The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-06-22
EVENTFUL LIFE.
Incidents In the Career of
Judge c. G. Foster.
Was a Man of Fixed Purpose
and Strong Will.
WAS A BORN FIGHTER.
Took an Active Interest In
Kansas Politics..
Funeral Arrangements Have
Been Completed.

! The funeral of Judge c. G. Foster
who died at 6:25 Wednesday evening,
will be held at the family residence at
3 o'clock Sunday afternoon. The burial
will be in the Topeka cemetery.
Judge C. G. Foster, although a ma
tive of New York, born and reared in
Monroe county, started in life on the
farm of his uncle near Adrian, Mich.
His education was acquired at the Ad-
rian academy. He was preparing for
college but an uncle at Kalamazoo ad-
vised the young man to give up the
collegiate course and study law. This
he did and entered the office of F. c.
Beaman, late a congressman A year
| later Judge Foster removed to Roches-
ter, N. Y, and resumed his studies. In
1857 he went to another firm at Leroy,
where he remained until admitted to the
| bar. He then came to Kansas and took
up the practice of law.
The appointment of Judge Foster to
! the federal bench in Kansas was like
| a good many other political moves, it
! was surprise 1t was popularity sup
! posed that Judge A. H. Horton of this
| city would land that place and Mr..
| Foster was for him. The members of
| the bar in AtchisOn had united on Judge
! Horton and Senator Ingalls, had been
| requested to press the candidacy of Mr..
! Horton. The politicians believed that
Mr.. Horton was in line and would land
| the place.
| About the time the appointment was
| expected to be made one of Senator
| ingalls, children died and he came home
| from Washington to attend the funeral.
| While here that mission he and Mr..
| Foster held a conference. When ingalls,
returned to Washington the appoint
ment of Foster was announced by the
/ president.
| This action on the part of Senator
| ingalls, made an enemy of Judge HOr-
| ton. The breach between them exists
| today. Judge Horton made life un-
pleasant to ingalls, within a few years
| by being a candidate for the United
| States senate when Ingalls, came up for
| reelection. Horton and ingalls, have
| been fighting since that day and the
| politicians figure that Judge Horton has
| paid his debt with interest to the ex-
| senator.
| In 1890, Judge Fosters health became
| impaired and he went to Carlsbad.
| Germany, for the summer. He made a
! trip through the countries of Europe
and returned much benefited. 1t was
not long, however, until he grew worse
and has since steadily declined.
When the judges health commenced
| failing the politicians at once began to
figure on getting his job. 1t cold
| blooded idea but this did not interfere
| with the plans being made. Judge Fos-
| ter grew worse and was at one time
approached with the suggestion that he
Judge Foster participated in the most
remarkable political feud which has ex-
listed in Kansas since the state was or
ganized. G'.n. j. K. Hudson, at that
time editor of the Capital, was the sub
| ject of his displeaSure and the two men
had one of the bitterest and most per
sonal controversies the state has ever
| witnessed.
Perhaps the cause of this outbreak
between the two men might be we'll ex-
planned. Judge Foster had been attend
fr,-- },
ing the Republican ticket because the
party was champiOning prohibition for
he was an ardent opponent of the law.
This was Editor Hudson's hobby and he
took occasion to criticise Judge Foster,
a Republican, for taking exceptions to
the action of his party. Then the war
began in earnest and the desire for re-
Venge proba bly, actuated the two men
to carry it to excess. While the trouble
was going on Governor Humphrey was
reelected and Judge Foster sent to him
the following letter in December 1892:
Dear Governor: have been standing
up for Kansas to the best of my ability
but when it comes to stealing members
of the legislature and presidential cleo
tors from a political opponent you must
excuse me if 1 sit down"
This was at the time when the Popu-
lists charged that William Higgins, sec
retary of state, counted the party out
of a victory justly won at the polls.
This letter startled the politicians who
were more exercised when the following
letter from John w. Breidenthal to
Judge Foster was made public in the
State Journal:
MY Dear Sir: Allow me to congratu-
late you on the manly stand you have
taken in this matter and while you have
sat down on the one proposition you
evidently decided to stand up for prin-
ciple. In these days of political cor
ruption it is gratifying to find one oc-
cupying the high and responsible posi-
tion held by you who will not permit his
partisanship to blind him to all sense
of justice and right.
This was the text for a long editorial
in the Capital and in ii Mr.. Hudson was
at his best. He scored Judge Foster
without limit and among other things
insisted that if Foster continued as
judge of the district of Kansas it would
be we'll for him to work more than six
months a year if he continued to draw
salary for twelve months.
Criminal libel suits against the Capi-
tai were brought by Mr.. Foster, but
were dismissed.
Judge Foster did not give up his fight
on General Hudson. Until the day of
the fight was stopped, so far as the
public was concerned when Hudson re-
tired from the Capital
Judge Foster was one of the pioneers
in the fight on S. c. Pomeroy who was
United States senator The people of
and the charges and evidence of bribery
by which PomerOy secured his cleo
| ton.
Mr.. Foster disli1ed Pomeroy and on
one occasion called a meeting in Atch-
iSOn at which he was the sole speaker
He devoted several hours to an attack on
PomerOy which at the time was an un-
popular move because Pomeroy was in
| good standing in his party.
On the hand bills which Foster sent