deeper sympathy expressed, for the struggling Cubans in their war for independence, than in Kansas. When it became generally felt that war was inevitable, Kansas did not wait for a formal call for men. On the 18th of April a company marched to the governor's office, where the captain announced that they were ready to serve through the war. On the 23d came the president's call for 125,000 volunteers. Under this call Kansas was required to furnish 2,230 men. Governor Leedy called to his assistance Col. Frederick Funston, who had spent two years in the Cuban army, and the work of recruiting was begun. May 5, Governor Leedy informed the war depart- ment that two regiments were ready to be mustered into the service.


Nineteen regiments of Kansas troops had participated in the Civil war and in the troubles with the Indians on the frontier. It was therefore decided to begin numbering the regiments in the


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war with Spain with the Twentieth. The Twentieth Kansas was mustered in, May 13, with Frederick Funston, colonel ; Edward C. Little, lieutenant-colonel; Frank H. Whitman and Wilder S. Metcalf, majors. On the 16th the regiment left Topeka for San Francisco over the Union Pacific railroad. At the latter city it was quartered at Camp Merritt until the signing of the protocol in August, when it was transferred to Camp Merriam, at the Presidio. October 27, the Second and Third battalions under Colonel Funston embarked on the transport "Indiana" for Manila, the First battalion under Lieutenant-Colonel Little following on the "Newport" November 8. The "Indiana" arrived at Manila on the Ist of December and the "Newport" on the 6th; the men were landed and assigned to quarters.


On February 7, 1899, Companies B, C, and I, of the Twentieth Kansas, were on the skirmish line in the Tondo district, and were ordered to clear a thicket of Filipino sharp-shooters. In the charge Lieutenant Alford and Private Charles Pratt were killed -- the first Kansas boys to fall .* Three others were wounded. The sharp-shooters were routed, twenty-nine of their number were left dead on the field, and their colors were captured by the Kansas troops .** This charge formed part of the battle of Caloocan. From that time until they were ordered home, the boys of the Twentieth were on the firing line. Colonel Funston and a detach- ment of the regiment were the first to enter the Filipino capital, Malolos. The Twentieth was the first to ocenpy the town of Columpit. At the crossing of the Rio Grande, at San Tomas, on the Marino river, at San Fernando and at Santa Anita the regiment won fresh laurels and added new names to the list npon its colors. May 20, 1899, Colonel Funston was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general, and took command of the brigade formerly commanded by General Wheaton. In March, before this promotion was made, General Fimston, four American offi- cers, four former insurgents and abont seventy-five Macabebe scouts, went on board the Vicksburg and were taken up the coast to Palinan bay. From there they marched sixteen miles to the hiding-place of Aguinaldo, the Filipino leader, overpowered his guard, and effected his capture. The press of the United States rang with praises of General Funston's daring, and no doubt the affair had something to do with his advancement.


*Intor, Captain David G. Elliott was killed nt Caloocan, and Liout. W. A. McTaggart, nt. San Te. ...


** This was the first Filipino flag enplured by the reghuent. It was presented lo the Kansas Historical Society, January 16, 1900, by Lieut. J. B. Wisner, Company B, Twentieth Kansas.


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KANSAS, FROM HUMPHREY TO 1902.


September 2, 1899, the Twentieth went on board the transport "Tartar" and the next day sailed, via Hong Kong and Yokohama, for home. October 10, they arrived at San Francisco, went into camp at the Presidio, and on the 28th were mustered out. A hearty reception was given the boys on their arrival at Topeka, November 3, all Kansas being proud of their achievements.


The Twenty-first Kansas, with Thomas G. Fitch, colonel ; Charles McCrum, lieutenant-colonel ; Harry A. Smith, and W. L. Brown, majors, was mustered in, May 14. A few days later it was ordered to the camp at Chickamauga. There it remained until about the Ist of September, when it was transferred to Lex- ington, Ky. On the 28th the regiment arrived at Leavenworth, and the men were given furloughs, at the expiration of which they were reassembled and mustered out on the Ioth of December.


On May 17, the Twenty-second regiment was mustered in and had the following officers: Colonel, Henry C. Lindsey, lieuten- ant-colonel, James Graham; majors, A. M. Harvey, and Charles Doster. May 25, the regiment left Camp Leedy, at Topeka, for Camp Alger, Virginia, a few miles west of the national capital. It was afterward transferred to Camp Meade, Middletown, Pa., and early in September was ordered back to Kansas. The Twenty-second was the first of the Kansas regiments to return home. It reached Fort Leavenworth September 11, and was given a hearty reception. A furlough was granted the men, and the regiment was finally mustered out on the 3d of November.


