The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-01-14
Smiths Who Have Been in
Kansas Politics.
Many Are Dead and Others Out
Of Sight.
rWOIN SUPREME COURT
Another Is Now Serving in
State Senate.
Col. w. w. Smith Discussed His
Family Name at Length.

washington. Jan. 14.-"So Cover
nor Hoch has appointed for his ex-
ecutive clerk a man by the name OF
Smith. Well. something must pc done
about this Smith business. Inc
Smiths are becoming thicker ABOUT
the state house than flies around q
molasses barrel. They ramlTy ana
permeate the state government 10 the
exclusion Of the Browns ana the
Ioneses. Can anyone give good ex-
cnse for the fact for example. that
the supreme court has two Smiths
and not a Browns In this 4and OF the
free and the home or the brave ism
O. Brown as good as a Smith any DAY
Then why this discrimination ana
why does the new governor add an
other Smith to the list2"
The above, from a Kansas City pa
per in a recent issue. was shown to-
Colonel w. w. Smith of Topeka, sec
rotary to Senator Burton. He de-
clared that there was no necessity in
this day of Kansas politics for lop-|
ping off the Smiths.
But if this had been printed TWEEN
ty-fve or thirty years ago. said the
colonel, cit might have meant some
thing. 7 presume I am as proud of
the family name as any member of it.
I used to rejoice when Smiths were so
thick about the state, in politics, that
only the nimble-witted and those of
good memory could keep them
In proof of what he said. Colonel
Smiths eyes fairly danced as he glee-
fully told of the time when, in ses-
sion of the legislature he was a mem
Der Of there were five Smiths. Not
only that, but they were all in the
same house. And. mirabile dictu,
quoth Colonel Smith. there was a vote
once that session when every Smith
voted the same wayl
secretary with the plain and common
name tipped himself back in his chair,
eyed the ceiling, grew reminiscent
and ratified off the Smiths who had
could be. 1T was a treat q feast. to
him, this little paragraph which
brought back so much of Kansas his /
tory which had been participated in
by Smiths.
lust as a starter said the colonel.
'let me cite my own family. There /
were four of us. living in adjacent
counties I lived in Marshall county; !
ty, and my brothers James and Robert
lived in Clay county.
Then there was another family of
Smiths living in Marshall county
five brothers. They were: James, w.
h, George, Robert and Henry That
made six OF US Smiths in Marshall
county, and all of us had good deal
to do with Kansas politics. in our
time.
You know something about that
other Smith family. James Smith was
secretary of state of Kansas, and was
secretary to Governors John A. Mar
tin and Lyman u Humphrey. He is
still in politics, and is assistant ad-
3utant general. w Fl. Smith, COM
monty known as Bill Smith was sec
rotary of the state board of railroad
commissioners, and has been Repre-
sentative Calderhead's mana ger and
friend for many years. George Smith
used to be postmaster at Marysville.
The others had a good deal to do in
local politics"
While he told of these other Smiths.
II TOOK little questioning to draw
out the colonel and his own party
service. He was three times a mem
state senator, from Marshall county
IN 1872 he was a presidential elector |
James Smith also once represented the
county in the legislature.
Continuing his Renaissance of the
Smiths, Col. w. w. Smith said: zone
of the distinguished Smiths of Kansas
was Judge George w. Smith of Law
renee He was one of the earliest
Kansas settlers, and was a member of
the legislature several times. He was
an officer of the state historical So
ciety. and prominent in state affairs
Tor twenty-five years.
1t is not necessary to go into de-
tau concerning Farmer A. w. Smith
OF Mcpherson. The whole state knows
ABOUT him / served in the legislature
once with him
Then there was John H. Smith of
cherokee. who was warden of the
state penitentiary when all of us
Smiths We're in the legislature. He
was quite q character.
Col Ed r. Smith of Linn county
has been prominent for a generation. I
notice he still holds office, for he is
postmaster at Mound City.
quite a Smith was Fl. p. of Potta
WdkOHllG. he was prominent in he
legislature good many years ago.
Coming down to more recent davs
II IS unnecessary TO mention the
younger Smiths. There are two now
on the supreme bench-W. r. Smith
OF Wyandotte and Clark A. Smith Of
Cawker City. Then there is District
Judge Charles W. Smith of Stockton /