Warren sheaf., 1892-01-07
: SENT 70 THE SENATE.
Gov. Humphrey, OF Kansas. Appoints
Bishop w. Perkins as the Lato Senator

SENT TO THE SENATE.
Gov. Humphrey, OF Kansas. Appoints
Bishop w. Perkins as the Late Senator
Dlumb's Successor.
TOPEKA, Kan, Jan. 2.-At $3.50 Fri
day afternoon Gov. Humphrey signed
the commission appointing Bishop w.
Perkins to fill the vacancy in the
United States senate caused by the
death of Senator Plumb. The legisla-
ture, which meets the second Tuesday
in January, 1898. will elect his success
sor, and the appointment makes Per-
kins the central figure in next falls
campaign.
Since Monday last, when the first
delegation arrived from Cowley coun-
ty in the interest of Perkins, he has
been regarded as the leading candi-
date. AS soon as Plumb's death had
been announced L. S. Crum, of
Oswego, who is Perkins political lieu
tenant, sent circular letters all over
the Third district urging friends of the
ex-congressman to form delegations
and circulate petitions in his behalf. A
precedent was established, and in every
congressional district in the state a
favorite son was doomed. The Perkins
forces were better organized, with the
additional advantage of coming from
Gov. Humphreys congressional dis
trict. Humphrey had announced his
intention of running for congress when
his term of office had expired, and un-
less Perkins had secured the appoint
ment he would have been in the gov
ernor's way.
All the other candidates Immediately
combined against Perkins. w. P.
Hackney, formerly of Perkins district
on Thursday went to the governors
Office Immediately following Per-
kins' departure and charged him
with being a lobbyist, who was
recognized in Washington as a
boodler. He declared that the whole
state would arise to protest against
him if the facts in his history were
known and that next fall the entire
legislature would certainly be elected
by the opposition. Hackney dictated
this speech to a newspaper correspond.
ent, but after it was too late both the
Perkins and anti-Perkins forces
combined to have it suppressed. Mr..
Perkins remained in Washington until a
dispatch was received urging him to
come here and reply in person to
the charges made against him. When
the appointment was announced Hack
ney with an oath declared that he
would proceed to organize an indigna-
tion meeting, but was dissuaded by
Maj. J. X. Hudson, Joseph w. Ady and
the other candidates.
& Gov. Humphrey in an interview said
that Perkins had shown more strength
than any of the ----~r candidates and
that the charges against him were
without foundation. ''It was neces-
sary," said the governor, ito appoint a
man who could take up the work
where Plumb left it.
The scram BILE over the place has
broken more close political friendships
than any fight which ever occurred in
the state. Every applicant for the po-
sition will be candidate before the
next legislature and will com bine to de-
feat Perkins. In the Third congress
sional district, from which Perkins halls,
the party is in hopeless tangle. If
Humphrey desires the congressional
nomination in that district he will
prot ably secure it, but the opposition
to Perkins which has been manifested
will bolt him.
Bishop W. Perkins was born at Rochester,
O., and was SO years old October 18 last. He
was educated in the public schools and at
Knox college at Galesburg, Ill. After leaving
college he went to Colorado and on his
return in 1869 enlisted in Company D, Eighty
third Illinois Volunteer infantry. He
served as sergeant and lieutenant and in De.
cember, 1863, was appointed adjutant of the
Sixteenth Colorado infantry. Later he was
assigned to duty as captain Of Company C OF
the same regiment. He was mustered out at
Nashville in May, 1856. He returned to Illi-
nois and resumed the study of law reading
with O. G. Gray, at Ottawa. After being
admitted to the bar in 1857 he located
at Princeton, Ind. where he remained
until he came to Oswego, Kan, in April, 1860
The same year he was appointed county at
torney and the following year probate Judge,
which office he held till February l, 1873, when
he was elected judge Of the Eleventh judicial
district. He was reelected in 1874 and
1878, and in November, 1881, was elected
member OF congress as a republican. He
was delegate to the Chicago convention in
1880. He was reelected to congress for three
successive terms, but met defeat year ago at
the hands OF the Farmers Alliance. He was
editor and proprietor OF the Oswego Register
from 1871 until appointed district iu.1pe in 1912