The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1907-05-17
SAVED THE PRESI5EsTS HEAD
DEATH OF KANSAS Ex-sExAToR
REEVES HISTORY.
From mDeaehment, Driven Prom
STATE for BIS Vote.

Albuquerque. =. H. Nay SD
ward G. Ross ex-governor OF New
Mexico whose vote against the remov-
al Of President Johnson while he was
senator from Kansas saved the execu-
dVe's official head, died at the home
Of his son. iPtt Ross, Wednesday. He
had been al OF pneumonia three days
hr- Ross was 81 years old. In the
last few weeks Mr. Ross mind had
been falling he was visited by Cen
eIal Hugh Cameron, the Kansas her
NIT, this spring The purpose Of the
visit was to assure Senator Ross that
Kansas now approves his action
Following the stormy scene in the
senate when his vote decided the
presidents fate, he returned to Kan
Sass but his vote had made him so IN
popular that he did not remain. He
was burned in. efhgy in Topeka The
feeling remained so strong against
him that he did not return.
From 1856 to 1871 Mr.. Ross was
IN the senate. In 1882 he went to
New II eUcO, where he worked as q
printer. In 1885 President CIeve-
land appointed him governor Of New
Mexico. This Office ne held until Har-
TisOn became president IN 1889. Since
then ne has held no Office Of note. He
owned land near Albuquerque which
he hOmesteaded. He had worked as a
New Mexico.
senator Ross Explanation
A statement by ex-senator Ross
some years ago explaining his John
son vote follows in part:
''Tha scheme for impeaching Prssi-
dent johnson was a gigantic conspfr-
acy, Matched and carried into opera
ton by Ben Wade and Zack Chand-
Ter. It was done for the purpose OF
getting control Of all the political Of
fees The clamOr by the republican
leaders was that Mr.. Johnson was Civ
ing all the fat jobs to the democrats
and ignoring the republicans A sena-
tor said 70 me one day on the senate
{" Mr.. Ross, old Johnson ought to
and must be impeached- That all
there is about it.
why should he be impeached2
What has he done I asked
" Why the old fool IS giving all the
offices To the democrats and We cant
get a Place for one Of our own party
Isn't that reason enOugh?'
Now, I was republican myself
and represented q radical republican
state and didn't like the way President
Johnson was giving all the good things
to the democrats. But I did not see
in this purely partisan act any ground
on which to impeach him
81 was naturally predfsposed tow
ard conviction and leaned that way
till the day Of the vote. Yet, when /
walked Into the session that day did
not know how I was going to vote,
perhaps Influenced by the demnable
effort on the part OF some OF the I'M
Deachment leaders to connect Mr..
johnson and General Grant with q
conspiracy to make and hold posses
sion OF a military government I did
not before deem it possible for parti-
sanism to descend to such depths.
Being a radical republican, and
a radical republican
state. I believed then and believe now
that had it been supposed I would
have voted for the acquittal OF Presi-
dent Johnson would have been as
sassinated- I was informed by a col
league that the police had been in
strUcted to keep close watch OF me for
fear Of violence In my own mind was
the question that In the existing con-
dftion Of affairs had the courage to
vote for acquittal If I should deem
that the proper cOurse2 1 resolved
to vote for acquittaI I did so and
have never regretted it.
ITO show the vindictiveneSS OF the
party leaders Of those and following
years Il is only necessary to see what
became Of the seven republican sena-
tors whom I have mentioned who VOt-
ed for acuuittaI Not one Of them
ever held a political office under the
republican administration, after they
left the senate. They were bounded
to their political graves Ny only Of
fee since that time was given to me
BY a democratic president.
ct knew President Johnson, though
I was not on intimate terms with
him Ny official position necessitated
my calling on him frequently - Dur
ing those calls we talked very little
and then only on some phase OF the
bills he was signing