The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-08-24
FAITHFUL 70 MS sr4rE.


AAC Aana6OlI1C kE1UlAlC
I Senator Plumb, setting forth his fidelit
: to the interests of Kansas and his il
, fuence in securing the passage of msn
/ important measures, is from the pen c
Milt Reynolds, who has been staying a
Washington for some months past:
Correspondence Atchison Patriot
In the depths of the Slough of De
spond many n Kansas politician anI
patriot hath mourned upon the sad mu
liability of all things subiunary. The
call to mind i'll sadness and sorrow Wis
ions of the glories and delights of OF
1cIal position that illumined Anl
Furnished the Delectable noun
tains I'm the brave days of old" The
patient grief of Christian resignation i.
borne upon the signing breeze for re
call Of the palmy days of Pomeroy
when OIL and giadness and fairness filled
the land, when the preachers were no
forgotten in a pecuniary way, the pOliti
clans purse was pleihOric with fulInsss
and himself removed from the fear Of
impecuniosi.y and grief Nor soon will
be forgotten that brilliant and respfen.
dent lustrum in which the electric and
cratic Lane shone with meteoric splen
dor, calling 10 mind the tumultuous and
| revolutionary days of Rome, when An
thOny had his party, and Caesar had his
party, but the common wealth had none.
In all seriousness, it is not infrequent-
~ urged that the days of Lane and
| POmeroy constitute The
AUGUsTAN AGE OF KANSAS
that then all good things were gouen
for the state, and the "boys'' were re-
warded for their diligence, and virtue
was aided and assisted rather than
scorned and frowned upon in getting II
piece of its own reward. II this history
is being written in Kansas it must be
revised and corrected to cOmport with
the facts. Not remindful of the history
of the first quarter century's unexam
pied growth and prosperity of our
state, and proud, as l am familiar,
with the chivalrouS deeds Of our public
men, am convinced that the last six
years have been the best, most prosper
Gus and happiest years in Kansas. Dur
! ing that period u robuster and sturdier
manhood has been built up than during
any previous years. It seemed as if be-
| ginning with the second centennial Kan
sas had determined to outstrip and sur
! pass all sister and c0ntending states
Old things have passed away all things
have become new; old methods have
been abandoned. In no other direction
has there been SO great progress in i'm
provement rs in political appliances
and purposes. a full cubit has been
added to the moral and political stature
of the state. Six years ago
PRESTON b. PLUMB
Came To the senate. He was young
man to become member OF so august a
body as the American senate-the great
est parliamentary body in the world.
His record was brief but honorable in
every particular. He was born in Della
ware county, Ohio, October IL, 1887; re-
ceiYed common school education;
learned the art Of printing; removed To
Kansas; was member of the LeaVen-
worth constitutional convention In
1859 was admitted to the bar in 1861;
served in the lower house of the legis-
lature in 1862; and was chairman of the
Judiciary committee and subsequently
reporter of the supreme court; in Au.
gust of the same year he entered the
service as second lieutenant In the Elev-
enth Kansas infantry, and served sue
cessfully as captain, major and lieuten-
ant colonel of That regiment was a Nom
Der and speaker of the Kansas house of
representatives in 1867, and was also
member in the following year; was elect
ed To the United States senate as a Re
publican to succeed James M. Harvey,
Republican, and took his seat March 4,
1877. His term will expire March 3,
1888, While il is fact that more good
things have been gotten for Kansas dur
ing the last six years than during any
previous six years in the his
tory of the state, if 1t were not invidIous
TO make the distinction where all have
done so grandly and so we'll, it Ger
tainly would not be untruthful to say
that the state is indebted to no man SO
much as TO Z. B. Plumb for securing
them. They resulted from the fact that
he has devoted his extraordinary and
phenomenal powers for execution and
work, almost exclusively, or at least to
large extent, u the demands of his state
constituency. During his first senator
ial term the state has secured over
ONE MILLION AND HALF OF DOLLARS
IN rebates. expenses incurred for the
general government claims, &c, or
half million dollars in excess of our en-
tire state debt AS limited by the consti.
tuition. Ofcourse it would be uncandid
and unfair LO the balance of the delega.
tion To claim that Plumb has obtained
so much tor the state. But it is safe to
assume without doing any injustice To
any body that very much of this valua-
Bile legislation for Kansas would not
have been secured had Plumb remained
as lawyer AMI bunk ;r in tbs city
OF Empnria. When Plumb came here
Kansas had secured no
APPROPRIATIONS FOR PUBLIC BUILD
IAGs.
Little Nebraska had already received
appropriations for two public buildings,
showing plainly that while the old flag
waves an appropriation isin sight and is
attainable. In the very first session of the
Forty-fOurth congress, though young
rnfOl lte.F and a naamhaF Sonafnr
Plumb secured an amendment to the
sundry civil bill appr0prIs.ing $4,000
TO erect public buildings at Topeka, the
bill appropriating $500 900 for this pur-
pose having failed in the house. This
chnched the thing. There was great re-
joicing ut Topeka and throughout the
state. 1t settled "A policy, and the fact
that Kansas could get something from
the general government for public
buildings. While on this subject 1t
may be well To mention the inner facts
with regard TO the
LEAYENwoRTH APPROPRIATIONS
Senator Plumb has here dame work
in connection with the appropriations
for the Fort, that will long cause his
name TO be remembered and cherished
by the people of the entire state. But
first of the appropriations for the
city. Waiting and hoping to receive the
house bill making appropriations,
for public buildings at Lcaven-
worth, but owing TO the pressure
in the house the bill though reported on
tavorably not having passed the house,
Senator Plumb in the closing hours of
the session introduced and passed bill
| through the senate. He then To make
assurance dnubly sure. moved aud car
ried an amendment To the sundry civil
bill apprOpriating $4,000 to purchase "a
site, thus committing the government tO
the work, and securing hey ond perad
venture the passage of his bill through
the house at the next session. If it
should he asked why he did not move
the whole appropriation of 100000 as
an amendment, in answer there are two
reasons:
l. So large an appropriation would
have been objected to, and single OBJ
| lection would have been fatal.
2. Ii required the passage of q law
authorizing the appropriation to build
the buildings before the appropriation
for that purpose could be made. Prac-
tically il amounts TO the same thing.
The legislature must accept the terms
| of purchase of the site, and other state
| legislation must be had. The govern
meut is committed, and the work will
90 on. 1t would, indeed, be folly, of a
nature most stupcnduous and mOnumen-
tai that can secure the defeat of the
measure, so well fortified and assured is
il of success.
But of far greater moment to the PEG
pie of the state, ami indeed TO the city
| OF LeaYenwOrth, are the several meas
ures secured by Senator Plumb. for
IMPROVEMENTS AT THE FORT.
Last year the senator obtained for
barracks sc, 900; this year $90, 900 is Sc
cured. The result OF Plumb's policy
and the several appropriations he has
gotten for the fort, is to make Fort
Leavenworth the great depot ofsuppiies
for all government posts and forts In the
interior, and the west and southwestern
portions of the continent. II will Grip
pie Omaha of course, and cut down her
military prestige, for about everything
il that has hnan thar. In a n, i1ifartr lin