The Iola register., 1891-01-30
THE LEGISLATURE.
The Senatorial Election and Other Things
as Observed by the Editor-Legisla-
tive Proceedings Summarized.
EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS.

EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS.
One of the things i'm our cabinet o
curiosities is the address delivered by
Geo. w. Click upon his induction int
offi,,e as Governor. 1t is labeled "In
auguration address of the only Demo
cratic Governor Kansas ever had
The same feeling that led us to pre-
serve this address and label it as 6
curiosity, influenced US to go to Tope
ka last Menday. We wanted to wit
ness the election of the only Alliance
man that will ever be sent to misrep
resent Kansas in the United States
Senate.
There was gathering of the clans
At the Copeland it looked like a Re
publican State convention. The young
crowd and the old crowd, the cream o.
the party, the men who are "world
without end Republicans" the mer
who are Republicans in off years as
well as other years, the men who be-
lieve that the way to be q Republican
is to stand by the platform and vote
the ticket,-this was the kind of mer
that were there. They did not come
because they were sent for. They did
not come to do homage to rising star
for few if any of :them had the least
expectation that the result would be
other than it was. They were there
from pure chivalry and loyalty. Know.
ing that despite their best efforts the
defeat of their leader was certain, they
yet came to rally around him and &C
down with him. 1t was as near d
counterpart as civil life can give of the
last rally on the field of battle, of the
Old Guard that "dies but never sur
renders" John ]. Ingalls, has suffered
his first and probably his final defeat
But he may well remember with pride
a personal following that has not been
commanded by any Kansas leader
since Jim Lane.
If there had been any lingering ray
of hope in the heart of any Republi-
can, it was blotted out when the news
fioated through the lobbies about l.
o'clock Monday night that the Alliance
caucus had united on w. A. PETER fol
Senator. Nevertheless when the
House convened Tuesday there were
plenty of Republicans among the
hundreds applying for admission. And
when the eventful roll call finally be-
gan there was yell every time some
one of the lonely twenty-three Repub-
Hcan members spoke the name of In
gals. The speaker admonished the
shouters that such disturbance was
unseemly. But the admonitioi fell on
needless ears. These men had shout
ed for Ingalls, when it seemed as if he
were invincible; they were not going
to cease shouting for him now that his
defeat. was already accomplished.
They had nailed their colors to the
mast. And strange thing about it
was that while PETER votes came for
the most part in a tone Of voice that
indicated defeat or indifference, the
Ingalls, votes were sung out clear and
proud and triumphant. A blind man
listening and not counting would have
been convinced that it was ingalls,
who was the victor. Nobody cheered
when Peffer's name was spoken during
the roll call, but when the result was
announced-Peffer So, ingalls, %, Chas
w. Blair 5-then of course there was
a demonstration. Men in the CALLER.
les stood up and yelled. Members Oh
the floor stood up and yelled. Some
men threw up newspapers and hats
and handkerchiefs, and one unman-
nerly yahoo took off his coat and threw
it into the air. 1t seemed to us to be
an unnecessary and uncalled for, not
TO say impudent and impertinent DEM
Onstration. But then ones judgment
as to the proprieties in a bull fight
is apt to be warped and uncharitabie
when it is his own OK that is being
gored.
The next day at noon there was a
joint convention of both Houses and
when it was ended John James Ipgalls
was retired TO private life and William
Alfred Peffer was a United States
Senator-elect.
We have known Judge PETER pro-
fessionally, politically and personally
for 4 long time and We have nothing
unkind to say Of him. He is sixty
years old has an honorable war record
has been a farmer, lawyer and al
editor. He is not an exceptionally
able man in any direction, but he is a
gentleman and an honest man with a
dignity of bearing that will command
respect in any assemblage. They will
not 'iguy" him when he goes to the
Senate, and remembering what might
have happened we may be thankful
for that. Politically he has been Re-
publican from Fremont to Harrison,
and our guess is that on practically all
matters of National policy he will be
found voting with that party. One