The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-21
SKETCH OF STEBBINS.
John Martin Writes of Indep endent
Candidate for County Attorney.

To the Editor or the state journal.
Lewis A. Stebbins, against whom an
unprincipled press and the whisky zeal
OTIS are waging d1sreputable campaign
of Islander and abuse. is a native of tie
keystone state. having been born IN
Bradford county, Pennsylvania, June L,
1853.
He settled in Kansas on the fifteenth
anniversary of his birth, and has re-
sided here ever since. Previous to re-
moVal to Topeka, his home was eight
miles west of the village of Dover, across
the Shawnee county line In Wabaunsee
county.
He was graduated from the Kansas
university and attained the bachelor of
laws degree in 1889. During his student
life he represented the state of Kansas
in the interstate oratOrical contest of
1888, taking for the theme of his Grafton
"PartiSanShiD.
Immediately upon his being graduated
he began the practice of law in the city
of Topeka. From the beginning he dis
played that clear apprehension of facts
and complete comprehension of legal
principles which have made him one of
our best local attorneys and secured
such marked respect for him in the
courts of the station and nation. In
1891 he became the senior member in
partnership which remains unbrOken to
the present hour.
He has been counsel in many import
ant cases, among which are the enforce
y
against wealthy and influential cor
porate stockholders; the establishment
of equitable liens against the Investment
Trust Company of America under the
receivership of Bennett r. Wheeler;
the Snow-Hamilton state printer ac
counting litigation, and the proceedings
to compel the Western Union Telegraph
company to obey the statute and give
to Kansas Is cent rate instead of a 25
cent rate for ten word messages. Dur
ing his twelve years as a lawyer he has
appeared in the United States district,
circuit and circuit court of appeals
courts in the states of Massachusetts,
New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio. Mary
land, Wisconsin, Missouri, Kansas and
the territories, and in the coming month
of November he will plead in the SUI
preme court OF the nation. This is a
record that very few lawyers of even
20 years standing can duplicate
In taking the testimony in the West
ern Union cases he opposed with credit,
single-handed and alone, during two
weeks of strenuous examination the
combined learning and skill of four dis
tinguished counsel: Judge John f. Dill
lon, w. H. Rossington, Rush Taggart
and George H. F'earons.
While in the university he united with
the Unitarian church society of which
body he has ever. since remained a con-
sistent, conscientious. and valua BILE
member. Upon one occasion, he applied
for membership in the beneficiary order
1
ceived, but during the initiatory exer-
cises, before being admitted to the lodge
room in answer to the guards interro-
gatory, DO you believe in the Supreme
Being?" knowing that the interloculator
had in mind a triune Deity. he replied
affirmatively; but asked permission to
explain his answer by giving his idea
of God as Being not triune The per-
mission was refused and upon this in
cident the circumstances of which were
well known to the recognized mouth
piece of our local band of criminals.
was published the silly charge of Athe-
ism. God forbid that the time shall
ever come when His Holy Name shall
be reduced to seek defense at the hands
of the gamblers. joinists, thugs, and
such God-defying and 1aw-breaking adj
vocates-
Mr.. Stebbins began life as a Republic
can, the political faith of his father
and family. He cast his maiden vote
| for 1.-The plumed knight in 1884; but,
becoming dissatisfied with his party he
espoused Democracy in national affairs
and in 1890, he began to co-operate in
our state politics with the Populist or
! ganization- In purely local matters and
contests he has at all times preserved
a sturdy, honest independency of action,
voting for municipal wellbeing regard
less of party, when party conf1icted with
public good.
Independency in politics has always
been a cardinal principle with this talent
ed lawyer and upright man. In his in
terstate Grafton before referred to he said
"a man should support party as long as
his party is instrument he can use tc
secure honest government, good laws and
sound policy; and the moment it ceases tc
by this instrument, that moment it should
cease to have any claim on his suppor'
There is but one way of keeping politics
pure so that our best men may be our
guides and rulers, so that our laws may
be the issue of sound reason and the adj
ministration of them the purest justice
and that is by making men feel that the
responsibility for good government rests
with the individual. and that he can not
elude this responsibility by allowing his
party to think for him.
And again he said: Blind faith in party
means responsibility, and Irresponsible
ity puts premium upon lying and deceit
Blind adherance to party shields false
hood, protects bribery, nourishes corrup-
Let the watchword be: serve party
when it serves truth and country
The young orator could not have strucl
the keynote of the present campaign bet
ter. His civic career has demonstrate
that his conscience was in those words a.
it is in present conflict Learned in tn
law. respected by his legal brethren, up
right in his life. irreproachable as a hus
band and father, distinguished in civil
virtue, Lewis A Stebbins. if elected, a
he ought to be. will present to Shawne
county something with which we hav
become sadly unfamiliar, an industrious
competent courageous. interrupted an,
| incorruptible attorneyship.
! JOHN MARTIN.