Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-04
Attempt to Seat Senators and Repre-.
sentatives Before Formal Ad-
mission Of the State.

statehood under the Topeka constitution.
and James H. Lane and Andrew H. Reeder
were elected United States senator's. each
receiving thirty-eight votes. having no OPP
position. They came to Washington ana
demanded seats in the United states SEN
ate. They did not get the seats. but Kan
sas got an investigation. Representative
w. A. Howard of Michigan. Representative
Mordecai Oliver Of Missouri and Repre-
sentative John Sherman of Ohio were the
members of the committee appointed to in
veStigate the remarkable proceedings
which it was said had been going on in
the border territory. The members OF the
committee reached Kansas April 49, 1875.
going first to Lawrence. They sat at Leav-
enworth, Topeka and Lawrence. and finish
ed their deliberations In Westport. now
Kansas City.
The members of the comm ssion were all
first terms in Congress, but they went at It
with dissemination to clean up the at
mosphere," and they did
Two Reports Submitted.
The report of the majority. signed by
Messrs Sherman and Howard, was, in part,
as follows:
I'm the present condition of the territory
(of Kansas) a fair election cannot be held
without a new census. a stringent. we'll
guarded election law. the selection OF I'm
partial judges and the presence OF United
STATES CTUOpS dt every pAhCc VI ctNSSioAA-
Representative Oliver made minority
report, which recited that 'the election un-
der which the contesting delegates CLAIMED
their seats was not held under any Law, but
in contemptuous disregard of all law, and
it should only be regarded as the express
sion of band of indictments and revoiu-
tionists."
The Kansas claimants for seats in botn
House and Senate were sent back home,
and the territory even lost it's territorial
delegate, John w. Whitfield.
Kansas was admitted into the Union
January 90 1861. April of that year the
two houses of the legislature met in Int
session. and took one ballot for United
States senator. The candidates were James
Fl. Lane, s. G. Pomeroy. NJ arcus j. Parrott,
r p. Stanton, M. w Delahay, s. d. Hous-
ton, 8. A. Kingman. A. J. Isacks, M. r..
Conway. The ballot required two hours
and ffty-eight members changed their votes
during that two hours. Lane and Pomeroy
were elected, Lane by So votes and Pomeroy
by 81.
Both men were seated. but Lanes trou-
bles began almost Immediately. He had
been colonel of the Sd Indiana Volun-
teers in the Mexican war when but twenty
four years of age, and he seems to have been
enamored of military career. He had
great influence over President Lincoln. who
loved him a brother, and was appointed
a brigadier general of Kansas volunteers
during the summer of 1861. Senator Lane
left his duties in the Senate chamber and
returned to Kansas, where he took the
field. Under the Constitution of the United
States this would vacate his office as
United States senator, and Governor
Robinson, who never had any use for
Jim" Lane. anyhow. appointed Frederick
p. Stanton. July IL, 1851 to fill the Kansas
place In the United States Senate, which
he believed had been vacated by General
Lanes action.
Senator Lanes Comment.
When Senator Lane heard of it he said
God! This looks like an attempt to bury a
man before he is dead"
And that Is ali that ever came of the APP
pointment of Mr.. Stanton. Lane did what
no man had ever done before or since. in all
probability He was United States Sena-
tor, drawing a senator's salary. and a brig
adler general in the army, drawing that
salary, too. In 1864 the Kansas legislature,
being opposed to Lane, proceeded to elect
Governor Carney United States senator by
vote of 68. All the other members de-
clined to vote at all, as they thought the
legislature was doing wrong, there having
been no vacancy declared. Governor Car
ney declined to accept the office and Sena-
tor Lane retained his seat in the United
States Senate and his stars as major gen.
eral.
In January, 1865. at the regular election
for United States senator James III. Lane
was elected to succeed himself. He took
the part of President johnson in the i'm
faayanworth senator lane deelared ha n.e-
nosaa to taEa his nositinr aIonosida nf tha
pPrasidant and he aid hut n cost bino his
taid an Kansas OverwheImed with sorrow
az Tho wan;ng of his non1Iar ,tv With Tho
T.nsas nannIe tn tho ma ioritv nf ubnm he
Rod heep a demi-rod lane shot b;mseif
INV 1sfa
Line of Succession.
c;,oa bis d,y tba lana s,rccass;on hoe had
-. -.
nine senators, eouneins oehator oureoii'
Edmund q. Ross was appointed to NIL out
Lanes unexpired term. He voted against