The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-05-02
MAN Who SAVED
ANDREW JOHNSON
Senator Who Prevented I'M
parchment Living in Pow
erty and Obscurity.
A PRINTER IN NEW MEXICO
Driven From Public Life Because He
Refused to Vote With Repub-
iican ColIeaeues-Of Same
Opinion Still.

albuquerque, N. W., special: "A 1OT-
mer governor of a state working at the
case as a job printer! A former United
States senator. whose name, within this
generation has been upon every lip;
whose vote saved Andrew johnson
from being driven in ignominy from
the presidency, bending in his old age
over a wood saw. The man who pre-
vented the now all but forgotten name
| of Benjamin f. Wade from going into
| history as the eighteenth president of
| the United States ending his days in
| poverty and obscurity Such are the ex-
| treInes of fortune which have fallen to
the lot of Edmund G. Ross, now Of
| Albuquerque
| Governor Ross--his neighbors all cali
| him ''GoVernor"-was born seventy
| five years ago at Ashland, O., near,
both in place and time, to the birth of
Senator William B. Allison Of Iowa He
Eegan learning the printers trade at
years OF age. The printing office was
| his only school, his journeyman's GER
tificate his only diploma
! The slavery excitement of the early
SOS found the young printer foreman
| of q job office in Milwaukee, OF New
England and Puritan ancestry and
northern Ohio birth, he was naturally
an intense aboitionist. The formation
of the young republican party at Ri
pom, Wis, appealed to him. He took an
| active part in bringing about a meet
ing at Milwaukee for the organization
of the new party at that place. Then
| he removed to Kansas and entered the
| fight for freedom IN the new territory
In 1856 he founded the Topeka Tribune,
| one of the first newspapers west Of the
MISSOURI river, and one which was of
great strength to the, anti slavery
cause When the war began, the young
| editor enlisted as a private in the Elev-
| "a -G1 1,yy EJc
service through the war, and at it's
| close was mustered out, q lieutenant
| colonel. When he returned to Topeka
the legislature was in a deadlock over
the election of a United States senator,
a deadlock which, after a long delay,
was broken by the election of himself
Enters the Senate.
In the senate Ross was a strong par
ty man. Throughout the long fight over
the reconstruction measures he was a
radical OF the strictest sect In this he
we'll represented the intense spirit then
dominant in Kansas and was thorough
~ popular with the people and his par
ty associates in the senate He was
obedient to caucus mandates He
showed no indication of aspiring to
| leadership. His future was full of
promise. When the congressional lead
ers determined upon the impeachment
of President Johnson they never doubt
ed that they could rely upon the Kan
sas senator. 1t was well understood that
| several republican senators were not
kindly disposed toward such drastic
measure as impeachment. Near the end
OF the trial Senators Fessenden, Fowler,
Grimes, Henderson, Trumbull and Van
| Wrinkle announced their opposition to
conviction upon any of the charges,
and others did not believe there was ev-
1dence to sustain several Of them. This
rendered 1T necessary that every other
republican should vote for inpea CHI
ment, and at this juncture the attitude
of Senator Ross became Source of
much uneasinesS to the impeachment
y managers.
After the senate had been organized
as q court to try the charges he had
steadfastly refused to discuss the
merits Of the case or to indicate how
he would vote. His only statement
was that he would hear the evidence
and the argument and would then vote
In accordance with his oath to give the
accused president a fair and impartial
trial. Rumors of corruption and I'M
due influence flew about Washington
Letters and marked editorials advis-
Ing Mr.. Ross how to vote reached him
l2by the thousands. Trusted messen-
gers bore him significant messages.
Party leaders labored with him. Re-
election or political ruin were held I'm
n determination to decide the case upon
it's merits, as best he could, and re-
fused to commit himself. He was torn
between his antipathy to the president.
his deep political prejudice, his ambi-
lions and his desire to conform to the
wishes of his state on the one hand
z and the conviction slowly forcing it.
self upon him on the other that, what
ever the mistakes and follies of Mr..
Johnson he was not guilty Of the
nigh crimes and misdemeanors in office
with which he was charged, and that
facts did not warrant his expulsion
from his high office.
Nations Eyes Upon Him.
The refusal to commit himself in adj
vance made Senator Ross the marked
man of that trial. When the vote was
taken on the eleventh article Of i'm
parchment, which comprised the sub
& stance; of all the other! charges. on Nav
1t, 1868, the eyes of the whole nation
We're upon him. It was felt that upon
his vote the issue rested. And it was
true. When he Joined his .insurgent
colleagues in voting mot guilty" fur
nishtng the vote which acquitted the
q president, the fury of the advocates al
conviction burst abou his head In q
storm He was made asscapegoat The
political sins Of all the anti impeach.
ment republicans were loaded upon his
back and he was driven into the wilder.
ness of obscurity.
Upon his retirement, in 1871, the ex.
senator made several newspaper ven.
:. lures in Kansas, all of which proved
& failures, and in a short time he was
Z working as Journeyman printer al
the case, as In his early manhood. II
\ 1882 he removed to Albuquerque, still
Il working ut his trade. I5ss s,7E
Smarting under the feree denuncia
h ton that had been leveled at him 5,
i his party organs, leaders and conyen
] tons. Mr.. Ross declared himself allieS