The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-06
C. E. EDWARDS LOST.
Seth Wells Brother-in-Law Failed to
Secure Seat in Congress.

Washington. March 6-After delay
ing the case for months, the commit
tee on elections No. 2, house of rep
resentatives. finally decided in the
closing hours of. congress not TO make
a report on the contested election case
in the Eleventh Kentucky district,
wherein c. z. Edwards, formerly of
Kansas, was contesting for the re-
mainder of the seat in the congress
which has just expired.
The ranking member of this cleo
tons committee is J. NJ Miller. rep
resentative from the Fourth Kansas
district, and he was the firm friend of
Mr.. Edwards in the contest. He
sought to secure enough strength to
make a report favorable to Edwards;
but could not muster sufficient mem
bers of the committee. On the day
the final vote in committee was taken
on the proposition, Miller and two
others voted to make a report giving
the seat to Edwards but that was not
sufficient. So the matter ended.
Edwards, who left Erie, Neosh o
county, Kansas, in the nineties, and
went to London, KY, and engaged in
the mercantile business, ran for con-
gress at a special election held i'll the
Eleventh district in 1903 to fill the
vacancy caused by the death of the
member. DR.. Godfrey Hunter, a for
mer of congress, also ran. Then
l1lSI6 WAS dnOtn6I named WnllG
all being Republicans. There was
controversy as TO who was the legal
Republican nominee; and this was the
rock on which the committee on cleo
lions split. Some favored Hunter;
others White; while three, including
Mr.. Miller, and being one more than
any other cOnstestant had, favored
Edwards. But three was not "a ma
jority of the committee, so a favorable
report for the former Kansan could
not be made.
However, Edwards is not pining
away with disappointment; for he is
resentative in fact from his district.
For in 1904, he went after, and Sc
cured, the straight Republican nomi-
alton, and was elected He went
ter, and vanquished him completely
Edwards is a brother-in-laW of Seth
G. Wells, auditor of state for Kansas.
One of the characters around Kansas
Headquarters during the inaugural time
was Pliny L Soper, of Vinita. Indian
Territory, formerly of Kansas. Mr..
Soper visits Washington about once a
year, and his activity and energy and
breezy manner always stir up the Kan
sas colony and cause much interest in
what he says and does.
SOper is United States district attOr-
ney for the northern district of Indian
Territory. He has held the job for near
ly eight years. He was appointed by
President Mckinley early in his admin
istration in 1897 The place was given
to Soper because of his friendship and
admiration for the late president. When
the Mckinley propaganda in the west
and south was on in 1894. and states and
territories were being lined UP for the
then Ohio governor, Cyrus Leland, ma
tiOnaI committeeman from Kansas q
that time, with his friends and associ-
ates, was seeking to make Kansas the
first state in the union to declare for
no II q successful
Kansas went on record first of all. the
states. Indian Territory was scarce be-
hind in the matter and the leader of
Mckinley sentiment there was Pliny
Soper, Leland's nephew. It is said, and
the man who makes the statement gives
as authority the closest Ohio friend
President Mckinley had. that Kansas
and Indian Territory were the only /
states where the Mckinley propaganda |
did not have to use cent in making the |
preliminary organization.
Soper was born in Kansas. His place |
Of nativity was Doniphan county. His I
was received in the Sunfiower
state, and he is proud of it. In 1883
Soper got his first political preferment- /
appointment as assistant United States /
district attorney under Joseph W. Ady i
Of Newton, the attorney for Kansas He I
served in that position until 1898, and /
in 1894 went to Indian Territory Here. |
as related above, he became conspic- |
nous in the Mckinley movement, and I
in 1897 became United States district
attorney for the northern Indian Terri |
tory district.
Soper is also national committeeman
for his territory. As such he has more !
to say about federal patronage in the /
territory than any other man, and he /
manages his duties carefully and credit
ably.
IN case of statehood for Indian Terri
tory and Oklahoma, Soper has been fire.
1uently mentioned as a possible United
States senator