The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-05-22
LOST PAPER FOUND
Document That AVerted Hos
tiIitieS in DunSmore House.
CELEBRATED 1893 SESSION
Agreement Between Governor
LeweIIing and G. K. Peck

Ex-Governor Lewelling has recently
found the memorandum of the compro-
mise which settled the famous house fight
in the legislative session OF 1893. 1t was
in reality an agreement between the re-
publicans and populists to avert hSsuh-
ties. Mr.. Lewelling had lost track of the
original copy. and was unable to find II
for several years. 1t is probably one Oh
the most valuable documents in the state
as there has never been a copy Of it made
and one Of the conditions under which it
was signed was that it should not be re-
corded in any Of the state records.
When the legislature met in 1888 the
populists had a majority in the senate
but in the house each party had about an
equal number OF representatives. When
1T came to organizing the republicans
elected George l.. Douglass speaker by a
few votes. and the populists claimed that
they Ohe republicans had obtained their
majority by issuing fraudulent certln-
Gates Believing this, the populists refused
TO accept Douglass as speaker, and elected
J. NJ. Dunsmore to fill the same place
For the next three days the two speak
ers sat side by side, each one having noth-
Ing 10 do with the supporters Of the other
In reality there were two separate houses
sitting in the same hall. The republicans
then got possession of the hall, and kept
the populist members out. The pops then
got another hall and proceeded with the
work Of making laws, while the republl-
cans were doing the same thing in rep
resentative hall
As soon as the republicans gained pos
Session Of the house Governor Lewelling
called out the militia, who Immediately
took the part Of the republicans and
worked for the interests of the Douglass
house In addition to this the sheriff OF
Shawnee county organized strong posse
and raised companies of armed men who
were constantly drilled. This gave the
republicans practical control Of Topeka
and the state house. But the popuiists
were not idle. The governor organized
a company Of militia, composed entirely
OF popul' SITS and similar companies, were
organized all over the state. During the
week that the affairs remained in this
condition Mr.. Lewelling received tele-
grams from every corner in Kan As, Of
ferlng to send drilled companies "a case
they should be needed. 1t looked very
much as though there should be war and
bloodshed, and the conservative element
Of both parties were anxious to get the
thing settled in some way. Governor Lew
Is..l, 10
would compromise and sent them to the
Douglass house which rejected them.
By this time the business men of To-
peka and the officials or the Santa Fe
became alarmed. 1t looked very much as
though war might break out at any mo-
ment, and the chances were that Topeka
or at least d large portion OF it would
be burned. They held a caucus, at which
it was decided to patch up some kind of
an agreement which would prevent actual
rioting. George r. Peck, general solicitor
for the Santa Fe, was the man selected
10 carry out their plans.
The next day Mr.. Peck called on Gov
ernor Lewelling and asked him on what
conditions he would accept a compromise,
that war might be averted. The governor
them out. The governor then signed the
agreement, and Mr. Peck took it to the
Douglass house, where it was accepted,
anG-then it was taken to the populist SEN
ate and ratified. The agreement was writ
ten on stationery furnished for the use of
the senators, and reads as follows:
Topeka, Kan. Feb. II, 1898.
Memoranda.
1T being the understanding that the
house presided over by Mr.. Dunsmore has
secured a han in which to meet, the house
presided over by Mr.. Douglass shall re-
main in possession Of Representative hall
undisturbed and unmolested.
80 The house presided over by Mr.
Dunsmore shall in ike manner be undis-
tUrhed and Uumolested in the possession
Of the han which it has secured and may
if it desires select room in the state
house for its meeting other than Repre-
sentative hall.
''5, No arrests 10 be made by either
house vf the members or officers Of the
other.
Il. The militia to be Immediately re-
Ieved, including the new recruits sworn
IN and the sherin's posse to be immedi-
a-eiy disbanded.
=. Militia companies now en- route for
Topeka 10 be Immediately telegraphed to
by the governor to return to their homes.
Il. D. LEWELLING,
Governor.
GEORGE DOUGLAS,
ID. ". EASTMAN.
y. X. CUBBlSON,
Committee on the part Of th,, house r,r,,