The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-08-19
ingalls, First Election
Dramatic Expose
of Pomeroy.

4 N<>N~NO@N~~~ON<~~O~~c~N~~
| A new generation has come upon the
stage since on the 18th day Of January,
1873, John ]. ingalls, suddenly emerged
| from the obscurity OF country lawyer
into national fame, says the Kansas City
| Star, and comparatively few men can
recollect the sensational scene of that
famous joint convention of the legisla-
ture and the incidents leading up to it.
| OF the 10000 or more voters of Kansas
today probably not 10 per cent have a
personal knowledge Of the causes which
| led TO Ingalls, election, or of his prede-
cessor, Samuel c. Pomeroy. "Old Sub
| sidy Pom" everybody called him on &C
count of the thrifty part he took in OBJ
| tanning land grants for railroads Be
| fore that he was "Old Beans" for his
| original appearance in Kansas was as
| the agent of the New England Aid So
ciety, an organization which sent great
quantities Of beans and other provisions
to the settlers OF the then territory at
the time Of the drouth of 1860.
Senator Pomeroy was a well meaning
he had tasted Of the f1eshpots Of Wash
ington and thereafter he devoted both his
public and his private life to getting rich.
His methods were so corrupt and so
brazen that in his second term of United
States senator the people rose in rebel
lion and smote him. He bought the con-
sciences of men as he bought the food
for his table-both were necessary to
him. Money became his sole agent. It
was cheaper to give up a part of his
plumber for the gain of a legislators sup
port than to waste time in the usual
methods of political diplomacy. He had
enough and to spare when he held his
first caucus, but to make sure he bought
another man on the eve of the joint con-
vention, and by that act he feline
bought the wrong man.
1t is not fair TO say that ingalls, had
no designs on the senatorship when on
Monday morning, January 3, he left his
law office in Atchison and took a train
for Topeka For months he had laid
plans to take advantage of anything
that might happen, and sixteen years be-
fore. when the steamboat bearing him
up the Missouri river drew near. Sumner.
now obliterated from the map, where he
had resolved to cast his fortunes, he had
pledged himself in his heart to become
a United States senator from the state
But he was without means to make a
canvass, and he left the work of break
ing Pomeroy's back 20 other aspirants,
while he quietly sat in his office and
laid wires.
Arriving in Topeka he found all the
hotel space full and OVERLOOKING Pome-
roy had hired the greater part Of the
Tefft house, at that time a famous tav-
ern, since converted into a modern but
less noted hotel, and in addition the
main floors of the other hotels. The
other candidates for the senatorship We're
slowed away in sky parlors, and there
was no room anywhere for Ingalls, Fin
ally he persuaded friend to share his
bed in tr rdleutaoincmfwypshr
him, and so on the night of January %,
when the first anti-Pomeroy caucus was
held he h ad a solitary S. bill in his
vest pocket and dependent upon the hos
pitality of a friend for a place to lay
his head. Ingalls, candidacy was hardly
regarded by his rivals in that caucus.
John M. Price, D. P. Love, J. NJ. Har-
vey, W. A. Phillips, S. A. Cobb and A.
c. Logan were the only ones who had
organized followings. and ingalls, only
got in as a compromise between Price
and Logan. ingalls, friend in need at the
supreme moment was Thomas Moonlight.
For his reward he claimed the United
States marshalship, and losing it, he be-
came sour and a few years later drifted
into the Democratic party. All these men
are now dead and Pomeroy along with
them.
While there was a strong rivalry for
the nomination of the ti-Pomeroy
caucus, it was not regarded as a. prize OF
any great value by any of the candi-
dates except ingalls,, for Pomeroy SEEM
ingly had enough votes to elect, but In
gals knew what was going on behind
the scenes and when he went to bed
that night he knew he had the United
States dictatorship won. The next week
the legislature began to ballot The
first day, when the two houses met
separately there was no election. Many
men We're given complimentary votes
That night the two factions prepared
for the supreme struggle next day-Pom-
eroy confident, but still mendng his
fences, and the other side nervous and
their atmosphere filed with vague ru-
mors. Fifty-eight members had signed
a pledge to vote for John ]. Ingalls, but
It took sixty-seven to elect. The re-
naming nine were TO come from some
mysterious source, but how? In the Pom
eroy caucus that night there was a scene
of jubilation. There were reports that
Senator York. prominent in his opposi-
ton to Pomeroy, had gone over.
Finally the morning Of January %
dawned and slowly the hands of the
clock drew across the dial until they
met together at the figure 70. and Lieu
tenant Governor Slower with his gaveI
sounded the beginning of the most SEN
sational Joint convention Of the legisla..
ture ever witnessed in Kansas The
little hall was packed with men and wo-
men. At that time both the senate and
house or representatives met in the east |
wing and the hall of the house was not
as large as the senate chamber. in the /
same wing. is now.
The only member missing from his seat !
was A. NJ. York. senator from Mont /
gomery county. The nonotonous call OF !
the roll Of the two houses over a ballot /
for United States senator was ordered /
Meanwhile York had come in. Pomeroy /
was sitting quietly IN his room down /
town in blissful ignorance OF what was 1
going to happen. On the floor OF the hail /
his friends were confident. The oppo- |
sition had begun to lose hope: only a I
trusted few knew OF the bomb that was /
about 10 be exploded. George c. Crow /
thsr. secretary OF thu senate .asrs-- (
ward a member OF Con EreSs from Ms
souri,. stepped 10 The desk to call the /
roll OF the senate Before he could I
utter the name OF Blair, the first name 4