When the call for 25,000 men was issued in June, 1898, the governor decided to supply Kansas' quota with colored troops. July 10, the two battalions were ready and on the 28th were mustered into service as the Twenty-third Kansas, with J. M. Beck, Sr., lieutenant-colonel; John M. Brown and George W. Ford, majors. Although the last to be organized, the Twenty-third was the first regiment to leave the United States. August 22, it left for New York, went directly on board the "Vigilencia," and arrived at Santiago, Cuba, September 1, in time to see the Spanish troops depart for Spain. The next day it was ordered to San Luis, and remained there on duty until the early spring of 1899, when it was ordered home. March 10, the regiment arrived at Leavenworth, and soon afterward was mustered out.


In camp or on the field the Kansas soldiers were always ready . to do their daty. If the Twenty-first and Twenty-second regi- ments failed to inscribe upon their colors the names of some of the engagements of the Spanish-American war, it was no fault of


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theirs. They were willing, and the greatest regret of the men was that they were not given an opportunity to show what they could do.


Four tickets were presented to the voters of Kansas in the campaign of 1898. The Republican state convention met at Hutchinson, June 8, and nominated the following ticket; Gov- ernor, W. E. Stanley ; lieutenant-governor, H. E. Richter ; sec- retary, George A. Clark; auditor, George E. Cole; treasurer, Frank Grimes; attorney-general, A. A. Godard; superintendent, Frank Nelson ; associate justice, William R. Smith ; congressman- at-large, W. J. Bailey. The platform declared in favor of the Nicaragua canal; strengthening the navy, and liberal pension laws. It criticised Governor Leedy's administration for not carrying out the pledges made.


On the same day the Prohibitionists met at Emporia and nomi- nated a state ticket, with William A. Peffer, former United States senator, for governor. The platform contained the following declaration : "We regard civil government as an ordinance of God, and recognize the Lord Jesus Christ as King of Kansas, and therefore believe that the administration of civil affairs should be in harmony with the law and in His spirit."


The Populists met in convention at Topeka, and the Democrats met at Atchison, on the 15th of June. A conference committee from the two conventions recommended all the fusion candidates of 1806 for renomination, and the report of the committee was adopted by both parties. Each convention promulgated a plat- form. That of the Democrats declared in favor of the free coin- age of silver ; recommended an amendment to the Federal consti- tution to permit an income tax ; and advocated the vigorous prose- cution of the Spanish-American war. On state questions the metropolitan police law was denounced, and a demand was made for the submission of the prohibitory amendment. The Populist platform endorsed Governor Leedy's administration; demanded a constitutional convention to pass on the initiative and referen- dum; favored the public ownership of public utilities, and recom- mended the establishment of a public market under state control. On national issues the platform reiterated the demands of 1896.


The fourth ticket was that of the Social Labor party-a new factor in Kansas politics-with Caleb Lipscomb as the candidate for governor. The platform demanded more paper money ; bet- ter pay for soldiers; the breaking of the land monopoly, and goverment control of all other monopolies.


All the Republican candidates for the state offices were elected


0


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by substantial pluralities. For governor the vote stood: Stanley, 149,292; Leedy, 134,158; Peffer, 4,092; Lipscomb, 635. The Republicans also elected the congressman-at-large, six of the district congressmen, and a large majority of the lower house of the legislature.


On the 22nd of March, 1898, fire broke out in the building used for a power house and machine shops, and before the flames could be extinguislied it was completely destroyed. Through the generosity of George A. Fowler, of Kansas City, Mo., the structure was rebuilt, and the citizens of Lawrence raised twenty thousand dollars to purchase new machinery, etc.


On the 18th of May a tornado destroyed the town of Cunning- ham, sixty miles west of Wichita, and did considerable damage at Peabody, Newton, Holstead, Lawrence and other places.


Kansas was the first state to have its exhibit properly arranged at the Omaha Exposition in 1898. The state had been divided into four districts for the collection of materials to form the dis- play, and these districts vied with each other in selecting their best productions. The result was that the Kansas collection received many favorable comments from the thousands of visitors to the exposition. The mineral and agricultural divisions of the exhibit were exceptionally fine.


A special session of the legislature met on the 21st of December and continued in session until January 9, 1899. A freight rate bill was passed, in accordance with the pledges of nearly all the party platforms; but was vetoed by the governor, because he regarded the courts as unfriendly to the measure. The Boyle railroad bill was then passed. It created a "court of visitation," with power to fix rates, to adjust all disputes between railroad, express and telegraph companies and their patrons, and to appoint receivers for the companies that refused to obey. An act reduc- ing telegraph tolls forty per cent was also passed, but was declared unconstitutional. Governor Stanley succeeded to the office on the day the special session adjourned.


William E. Stanley, the fourteenth governor of the state, was born in Ohio, in 1848, and there grew to manhood. In 1870 lic removed to Jefferson county, Kan., and the same year was admitted to the bar. For the next two years he was county attor- ney of Jefferson county. In 1872 he changed his residence to Wichita, and from 1874 to 1880 was county attorney of Sedgwick county. Hle declined an appointment to the supreme bench by Governo; Morrill. He served two terms as governor, being re-elected in 1900.


