The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-04-18
THE CARNEY FRAUD"


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An Interesting Historical Event Dis
cussed.
All who were here as far back as '64,
will remember what was that year de-
nominated the Carney Frand." AT the
session of the legislature in 1864, year
before what was claimed to be the proper
time, Thomas Carney, then governor of
the state, and his friends in the legisla-
ture, held a senatorial election and went
through the motions of electing Mr.. Car
ney to the U. S.'Senate. The matter had
been more or less discussed in the
papers before the Legislature met, but it
was generally treated lightly, and as not
likely to take place. The act of this
election year before the time created
the most intense excitement throughout
the state. That fall, 1864, party was al
most forgotten in the campaign, and the
battle cry was Fraud" and "anti- Fraud"
This condition of excitement was Jim
Lanes opportunity. Out of the 70 men,
bers of the house in 1865, only IS were
what was known as "Fraudites," or men,
bers who sustained the Carney election.
Before this election Mr.. Carney was
growing rapidly in the favor of the peo-
pie. He made an excellent governor, and
the anti-Lane party of the state were
gradually rallying around him as the man
with which to beat Lane for the senate,
at the proper time But the Carney par
Il he Nf mi
tating the election a year in advance of
what was believed to be the proper time
for the election. The result was the al
most unanimous reelection of Lane at
the session of 1865, he receiving 80 out
of the 90 votes for senator. We have al
ways believed that Lane, knowing how
Jealous the people of Kansas were of their
political rights and privileges, had the
scheme for the election at the session of
ga started with the hope that it would
result just as it did in disposIng of Car
ney as rival for seat in the senate.
The whole matter has lately been discuss
ed on both sides by those who were actors
in the exciting events. The first article
is from the pen of Hon. Sol. Miller, of
the Troy Chief, who was a member of
the legislature, if we mistake not, which
elected Carney:
Ward Burlingame, IN an article in the
anniversary issue of the Atchison Cham
pion speaking of the Carney senatorial
election of 1864, stated that secretary
Chase was at the bottom of it, as means
of revenge upon Jim Lane, who had be-
trayed his presidential aspirations. We
thought this could not be, as the Chase
movement had not yet come to a focus:
and besides, Gov. Carney was as strongly
in favor of Lincoln as Lane was, which
would not have helped Chase in the con-
test. But knowing that Mr.. Burlingame
was Carney's private secretary at the
time, we suppose he must know some
thing of the secrets of the movement. In
a recent conversation with Gov. Carney,
we learned some facts connected with the
election that we never knew before.
At that time there was no law of con-
gress fixing the time for holding senate
rial elections, but it all depended upon
custom ard convenience. The general
usage was to elect by the legislature held
just previous to the expiration of sena-
torial term. Lanes term would not ex-
pire until March 4th, 1865, but he deter.
mined to precipitate an election by the
Legislature held at the beginning of 1854,
and had taken particular pains to can
vass the question, and ascertain his
| standing with the state senate elected in
1862, and holding over. If that was
right he would manage to carry the
house, at the elections in 1868. His eX-
cuse was, that he would then be safe him.
self and be free to devote all his time TO
national politics and the presidential cleo
| finn Nnf r1nfil of 70 ha oil In m
fall of 1868, when he discovered that both
branches of the legislature were unfriend-
| ly to him, did he abandon the scheme,
and denounce it as fraud.
Sometime IN the fall of 1868, governor
Carney, at the solicitation of secretary
| Chase, visited Washington. He was in
vited to dinner at the secretary's house,
and during his visit, Chase and other
prominent men pleaded earnestly with
him to accept an election by the legisla-
ture to convene the following winter
Carney argued that 1t was not the proper
| time; but the others devoted all their
powers of persuasion and argument to
convince him that, in the absence of any
positive law, it was as proper as any
other time, and that if he would accept
an election, he would undoubtedly be
given the seat, as there was much dislike
of Lane on the part of leading senators.
The governor left Washington without
having gwen decisive answer, but with
his inclination strongly against the
movement.
But the senatorial movement had got
started, by the time the legislature met,
and there were partisans on both sides
of the question. Caucuses were held,
and the matter discussed, without any
definite result. Finally, about the begin
ming of February, Judge Horton appear
ed in Topeka, with letter from Senator
| POmeroy. A caucus was called, at
which the letter was read. PomerOy
wrote that a caucus of the leading Re
publican senators had been held in
Washington, nj which such men as
Wade, Chandler, Sherman, and others.
expressed a desire that Carney should
accept an election at that session, pledg-
ing themselves to sustain him in hold
ing the seat against any other man who
might he elected by the succeeding leg
islature, This letter decided the bust
ness. An election was resolved upon,
which was held February 18th, and
Carney elected senator.
News of this election, of course, was
telegraphed to Washington. The first
response the governor received was a let
ter from POmeroy congratulating him
upon his success, and adding: "I'he
merit legislature Io2u, no doubt, rdtity tie
action Of the present one, thus giTing yOn
the seal beyond question ~ This was a
sumner, after his former letter. as soon
as possible, after the adjournment of the
Legislature, Carney went to Waship gtOn
to see what the prospect really was. He
called upon the senators named by Pom
eroy, every one OF whom was surprised
at what the governor told them. No
such caucus had ever been held, and they
had expressed no such desire or opinion
as had been represented. On the con-
trary, every man said that such course
would be setting aprecedent under which
their own seats might be taken from
them, without notice or warning. Ii
was a lie manufactured out of whole
cloth. He desired his election, in order
to get rid of Lane, who had more influ-
ence with the administration than he
and after it was accomplished, he began
to fear that senator from LeavenwOrth
might defeat his own reelection, and
therefore backed squarely out of his pc.
sition. Carney was never able to secure
the letter that Pomeroy sent to Topeka
by Horton. These facts explain why
the Governor did not attempt to hold the
seat under that election, but resigned all
claim to it and ran his chances for an
election by the next Legislature.
The above article was shown to Hon