The Topeka state journal., 1897-03-30

llOH OI JuQS6 OF In0 1W0lIIn
district at the time of his election to
congress. He is a widely
known criminal lawyer and
one of the most brilliant men
in Nebraska. He has been a Populist
for six years, and was one of the foun-
ders of the party in Nebraska He came
within two votes of being elected to
the senate in the stead of Senator Al
len of Nebraska, and was himself large
ly responsible for the election of the
latter gentleman.
Judge William L. Stark, another of
the Nebraska members, is a native of
the Nutmeg state, now 43 years old. He
has lived in Nebraska for 20 years and
for six terms was judge of the Hamilton
county court. He was a candidate for
congress two years ago. but was de-
feated by ex-Congressman Hainer,
whom he in turn overwhelmed at the
polls last fall
The other Populist member of the
delegation from Bryan's state bears the
rich Scotch name of Roderick Dhu
Sutherland. He is a native of Iowa
and is "a years old. He was educated
at the common school and has been in
active practice at the bar for nearly ten
years. His only public office has been
that of county attorney, to which he
was three times elected. He is a fine
campaigner and redeemed a district
that went heavily Republican two years
ago.
Captain James Gum of Idaho was for
merly well-known citizen of Colorado.
He has lived in ten different states of
Boise, Idaho, for the last 16 years. Cap
tain Gum is a native of New York and
was 54 years old the day he was sworn
in as a member of congress. He served
through the war in a Wisconsin regi-
ment and rose to the rank of captain.
He went to Colorado in 1866, residing in
Gilpin and Clear Creek counties. He
was for three years mayor of George
town. He removed to the Pacific slope
in 1875 and after residing some years in
Nevada and California, he moved to
Idaho. He has been one of the most
prominent Populists in that state, a
member of the first state senate and has
been three times the candidate of his
party for congress. Last fall he was
elected by a very large majority over
the Gold Republican candidate.
From South Dakota come a pair of
new members, both of whom are editors
of newspapers and promise to- be among
the most alert and active members of
the new house. Freeman Knowles is
the editor of the DeadWOod Evening In
dependent, an aggressive evening paper.
He is very popular in the Black Hills
country, and to the surprise of the Re
publicanS he swept all that part of the
state by storm in his race for congress.
Mr.. Knowles is a native of Maine and is
so years old. He was a boy soldier and
served three years. He was a prisoner
of war ar Libby, Zelle Isle and Sails
bury. He was formerly a practicing
lawyer, but for 10 years has been engag-
ed in the newspaper business in Nebras-
ka and Dakota. He owes his election to
the support of labor organizations He
is not a politician and has never held a
public office or attended a state congress
siOnal convention. He has, however,
been an active POpulist for several
years and was formerly a Republican.
John E. Kelly of Flandreau, the other
South Dakota member is a native of Wis
consin and now is in his 44th year He
has lived in Dakota 20 years and is also
a newspaper editor. For the last eight
years he has been prominent in the in
dependent movement in South Dakota
and was a member of the legislature
which elected Kyle to the senate in 1891 |
This is his third race as the POpulist
candidate for congress in the state.
There are several interesting new
members from the Populist stronghold |
of Kansas. Mason S. Peters of Kansas |
City is a native of Missouri, but has |
been for 10 years engaged in the live |
stock commission business in the city |
where he resides. He was four years |
clerk of one of the Missouri counties, |
but after his removal to Kansas, held no |
public office prior to his election to con- |
gress. His election was a great sur |
prise to the Republicans, as it was sup |
posed that the important city he repre- |
sents would go strongly for gold but like |
its Missouri neighbOr across the river, |
it went heavily for silver.
Edwin R. Ridgely, who represents the |
Third Kansas district, is old time |
Greenbacker. He was a soldier in the |
late war in an Illinois regiment and has |
lived in Kansas for nearly so years He |
early engaged in the Texas cattle trade |
as he says, personally sharing in and I
directing the gathering of cattle on the !
range and driving them to the Kansas |
markets" He subsequently extended |
his cattle operations to the Pacific coast,
including Washington, Oregon and Cal |
ifOrnia. He was originally a Republi-
can, but went over to the Greenback !
party in 1876 voting for Peter Cooper. |
He says he quit the Republican party
in the centennial year because of its fin
ancial policy; and that he has contin-
uOusly. from that date advocated the |
exclusive issue of all money by the gov
ernment by using all the gold and silver |
offered as material on which to print |
the money power, supplementing these
with paper to regulate and control the I
total volume. Mr.. Ridgely is an earn
est advocate of public ownership and |
operation of all public utilities, and i
thinks it both the duty and necessity
of the state to supply all unemployed
people voluntary access to all the nee
essary means of production and distri-
button among themselves of food, fuel
clothing, shelter and education; that !
all such labor above these needs should |
be utilized by the state in creating pub
lie improvements. To meet the de-
mands for revenue, also to undo and |
prevent the dangerous Capitalization of (
wealth in the hands of a few people
he advocates a graduated property and
income tax.
Representative William D. Vincent of |
the Fifth Kansas district, is another old |
member of Peter CoOper's party He is
d native of Tennessee. but removed to
Kansas in his 10th year Mr. Vincent |
is now A years old. He has been ac-
tive in politics for many years. He was |
a candidate for Butler presidential cleo
tor in 1884 and a member of the state |
board of railway commissioners in 1893
and 1894. He has been for five years |
a member of the Peoples party national |
committee.
Congressman N. B. Mccormick of the |
Sixth Kansas district. is native Penn
sylvanian, 49 years old He was raised |
on a farm, like nearly all Populists rep
resentativeS, and educated in the COM
mon schools He moved to Iowa in 1867
and continued there TO engage in farm
ing for 10 years In 1877 he took up a |