The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1879-04-24
The Carney Senatorial Election.

| ialen unuSr tue eye OF the veteran editor, JON
Speer, he writes to the Topeka Commonreah
what he styles (and NO doubt believes to he
correction of some of our statements. And a
these matters 60 to make up the political histo
| ry Of Kansas, We may as well copy bis commu
| nicstion here entire:
| have just read an article from the pen of Hon
Sol Miller, of the Troy Chief in regard to what wa
then called by Governor Carneyis political oppo
nents, the friends of Senator James II. Lane, 'th,
Carney Fraud that is. the election Of Senator b,
stead of the first.
What wish to cali your attention to, is this state
ment:
lanes term would not expire until March 4, 1865
but ne lLane] determined TO prceip,ate election b,
taken parfeufr pains to the question and
certain his standing with the Senate elected in 1862
and holding over. IL that was right he would man.
age to carry the House in the elections in 1853
Not until after tie eeefions IN the Fail Of 1863 when
he discovered that both branches of the Legislature
were unfriendy to him. did he abandon the scheme
and denounce il a fraud
am aware that in contradicting this statement,
am running counter to the generally received opin-
ion Of Governor Carneys friends but feel confident
that know whereof speak, when give my can
did opinion, that ut no time did General Lane
template any such election or favor it,
Let me state the facts / know them. In the
simmer Of 1863. l heard rumors that an attempt
would be made to elect United States Senator to
fill Lanes place, rs well statements by his oppo-
nents that Lane meant to do the same thing. To
me, Lane had on more than one occasion denied it.
The Lawrence massacre occurred on the morning of
Friday, August D. 1863. The publication day of the
Kansas Tribune then only weekly paper) was
Thursday. For that paper Of August ~, l prepared
strong article as l was capable of writing in
opposition the election of Uute States Senator by
the ensuing legislature took proof of it to Lanes
house, showed it to him my view of the question,
and he fully approved it. stated, in that article.
my reasons for opposing any such movement, de-
nounced it as fraud which the opponents Of Lane
fhr.a fautun tn
ly, TO Gen. Lane: Now Lane, l have taken that
position, and want you TO understand that l shall
stand by it, regardless of consequences" He said
That is right" "Iu- said l. ..as Carneys friends
may determine to go into election have thought
il possible that you might say: Let us break his
head with his own club and adopt his tactics" "No-
said Lane, with emphasis, Il do not believe any man
stand up in support of any such proposition We
must oppose any election This was about the mid
die Of the afternoon of August DO 1863 l had left
the paper ready to 60 to press with directions the
pressman to wait about hour, and IL did not re-
turn to SO to press the object being to consult Lane
as to the general Phraseology of the article. Only
portion of the edition of that paper issued
The main part of it was mailed, but the postoffce
was rifed the next morning. set on fire, and much
Of the mail matter burned, though the building was
saved. The Leavenworth mail. and the mail south
got away before Quantrell entered Lawrence, and
there may be some of that issue extant never had
copy of it after the destruction of my Office in the
massacre, but saw one at Baldwin City, which
asked the Postmaster to get for me from the sub
scriber but never received it. l am thus exact to
show why cannot quote from that article.
Farther, Hon. Thomas j. Sternberg nominated
for the House from Lawrence-Lanes home-but
declined. The next evening after his declination
Lane arrived at home, and procured an interview
house of James Christian, where Lane strenuously
urged Sternberg to consent to be a candidate.
Sternberg said he had never been regarded Lanes
friend. Lane replied: Il do not want you my
friend. believe effort will be made to elect
Carney this winter, and all want is some man from
my own home who will oppose such id outrage
a
understand you are opposed to any election" Stern
berg said he was consented to run, elected and
did oppose any election On this, have not spoken
to Sternberg for fifteen years, if ever, but con-
ident he will concur in what have stated.
AH Ibis tcas before the elections of 1868.
of the questions spoken of between Carney, Pome-
roy and their friends, l not qualified to speak
presume Mr.. Miller is correct. 1 have no doubt
also, that Mr.. Carney's friends led to believe
that Lane purposed his own election at the same
sion that Carney was elected; but if he did, he de-
ceived me, and not only me, but all his intimate
friends with whom have ever eonversed.
JOHN SPEER
We are we'll aware that Mr.. Speer was u warm
personal friend of Gen. Lane. In fact, he was
olindly devoted to him, and could not see his
faults. 1t is also fact patent to every one con-
versant with the politics of that day, that Lane
took advantage of this devoted friendship, by
deceiving and misleading Mr.. Speer. His con-
versaton on the Senatorial question, as related
by Speer, sounds Just like Lane and the chances
are, that while be was acquiescing in that edi-
toral, he was contemplating the opposite course.
Had it been to his advantage to have done 50,
he would have thrown the entire responsibility
of the editorial upon Speer-and, what is more,
Speer would have willingly shouldered it, ad-
mitted that he was wrong, and heartily sup
ported Lanes election project. We say this,
not as o reflection upon Mr.. Speer, but simply to
show his devoted loyalty to Lane, and Lanes
unscrupulousness in imposing upon such friend
ship.
That Lane contemplated and commenced lay
ing his plans for an election that Winter, We
have no more donbt than we have that We are
writing this article. Our only doubt is as to
the date given by Gov. Carney Of his interview
with Secretary Chase. 1t may have been in the
Summer instead of the Fall of 1862. Carney
himself says that the first intimation he had of
a contemplated election was from Lane himself,
who, supposing him to be favorable to his plans,
cnnfided them to him and then was when he
gave as a reason, that if he felt himself safs be
could devote all his time, in the campaign of
1864, to the Presidential question, instead of
uHutius nls own DattleS. LUIS was DeIOre tue
Governor was invited to the conference with
Chase, and his objections were the same that he
afterward stated to Chase.
But we have more substantial reasons for our
belief, and shall now proceed to give them. We
cannot do so as freely as We could desire,
because it would betray the confidence of
friend, whose name and residence, and some
other matters. must remain q secret in this con-
nection. We are aware that those who support.
ed Carney have rested under the charge of bri-
berry, as men have in every Senatorial election
since but if all the facts on both sides are ever
fully known, it will establish the fact that some
of them resisted bribery.
We were at that time member of the State
Senate, having been elected in 1862. We had
always been decidedly and outspokenly anti
Lane, because we believed him to be an unscru-
pulous demagogue, without principle, and who
would sell out the Republican party, whenever
his advantage lay in that direction. We were
hen innocent and unsophisticatcd, and too con-
,cientious to look out for Number One, even
when it could have been done by acting from
policy. A personal visit from Lane, several
years before the events here spoken of, and sew
,ral interviews afterwards, had not softened our
heart. We may mention, in explanation of
things. hereinafter stated, that the only time
were ever an applicant for public Office, was
H. Y L.. Grot