Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-03

| licans This combination included Charles
Sumner Lyman Trumbull, B. Gratz Brown,
Carl Schurz and Thomas w. Upton During
the congressional session of 1901 they laid
the foundation for the uprising against Gen
eIa Grant which eliminated in the nomina-
| tion of Horace Greeley and B. Gratz Brown
at Cincinnati.
1t is a singular fact that while Senator
Upton was not on friendly terms with
President Grant and at the very time he
was mcst bitter toward the chief executive
Henry Atkinson. son-in-law of the sena-
tor, was appointed by Grant commissioner
of pensions. Atkinson declined to concur
with his father in-law in fighting the ad-
ministration. He declared his loyalty to
the president, and stood by him throughout
the unpleasantness.
On leaving the pension commssionership
Atkinson was appointed surveyor general Of
New Mexico which position he retained
until his death. 1t is said that Atltinson's
firm stand in favor of the president, and
in direct opposition to his father-in-law,
made a deep impression upon General Grant
and he felt personal interest in him.
Senator Upton attracted widespread at
tention by his sarcastic trenchant utter
anccs and antics, and he was for some time
the subject of much caricature. Thomas
deal of his talent to the peppery senator
from Nebraska during that memorable cam
paign. After the Cincinnati convention
Tiptcn returned to Nebraska and organized
the liberal republicans. He was joined by
a few bright men like General Estabrook
and Oliver p. Mason, but the movement fell
fat in Nebraska and after the reelection
, of General Grant in the fall OF " Senator
Upton dropped into the rear and was no
longer political factor in Nebraska.
He Goes Down the scale.
At the close of his slX-year term in the
senate Senator Upton went into retirement.
He was not again heard from until he
Joined the democratic party, and was np-
pointed receiver of the Bloomington land
Office by President Cleveland From that
| comparatively small position he retired dur
ing the administration OF President Harri-
son and, having already reached an ad-
yanced age ne was content to take minor
| clerical position at Washington
For some time prior to hip death Senator
Upton had been writing history of pioneer
! politica in Nebraska, and the work lacked
but littlo of completion. In his speeches he
was vitriolic and at one time he was talked
about all over the union, something after the
manner in which Senator Tillman of South
Carolina was discussed a few years ago
1t is related that he found II difficult to
keep politics out of his sermons when he
was q preacher. During the Fremont cam
paigu he was the pastor Of a church in
Ohio. Excitement was running high and the
pareon was deeply interested. 1t Is said that
he once proclaimed from his pulpit: while
occupy this place you will have free
preacher, and all my words shall be free
speech and when you cannot endure this, y u
must Install slave in my stead and sub
stitute the books of Mormon or Koran OF
Mohammed for tho bible"
wounds His Pride.
Senator Upton was OF highly sensitive
nature and his exit from Nebraska politics
was to him a most bitter experience. After
joining the democratic ranks, he might haze
attained further prominence, but for his ad-
yauced age. 1t is a singular coincidence
that Senator Upton and the late Governor
Alvin Saunders were very nearly the same
age were prominently identified with Ne
brask.'s affairs throughout the same period
and both died within short time OF each
other. Governor Saunders was born July
-, 1917, and Senator Upton was born August
OF the same year; Governor Saunders died
November l and Senator Upton died Noyem-
ber 27 OF the same year
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