Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-01-24
THE NEW EXECUTIVE.
Lyman u. Humphrey Installed as
Governor at Topeka
Ex.Governor Martins Introduction and
the New Governors Response-The His
toricaI Birth of the State Por-
tentious of Good.


toricaI Birth of the State POr-
tentious of Good.
TOPEKA, Kan, Jan. 1A-Governor Hum.
pbrey was inaugurated at noon to-day in
Representative Hall in the presence of a
vast throng Of people. Hon. S. E. Shell
don, of Topeka, was master of ceremonies
for the occasion. The exercises began
with prayer by Rev. j. A. Bright, of abb |
lene. The retiring Governor was intro |
duced and delivered brief address. He
said:
Mr.. Chairman, ind ladies and gentlemen:
In few brief moments shall cease to be
servant OF the people and resume my position
as an American sovereign. Grateful as am
to the citizens of Kansas, who have twice
honored me with an election to the highest
ONCE within their gift, shall surrender my
honors and authority without regrets and re
sumo my old station among them with salts
faction and pride The post OF honor may not
be the private station. but after an expert
ence OF four years discharging the always
laborious and often perplexing and vexatious
duties Of the executive office, I am sure the
private station is the post OF real independence
and enjoyment. The labors, troubles and trials
of public service are not. however, without
their compensation. II the officers charged
with important public duties and anxious to
perform them with intelligence and fidelity, en-
counters on the one hand occasional examples
OF ingras.tude, or meanness or dishonesty, or is
assaled with unjust criticism or undeserved
abuse, he IS sure to find on the other many
more exam pies OF ardent devotion to public in
terests and of sterling integrity as well as a
grateful appreciation of favors. disinterested
and generous support and sincere and whole
some praise fex duties well performed.
do not intend, however, to trespass on your
time or tax your patience by discussion of ex-
ecutive 1abors, vexatiOns and policies. This
vast audience of representatives and citizens is
assembled salute the rising in
the ceremonies OF the occasion is simply to
transfer to my successor the responsibilities of
the office now hold. can congratulate him
on the fact that many of the disturbing Ques-
tons with which I have had to deal have been
finally and conclusvely settled-that in the
1t6 organized counties OF the State
settled county seat contests will harass or
perplex him: that the open saloon has been
banished from Ia aSas and that the conscience
and the Judgment OF vast majority of the
people approve its Punishment [applausel:
that peace prevails throughout the borders OF
the commonwealth and that standing at the
threshold Of his administration honcred with
the confidence OF all the people of the State,
and gtrt about with the hopes and prayers for
his success. he can confidently expect that their
support will sustain him to the end. All
know that during the darkest years OF his
countrys life he CALAMITY and Loyalty de-
Tended his flag; all know that his private life
has been as stainless as his courage during
those tr, ing years was dauntlesS; all know
that with his whole heart he loved Kansas and
will labor to protect the interests and promote
the welfare OF her people; all know that stain
upon any official act will wound him did the
bullets of his country's foes. He can there
fore, am sure, rely upon the sympathy, the
confidence and the answering support of all
honest just and intelligent people should his
actions as Chief Executive be assailed, they
may be-, by disappointed place-hunters or by
malicious and prejudiced political opponents,
or by those who, conscious OF their own base
ness and depravity. delight in believing evil OF
stainless characters. My fellow citizens. it Is
ut once pleasure and an honor to introduce to
you my successor Lyman U. Humphrey.
He introduced his successor, Lyman U.
Humphrey, who delivered a brief address.
After few preliminary remarks, Mr..
Humphrey said:
Standing at the threshold of a great public
trust, the very contemplation OF its RESPONSE
bilities Quckens a keen sense of duty into
feeling of self-consecration to the unmeasured
task lying before me-
In estimating the Importance Of the execu-
tive ONCE, as one of the coordinate branches of
government the growing greatness of our COM
monwealth can not be excluded from view.
r1ch in the hallowed memories that hang over
and about her early days; in the marvellous
strides that have carried her forward, whereby
she has overtaken eighteen OF her sisters and
vaulted into the fifteenth place in rank among
the States; and still richer in the boundless
possibilities OF the years that shall round out
the period OF the nineteenth century.
Kansas in her career thus far covers what
has been aptly characterized focal period in
history, toward which the lines of progress have
converged. and beautifully exemplifies in her
present conditions the philosophy of De TocQue-
vile that the growth OF States bears some marks
OF their origin: that the circumstances of their
birth and rise affect the whole term of their be-
ing. In Kansas this may be observed in the
liberal spirit of her laws and in the genius of
her institutions; likewise in the prevailing
ideas that have dominated and propelled her
WIT he arin IF fall Y1a<dv
In word the high social and moral plane and
the intelligent aspirations of her people are
3 .traceable in . marked degree to the law de-
clared by the great Frenchman, having
its root IN tho influence Of the early
history and settlement of the State
an influence and force that runs
Alike a golden thread throughout our later
perience, at once charming, fascinating and yet
powerful, to which Kansas owes more than has
ever been duly acknowledged. For free Kan
Sas was but the first born Child of Republican
supremacy on American soil; the triumph OF an
idea: the idea of the pilgrim against that of
the cavalier; the idea of the founders of Law
renee over the idea of the settlers OF Lecomp
ton. It was this conflict of ideas that made
sbleeding Kansas" seem like the last effort of
Divine Providence in behalf OF human liberty,
the history of which has become cl ssic and
reads like an epic poem and in which the early
settlers of Kansas, brave and heroic
women dared and endured for a great princi-
pie. With lofty courage and sublime unset
fishness, little dreaming that they were
thereby to make the name OF Kansas
luminous. a synonym for liberty and
progress or laying the foundations
OF "a commonwealth whose subsequent
career and history should bear the impress OF
their character and courageous struggles. SO
clearly reflected in every monument OF the
Kansas of to-day. But SO it was and the idea
which thus triumphed in free Kansas, and
the influences going out from our early settle
ment, are living, energizing force in all our