Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-02-25


with but two sentiments-love or loathing-and
from either standpoint criticism must be par
tial and partisan.
Senator Lanes attire was characteristically
peculiar, but he consented to propitiate the
proprieties by donning the regulation clerical
sarb when he arrived in Washington. To do this
he laid aside curious calfskin vest and seal
skin coat which his enemies insisted he had
worn without change from his entrance into the
territory seven years before.
LANES INFLUENCE WITH LINCOLN.
From the first Mr.. Lane exercised peculiar
influence over Mr.. Lincoln, who was his warm
personal friend; and through the chief e1ecu-
tive his power in Kansas was made absolute for
years, and upon this his crop Of enemies grew
and fattensd. 1t was particularly hard upon
the governors, who were thus shorn Of much OF
and demonstrated with the President about it.
We'll" Mr.. Lincoln said with his kindly smile.
ne knocks at my door every morning, and you
know he is very persistent fellow; hard to put
on. and Senator Lane continued favorite at
court.
During the summer after taking his seat
Lane went back to Kansas as a brigadier gen.
eral and entered upon aggressive border war
fare at the head Of the Kansas troops. II was
stated that he had resigned his place in the Sem
ate. Gov. Robinson, who never had had any
use for Jim Jane" appointed Frederick p.
Stanton on July IL as Senator from Kansas in
Lane place. Lanes characteristic remark to
this was, "G-r-e-a-t God! this looks like at
tempt to bury . man before he is dead, )" and
hung to his seat in tho Senate and his military
honors O. we'll
When the legislature met in February, 1864,
it WAS the honest opinion Of many that the
seat In the Senate occupied by Gen. Lane was
virtually vacated, a. he was still at the head Of
bis ''jayhawkers." Opposition to him was
crystalizng and, majority voting for an cleo
ton, joint session was held. Thomas Carney,
then governor, was elected. The vote stood:
Carney 6s, Against fraud l." and twenty
seven members declined to VOTE declaring that
no vacancy existed. Gov. Carney had the good
sense to decline to claim the seat and Jim
Lane" remained Senator. In January Of
1865, at the regular election, he was elected to
succeed himself. with only seventeen dissent
ing votes.
THE JOHNSON IMPEACHMENT.
The impeachment trial Of Andrew johnson
came on in due process Of Reconstruction"
Kansas as a state stood solidly for impeach-
ment, but Mr.. Lane refused to obey the will Of
the people. $50 far as l Am concerned" he
said, II propose to take nv position alongside
the President" and he did. He made an i'm
FASHIONED speech in the Senate in support Of
Mr.. johnson and then went to Kansas to con-
tinue the work. He was heard with impotence
by the party leaders. He had lost his grip and
his power began to wane. At a mass meeting
In Leavenworth denunciatory resolutions were
adopted and Mr.. Lane censured in unmeasured
terms for selling himself to Mr.. johnson.
Edwin G.. Ross reported the resolutions and
lighted the lamp that illuminated his pathway
as Mr. Lanes successor.
For months vague hints had haunted news
paper columns connecting a western Senator
with scandalous transactions in Indian affairs.
MIR: Lanes friends knew who was implicated
and hushed matters up. In June, 1866, Mr.
Lane went to Kansas, and during his absence
men whom he had disappointed politically
stirred up the story and 1t was printed in full,
with names, in the Boston Commonwealth, and
a senatorial investigation was imminent The
men who had the key to the situation died with
out divulging, and the secret died with them,
but they ha made known SO much that Mr..
Lane seems to have thong ht the situation fraught
with danger. for he brooded over it till it
frenzied him. On July /. 1866, Just after
alightng from a carriage at the home of his
daughter in Leavenworth. he placed pistol to
his mouth and fred, the ball entering his brain
he lived ten days, conscious to the last. The
end was tragic, his career had been varied
and picturesque. One who knew him best said
simply:
sS stTa9S Sst that harp Of thousand strings
1t was the gentlest, truest epitaph this strange
man received.
To fill the vacancy Edwin G. Ross, q news
paper man, was selected by the governor and
at the meeting of the legislature in January,
1867. he was duly elected to fill out the unex-
pired term. On May 16, 1868, knowing the
Geep-seeted dislike the Kansas people had for
Mr.. Johnson and knowing also that the act
would bring upon him the heavy displeasure of
the men who had made him. politically, Mr..
Ross voted against the impeachment Of Mr..
johnson and his vote saved the nation an inn
peached President. From that day forward be
was "a man OF sorrows and acquainted with
grief" His friends fell away from him as
though they feared contamination. Kansas
emphatically repudiated him and his action,
and black blight fell upon his political hopes
He was a man OF admirable quail les and of
such integrity and honor that bribery nor con-
tumely could touch him. When his term ex-
pired he returned to Kansas and quiet Every
thing he touched turned to ashes in his grasp.
Out toward the setting sun he sought another
home, but his fortunes have not mended.
SAMUEL C. PoMERor
On April 4, 1861, when Lane was elected
United States Senator, his running mate was
Samuel @. Pomeroy. Mr.. Pomeroy was re-
elected in 1867 to serve his second term
Charges Of corruption and bribery connected
with Mr.. Pomeroy were made and the inevita-
bic investigating committee was appointed.
This committee reported that it was convinced
THAT money had been used for the base pur-
poses Of influencing members Of the legislature
to disregard the wishes of their constituents
and to vote as money dictated, and regret their
failure to procure the evidence necessary to
demonstrate the facts to the people Of the
state"
On March 25, 1868. the republican state con-
vention at Topeka Endorsed Mr.. Pomeroy for
Vice President, as sin his election the loyal
people of the nation would have for Vice Presi-
dent "A man we can trust" Two months
later the man in whom Kansas had placed such
confidence was hustling around among his con-
stituents trying to convince them that he did
not try to sell his vote to Mr.. johnson in the
impeachment trial. Thurlow Weed and Presi-
dent Johnsou's private secretary, Edmund
Cooper, were authority for the report, which
Mr.. Pomeroy denied as a canard
On January rs, 1871, Alexander Caldwell was
elected United States Senator to succeed Mr.
Ross Mr.. Caldwell gave banquet to the leg
islature at his home in Leavenworth which is
remembered yet. Scarcely were the viands
disposed Of when the air grew thick with ru-
mors Of corruption and bribery. They gath
cred and grew till Gov. Harvey on January 9,
1872, made bribery in elections the subject OF
one OF the strong clauses in his annual message.
On January II Kansas paper gave the names
OF seventeen persons said to have been bribed
to vote for Alexander Caldwell. About half the
names were those Of democrats. An investi.
eating committee was appointed from the state
senate and startling disclosures were made
From the testimony tsken," said the COM
mittee, I've find that money was
used and attempted to be used in bribing and
attempting to bride and influence the members
Of the leoi ala fnra Yin i0e7l tn xba Al.