The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-05-06
JOSEPH *. HUDSON.

In the death of General Joseph K.
Hudson Topeka and Kansas loses one
of its most ilIustrious citizens; for while
he has spent most of his time in recent
years in looking after business inter
ests in Missouri, he has always been
Kansan Only a short time ago he
closed out his Missouri interests and
returned to Topeka.
General Hudson attained prominence
as soldier. agriculturist, editor and citi-
zen. Coming to the state from Ohio
at the breaking out of the war, just
when he attained his majority, he i'm
mediately enlisted in the Third Kansas
regiment and served Throughout the war,
rising to the rank of major, and it is
as Major Hudson that he is best known
to the older generation of Kansans-
After the war he settled on a farm in
Wyandotte county, remaining there I'M
til 1873, when he purchased the Kansas
Farmer at Leavenworth and moved 1t
to Topeka, where he edited it for
number of years, and eventually he
was elected secretary of the state board
of agriculture. 1t was ]. K. Hudson
who discovered" F.. D. Coburn on a
farm down in Franklin county and
who first brought him to Topeka to do
some work for the department of ag-
riculture.
1t was in 1879 that General Hudson
founded the Topeka Capital, and it
was his editorial work on the Capital
that gave him his greatest distinction.
Those were the days OF personal jour- |
nalism, and the Capital was General
Hudson's personal organ. He made it
a power in the councils of the Republi- |
can party. One of the most noted
controversies in Kansas was the bit |
ter quarrel between General Hudson
and the late Judge Cassius G. Foster,
for many years on the federal bench
in Kansas.
AS a citizen and in politics General
Hudson started in life as an intense
Ohio abolitionist After the war he
was one of the organizers of the
Grange in Kansas and was a leader in
the Independent Reform movement
against the Republican party. which
was backed by the Grange. He was
once a candidate for congress on the
independent ticket. He was an ardent
supporter and friend of Governor
John P. st. John. however, and with
the advent OF the prohibition issue in
Kansas he espoused it and became
strong factor in Republican politics.
A supporter of Senator Plumb. upon
the death of the latter he became
candidate for the vacancy in the SEN
ate and was one of the most formidab Bile
candidates, but Governor Humphrey
chose otherwise. The only high office
to which General Hudson attained
was state printer. to which he was
elected in 1895. and which he was al
lowed to retain only one term, owing
to the political revolution of 1885,
At the breaking out, of the Spanish
American war, General Hudson was
given almost the unanimous backing
of the state for a commission, and
President Mckinley appointed him a
brigadier general, but he was among
the many who failed to get to the front
with his command.
In 1900 General Hudson retired per-
manently from the Capital. and has
since spent most of his time in Mis-
souri, looking after business interests in
partnership with Ex-Governor st.
John.
He had two strong characteristics,
and cheerfulness. Years ago
he was known as Fighting Joe'' Hud-
son. and he made a strong impress on
the history of the state by the courage
and force with which he welded his
pen. He had many troubles
and discouragements, he often stag
gered under a load that would have
crushed an ordinary man, but he new
er complained and never until the last
hour of his consciousness when the
light had almost gone out and the
world was dark, did the characteristic
smile leave his face and his habitual
good nature disappear. His was a
great heart