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The regular session of the eleventh biennial legislature began on the day following the inauguration. Lieutenant-Governor Richter was president of the senate, and S. J. Osborn, speaker of the house. A large appropriation to build and equip a twine plant at the penitentiary was made, and a committee to visit the Minne- sota prison twine plant to learn how it was operated was appointed. An appropriation of twenty thousand dollars to defray the expenses of mobilizing troops for the war and one of two thousand dollars to aid traveling libraries, were made. A tax for the com- pletion of the capitol was levied. March 8, the session adjourned.


In 1862 the Topeka Town association gave a site for a state house. An act authorizing the construction of the east wing, was passed by the legislature of 1866, and the corner stone was laid October 17, of that year. This wing was completed in 1869, and served as the capitol for ten years. The legislature of 1879 ordered the erection of the west wing, which was finished in 1882. Work was begun on the central portion in 1883, but on account of light appropriations by subsequent legislatures was almost sus- pended for a time. After the act of 1895 authorizing a state house tax, the building was pushed forward to completion, with the result that Kansas has one of the finest capitols in the Union.


In January, 1900, two men in jail at Fort Scott, convicted of murdering a farmer in Missouri, made a desperate assault upon a deputy sheriff in an attempt to escape. On the night of the 20th they were taken from the custody of the sheriff by a mob and hanged.


On June 14, a charter was granted to the Kansas Exposition association, of Topeka, with a capital stock of fifty thousand dol- lars, the object of the association being to arrange for a semi- centennial celebration of Kansas as a territory.


A Republican convention at Topeka, on the 16th of May, named delegates to the national convention; renominated all the state officers elected in 1898; and completed the ticket by the selection of W. A. Johnston for associate justice, Charles F. Scott for corgressman-at-large, and W. V. Church for superintendent of insurance. The convention adopted resolutions approving McKin- ley's administration ; congratulating the country on the mainte- nance of the gold standard; favoring protection and reciprocity ; denouncing the Democratic false cry of imperialism; deploring the disfram hisement of negroes in the Southern states, and repro- bating the formation of trusts.


Popun t delegates to a national convention were selected at Clay Center April 24, and Democratic delegates, at Wichita on


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the 23d of May. July 4, delegates from the two parties and from the free silver wing of the Republican party, met at Fort Scott in joint convention to nominate a Fusion ticket. John W. Breidenthal was nominated for governor; A. M. Harvey, lieuten- ant-governor ; Abraham Frakes, secretary ; E. J. Westgate, audit- tor ; Conway Marshal, treasurer ; Hugh P. Farrelly, attorney-gen- eral ; Levi Humbarger, superintendent of public instruction ; David Martin, associate justice; Jerry Botkin, congressman-at-large; Webb McNall, superintendent of insurance. In making up this ticket the secretary, treasurer, and attorney-general were given to the Democrats; the associate justice and superintendent of insurance to the free silver Republicans, and the rest to the Populists. The platform endorsed the nominations of Bryan and Stevenson, and reiterated the declarations of the Kansas City convention. The Prohibitionists and the Social Labor party also had state tickets in the field, headed by Frank Holsinger and G. C. Clemens, respectively.


At the election in November, Kansas again wheeled into the Republican column. MeKinley received 185,955 votes for presi- dent ; Bryan, 162,601 ; Woolley, Prohibitionist, 3,605, and Debs, Social Democrat, 1,605. The entire Republican state ticket was elected, the vote for governor being as follows: Stanley, 181,893; Breidenthal, 164,794; Holsinger, 2,622; Clemens, 1,258. An amendment to the constitution, increasing the number of supreme judges from three to seven, and doing away with the appellate courts, was adopted, the vote standing 123.721, in favor of the amendment to 35.475 against it. Governor Stanley appointed the four additional members of the bench, to serve until the next general election.


Several important acts were passed by the legislature of 1901, which was in session from January 8, to March 9. The legislature made appropriations of seventy-five thousand dollars for a museum building at the state university at Lawrence; sixty thou- sand dollars for the normal school library at Emporia; seventy thousand dollars for the agricultural college at Manhattan, and one hundred and fifty thousand dollars for an additional insane hospital at Parsons. On February 7, there were passed acts accepting the Fort Hays military reservation as a donation from congress, with the understanding that it was to be used as an experiment station in connection with the agricultural college; and providing for a western branch of the state normal school and for a public park. A liquor law, known as the "ITurrell law," giving the right to search for an seize contraband liquors was


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passed, but on a test case Judge Hazen declared the law unconsti- tutional. Joseph R. Burton, of Abilene, was elected United States senator to succeed Lucien Baker, for the term ending March 4, 1907.




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