Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-04-23

the family gave up all hope and realized
that the end was near. He passed away
without regaining consciousness. At the
deathbed were gathered his four children
Mrs. R. E. Fletcher, W. S. Holman. Jr,
Mrs. Fred Harvey and Paul Holman ali of
this city.
William Steele Holman would have passed
the three-quarter century mark had he
lived until next September. and his career
is remarkable for the large proportion of
his life that was given up to the service
of the public. No living man, and few
men dead, have record as he did, of SIX
teen terms in the house of representatives,
and, in all. fifty-four years of his life was
spent in some public capacity, beginning
with a judicial position in his native stau
and winding up in the house of represent
atives. which he first entered in the Thirty.
sixth congress.
Mr.. Holman was a great force in political
affairs for many years, and even of late,
when advancing age made 1t harder for
him to meet the more severe demands OF
his place. he was an honored and respected
counselor in the Democratic party eau
cuses, where his ripe wisdom and long
political experience were freely ayatled of
in shaping party olicies. As the watch
dog of the treasury lie was known to the
American people, and the policy of strict
economy that he consistently pursued when
in charge of the appropriation bills has
been followed SO long that it has come 10
be regarded as one of the party tenets in
all congresses.
Mr.. Holman was horn in Indiana. in the
country, at a little pioneer homestead In
Dearborn county. called Veraestau. in Sep
tember, 1S22- AS he wrote his autobiog
raphy for the congressional directory, it
is recorded that he had common school
education, supplemented by two years
course in Franklin college, Indiana. Then
he taught school and practiced law until
1si3, when, at the age of q. he entered the
public service as probate judge. He was
in 1850 he attended the constitutional con-
vention. The following year he entered
the legislature and from 1852 to 1856 he
was judge of common pleas His congress
sional career began with the Thirty-sixth
congress, and out of the twenty congresses
that have elapsed since that time he has
Thirty-eighth, Forty-fifth, Forty-sixth and
Fifty-fourth, an almost unparalleled rec
ord. In 1864 he declined to run for con-
gress on Democratic platform in which
it was submitted that the war was q fail
ure, and. after the inglorious defeat of the
Democratic nominee. Mr.. Holman was en-
treated to run in the following campaign.
After that he represented his district until
1876 and 1873, when he failed of reelection
by reason of a gerrymander. In 1880 the
district was reapportioned and his nomi-
nation came 10 him almost invariably by
reclamation. In 1894 he was again defeat
ed, but was reelected in 1896.
Personally Mr.. Holman was OF n most gen.
ial and approachable disposition He was
entirely willing to listen to any person who
called for his assistance and. although
often obliged by his sense of duty to resist
the opportunities of his colleagues In ia
vor of some measure of vital Importance
he always did so in such an impersonal
manner as to take away largely the sting
of his refusal. In fact. it was one of the
strong points of Mr.. Holman, that in his
long congressional career he refrained en-
tirely from personalities and consequently
he had few personal enemies.
The remains of Mr.. Holman, escorted l,y
a delegation of his colleagues in the house
ana a committee of the senate will be
sent to his late home near Aurora, Ind.
leaving this city at 3:45 p. m. Saturday
afternoon over the Baltimore & Ohio rail-
road. Funeral service Will be held Sur
day at the homestead near Aurora and in
terment in Riverside cemetery.