The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-27

reelection was the fate of nearly all
the others, because Of some serious
blunder committed while in congress.
Burton belongs to the Lane success
sion of senators That is he is the last
to be elected Of the line of which James
H. Lane was the first he having been
elected the first senator Of Kansas in
1861, the year the state was admitted
to the Union. OF the ten senators who
have been chosen from that time to the
present there seems to be only one or
whom Kansas has -yeasOn to be justly
proud and that was P. B. Plumb, but
he, in the very zenith of his power and
usefulness, died. He was in the first
part of his third term.
But the i'll luck seemed to have start
ed with the Lane succession from the
very beginning. Lane and s. Q. Pome-
roy were practically the only two can
didates for the senate when Kansas
territory was changed to the state OF
Kansas. This assured the election Of
both But one Of the terms was for four
years and the other for six years. The
question arose as to which of the two
men should have one or the other of the
terms. Lots were drawn. POmeroy
drew the long term and Lane the short
er one Of four years. The "hoodoo'
had apparently started its work.
In 1865 Lane was reelected, but the
following year in LeavenWOrth he COM
called upon to name a successor for the
unexpired term. He appointed Edmond
c. Ross. Senator Ross days were full
of trouble almost from the first. There
arose a cry and a demand for the inn
peachment of President Johnson. KAN
sas was among the loudest in that de-
mand. Ross hesitated Then he voted
against the impeachment He may nave
felt that was doing right, but 1t sound
ed his political death note. He was Ue-
feated for election in 1871 and cast aside
and forgotten. He soon left Kansas dis
heartened and is now in New Mexico,
where he is following the trade of a
type-settef.
Alexander Caldwell was elected to sue
ceed Ross He held the office two years,
when he suddenly resigned. His resig-
nation was forced upon him, however, as
his enemies threatened that unless he
gave up his seat they would bring charges
against him that he had obtained his seat
( through corrupt means.
Once more the governor was called
upon to name senator, and he selected
Judge Robert Crozier. But the judge
seemed to be ignorant of many of the es-
sential points of the political game and
in 1874 he was defeated by James NJ
Harvey, who was elected to fill out the
Caldwell uneXpired term But for some
reason Harvey didn't seem to suit the
before P. B. Plumb in 1877 He was re-
elected in 1888 and in 1889 In 1891, as the
old year was expiring, he came to tragic
death
Governor Humphrey appointed Bishop
/ w. Perkins to fill the vacancy until the
/ legislature met in 1888 This legislature
/
Martin was elected for the. unexpired
! term Of Senator Plumb which ended in
1895 At this time the legislature was
/ again Republican and Lucien Baker was
/ elected over J. R. Burton after a bitter
and exciting contest. In 1901 the legis-
! lature met as usual. but it did not seem
( to approve of the official conduct Of Ba-
! ker, for before the final action was taken
I Baker withdrew and Burton was elected
J practically without opposition.
/ Those of the Lane succession still liv-
I ing are Ross, Martin, Baker and Burton.
The Pomeroy succession appears to
/ have been better dealt with Pomeroy
was reelected in 1857. In 1873 when q
/ candidate against John J. ingalls,. there
came the york explosion" This was
an incident during the joint meeting oil
I the legislature, when a member named
/ York walked to the clerks desk and de-
/ posted $1,000 there, saying that he had
received the money from Pomeroy to vote
for him. While the truth of Yorlx's state
ment has been somewhat discredited since
! yet it turned the tide and ingalls, was
elected He served for eighteen years.
In 1891 the POpuIists were in power and
W. A PETER was elected In 1897 they
still had control Of affairs legislative, but
| they had grown tired of PETER and elect
/ ed W A. Harris.
In 1903 the Republicans again controlled
| and elected Chester I. Long