St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-01-28
INGALLS, The UNIQUE,
He Will Be Succeeded in the
Senate by William Alfred
PETER.
Biographical Sketch Of the
Newly-Risen Figure in
Politics.
And Now the Desolator'S
Desolate, the Victor Over
thrown,
And the Arbiter Of Others
Fate a Suppliant for
His Own.


Fate a Suppliant for
His Own.
Topeka, Kan, Jan. 27.-When the
next session of congress meets there
will be missing from the senate one of
Its most unique and distinguished men,
berS. The seat of Hon. John James
ingalls, will be occupied by a new men,
Der, William Alfred PETER, of the Farm
erS' Alliance, who, in the joint session
of the two branches of the legislature,
will be formally declared elected
to succeed the senior Kansas senator.
The predictions of the wise men that
the Alliance would be unable to agree
In caucus upon candidate and that
failure to agree would disrupt their Or
ganlzation went wide OF the mark. The
caucus was no less harmonious than is
usual and agreement was reached after
four hours of balloting. The caucus
met at o'clock last night and worked
under the secret rules of the order.
No one was admitted to the
hall and jealous Sentries were
stationed along the corridors to prevent
any one approaching within ear shot of
the caucus room. Eighteen candidates
were voted for on the first ballot. Then
the one receiving the lowest number of
votes was
Dropped From the List.
This was repeated on each ballot un-
til choice was made. When the fifth
ballot was taken these names were
voted upon: W. A. PETER, p. p. Elder,
speaker of the house; John Willis, de-
feated candidate for governor; John
Davis, cOngreSSman-elect from the
Fifth district, and J. W. Bridenthal, of
Chetopa. One by one Brikenthal, Davis
and Willis were dropped from the list,
until only PETER and Elder remained.
The final vote stood Sc for PETER and
SO for Elder. Before the house met
this morning there were all sorts of ru-
mors that the friends of these various de-
feated candidates would bolt the caucus
nomination, but when the vote was
taken to-day the Alliance men stood by
their candidate as firm as a rock.
The proceedings in the two
houses to-day were of the most Or
binary character. In the senate Lieut.. |
Gov. felt announced the hour wnen the
hands of the clock pointed to noon, and
said the time had arrived for the senate
to declare its choice for senator. Be-
fore this vote was taken several sena-
tors explained their votes. The ballot |
resulted: J. J; ingalls,. S5; W. A. PEI
gresham Morrill, and State Sena-
tor Fl. G. Kelly, l. Lieut..
Gov. Felt announced the re-
suit, and the senate adjourned. |
In the house the Alliance men were so
anxious to declare their choice that they |
could not wait for the noon hour.
Fifty-three petitions from G. A. r. vet
ers throughout the state asking the leg |
lslature to
REFLECT NIr. ingalls,,
were presented and went over under |
the rule. The reading of the titles of |
these petitions consumed over an hours |
time. 1t was 1850, and there being no
business before the house, an informal |
recess was taken. At 1855 Speaker |
Elder raped for order and declared |
that it then devolved upon the house |
to make its choice for senator. |
The clerk was directed to call the |
roll. Cheers followed the announce
ment of each vote, and after few inef- |
fectual attempts to maintain order the |
speaker gave it up as bad job, and the |
Alliance and Ingalls, men cheered to |
their hearts content. The ballot re- |
suited: w. A. PETER. 90; j. j. ingalls,, |
%; Gen. G. w. Blair Dem.), 5. The Al
lance went wild when the announce
ment of the vote was made and cheered |
for fully three minutes. Loud cries |
for PETER were heard, but the AL |
lance leader was not to be found. !
During the confusion some one moved |
to adjourn, and the speaker declared |
the motion adopted. The joint meeting
will be held tomorrow at noon, when |
the vote Oh senator will doubtless be: |
PETER, 90; ingalls,, 5S; Blair, 6; scatter
ing, 3. A majority in joint session is |
the rising and not in the setting sun.
This epigram has not been verified in the |
case of Senator ingalls,. When he ap- |
peared in the Office OH his way to the |
dining room. after the vote had been |
announced from the house. he was be-
sieged with throng of friends and ad-
mirerS, eager to grasp his hand and eX-
press their regret over his defeat.
While he was at dinner crowd gath
cred around the dining room door and |
endeayored to obtain glimpse Of the
Atchison statesman. When he came |
out he was again surrounded, and was
ShOWered with expressions OF good will |
and kindly regard.
To reporter Mr.. ingalls, said:
Il have no plans for the future. I only
know that / shall remain i'll Kansas. / came |
to the state three years before its admission |
into theU nion have lived here ever since;
all my belongings are here; all OF my chill
dren were born in Kansas. My dead sleep in |
her BOSOM and l hope to mingle my dust
with her SOIL"
On all questions of politics the sena-
tor was non-committal, but 1t Is appar-
ent that he is fully satisfied with the
support which be received from his
party and has been deeply touched |
with the manifestations of friend
ship Of which he has been
the recipient. Senator ingalls, goes
from here to Atchison, his home,
for few days, and will then return to
Washington, where he will remain
until the end of the session. Judge
PETER was at his desk in the editorial
rooms of the Kan saS Farmer early this
morning, and remained there all day.
He was besieged by callers Offering
congratulations OH his nomination. and |
later Oh his election.
William Alfred PETER was born in
Cumberland county. Pennsylvania, Sept.
10, 1881. He is Of Dutch parentage. He
is self-made man. His schooling was
obtained between the ages of ten and
fifteen. when he attended the public
school seven months of each year. At
the age of fifteen years he was made
master of small district school and /
taught there until he was nineteen. In |
1850 he caught the gold fever and |
went to California. where he remained |
two years. He made considerable