St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-12-21
HIS BUSY CAREER.
Always Remarkably Active in
Kansas and National Politics.

Kansas and National Politics.
WASHINGTON, Dec. %. - Senator
Plumb was born in Delaware county,
Ohio, Oct. y, 1887, SO that he was in his
fifty-fourth year at the time of his death
He was nota college graduate, but left
the common schools for the printers
case, and inpur5uance of his vocation
as a jOurneyman printer, in 1856, in the
bloody days of the history of the
newly organized territory of Kansas,
walked into that territory, and,
with the vigor and interchangeable
energy which had throughout his life
been his chief characteristic. the young
man plunged at once into the thick of
the hot political strife which was then
waging over the slavery question. He
at once went TO the front, and was
chosen a member of the Lcavenworth
constitutional convention of 1859. He
was admitted to the bar in 1861, when
the place of his adoption became a state
OF the Union; served in the legislature
in 1862, was chairman of the judiciary
committee, and subsequently reporter
of the supreme court. When the war
broke out he entered the army as
second lieutenant in the Eleventh
Kansas infantry and served success
sively as captain, major and lieutenant
colonel of that regiment. and was COM
misSioned a colonel of the same regi-
ment in August, 1892. Alter the war
Mr.. Plumb, returning to Kansas, was
elected a member and speaker of the
house of representatives for Kansas,
and in 1876 was chosen United States
senator to succeed James NJ. Harvey,
| resigned. He took his seat in 1877 and
has represented his state as a senator
ever since that time. His term of Office
would have expired March 3, 1895.
Undoubtedly Senator Plumb has sue
ceeded in stamping his strong individu-
| ality upon the legislative history of the
United States III more permanent char
| acter than have the majority of his col
leagues. He was man of most posi-
! tive views, but always had a keen
appreciation of the line of separation
| between the impracticabe and the ex-
pedient. His devotion TO Republican
| principles was beyond question, but he
never hesitated to point out what he
regarded as mistakes In the pol
| icy outlined by the party lead
erS aud to use his best eff
forts to correct them. He was
peculiarly fitted to grasp details.
| That faculty found ample field for eXer-
| else in the discharge of his functions as
a member of the senate committee on
anu IL MdS ull-
| derstoOd among his brother senators
! that Senator Plumb was unimpeachable
in any statement he made concerning
the intricate machinery of the govern
ment service. He was chairman of the
committee on public lands, and a mem
! Der of the committee on agriculture, ex-
ecutive departments, meat products and
administrative ServiceOf the sen ate.
Senator Plumb's social qualities were
| highly esteemed in Washington, and his
presence was always appreciated at So
cial gatherings and at the clubs of
which he was member. His interests
were large-for Senator Plumb was a
wealthy man, and in addition to his
senatorial duties, he was actively con-
cerned in railroad and industrial enter
prises and was widely known In linan-
clal circles as an interchangeable pro-
mOter.