The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-07-14
Hon. ABRAM w. SMITH.

This particular scion is better known as
Smith Of McPherson," because of the fact
that the name Smith is so prominent and tae
tribe so popular in Kansas that at one time
there were four Smiths from as many different
| Counties serving i'll the State Legislature. As
| a distinguishing mark was necessary, they were
labelled Smith of Smith," Smith of Nc.
| Pherson," etc.
Smith of Mcpherson comes of Yankee stock.
and first saw the daylight in Oxford County.
Me, Oct 18. 1843. He is stalwart, mentally,
| physically and politically. He stands about ST K
feet six On pair of feet commensurate with his
| hight is broad shouldered. straight and carries
himself with dignity. He has merry blue
eyes, dimples in his cheeks, and laugh that
once heard can never be forgotten. 1t ripples
and flows and rolls up and out Of his mighty
! frame, and fills the air with laughter bacilli
| till you laugh because he does, and he laughs
| because he likes to, and hs doesn't care who
knows it.
| Like Lincoln and Garfield, and dozen other
| master spirits of the century, Mr.. Smith comes
| of poor but honest PERCENTAGE and got his educa-
| tion in the hard school of experience" In his
case, as in those of others, it has been an excel
| lent school, and the education noble indeed
| with no wasted opportunities to haunt him. no
| lost time to bemoan. The first Is years of his
| life he spent upon his fathers farm in Maine
| On Oct. 10, 1861 he donned the army blue and
| enlisted as private in tho 10Th U. 8. Inf,
being made Sergeant of his company.
| His regiment was assigned to duty in the
| Army of the Ohio. and under Gen. Buell. he
| participated in the Bowling Green campaign,
which lasted only 30 days, and added Fort
| Henry, Fort Donelson, Bowling Green Nash
vile, and Columbus to the Federal triumphs
| and restored Kentucky, with most Of Tennes-
see, to Federal allegiance.
On the night of the first awful day at Shiloh
Serg't Smith was one of the 1900 men under
p,,al no to 20 Iacf ;,,s
second days fight, and he was in at the finish
when Corinth. the great rebel stronghold,
capitulated almost without struggle.
At Chickamauga his regiment was nearly
wiped out of the records, and every soul left
alive was captured in the last charge made by
Longstreet on the evening of Sept 20. After
that lie took up his enforced abode in rebel
prisons He saw the inside of nearly all of
them Richmond. Danville. and. last Ander.
sOnvil1e, where, through no desire of his own,
lie was domiciled for 10 months. He was
paroled at Vicksburg On the 10Th of April.
1861, and mustered out Of the service June g,
1865, at Detroit, Mich. He went into the serv-
ice strong limbed, lusty son of the soil, and
left it a physical wreck. His sufferings in
Andersonvillc, like those of all the other brave
boys, are too dramatically horrible to relate.
For months after being mustered out he fingered
in debatable land between this world and the
one that sets it right. There his powerful con-
stitution, clean life, and iron will won the day,
though he will carry to his grave as souvenirs
of that sojourn i'll rebel prisons disabilities that
have downed many stronger men.
In January. 1866, he started out to make a
pllce for himself in the world. With small
education and not a dollar in his pocket, with
out influence, and in wretched physical condi-
ton, hs had an uphill job before him. He had
no knowledge of anything but farming; but
the sterile acres of the Pine Tree State offered
little inducement for him to advance. On his
way westward he found work in the Cambria
Iron Works, in Johnstown, Pa, as a common
day laborer Step by step he was advanced,
till at last he became Superintendent in the
great institution. He remained there until
1872. when he went to Kansas. In Mcpherson
County, then almost on the verge of ciyiliza-
ton, he took his soldier claim " of I60 acres
and turned tiller of the soil again. He still
lives upon that farm, now one of the finest in
Kansas and for years worked it alone and I'M
aided. He now has q family of manly sons
who assist him. 1t has made him an honest
living and he has never attempted to make one
any other way.
During all these years he applied himself
assiduously to reading and the study of politi-
cal economy. In 1876. unsolicited by him and
Unexpectedly, the Republicans of his County,
recognizing his sterling worth, placed him in
nomination for the Legislature and elected him
with small opposition. Four times he was re-
turned without solicitation from him. The
fifth nomination rendered him he declined
he wanted rest. Then the people preferred
him the Senatorial nomination. This he also
declined. He never had any ambition to enter
the Senate. In 1884 he said to the voters of his
District: " would like to 60 to the Legisla-
ture next year." and they sent him unani-
mously. Then he said to the Legislature az
would like to be your Speaker" and Speaker
he was made without opposition.
II was a SDlendid honor Nine yaars before
he entered the Kansas State House a green,
shy farmer, inexperienced and unknown. dec
ade later, still q farmer, never for day having
been anything else, he was made Speaker by
unanimous vote Of one of the finest law making |
bodies ever congregated in State Capitol, and !
acknowledged by everybody to be one of the |
finest parliamentarians who ever occupied the !
Speakers Chair. During the years he had |
roughened his hands OH the plow handles, he |
had polished his brains by well-directsd course |
Of reading. He made splendid record as |
Speaker. He is still farmer. He has been |
for years President of the State Board of Ag-
riculture, and is also President of the National
Farmers Congress- and is at the head of the
Kansas branch of the Worlds Columbian Ex-
position.
Smith of Mcpherson is politician just as
he is farmer-because he likes it. 1t is his
recreation. He took his first lessons in politics
while in AndersOnville prison, and cast his
L
coin. One of the interesting mementoes of his
soOurn in that rebel hole is the tally sheet of
the election held there, which excited the ire
of the rebel keepers till it nearly lost the poor
boys the little life they had left in them.
Four years ago Smith of Mcpherson wished
to be Governor of Kansas, and if he had listened
to the wheedling voice of third party, his
throughout the State was such that
he might have been elected on an independent
ticket. His answering devotion to the Re-
publican Party made him decline such adj
yances with emphasis. He tried for the nom
nation in the Republican Convention, aud was
defeated by Gov. Humphrey, the present in
cumbent He laughingy remarked: That
means two terms for Humphrey and four years
for me to watt" and went to work with all the
energy OF his big body for the ticket.
The four years is about ended, and Smith of
MCPHERSON is marked by destiny to be tho next
occupant of the Gnbernatorial Chair of Kansas.
He is a fine campaigner and an effective stump
speaker. He has clear, ringing voice, ma
estic presence, and has few equals ia equip