The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-04-13

period he had become weak and his
death expected but from each of his
sinking spells he had recovered. On
March 90, 1910, he broke his hip while
at Lakeland, Fla, and it was this
wound that eventually caused his death
Mr. Click is survived by his wife,
Fred H. Click of Kansas City, Mo, and
a daughter, Mrs. James w. Orr Dur
ing the year that her husband has been
i'll, Mrs Click has attended him con-
stantly, never going beyond where she
could hear his call.
George w. Click, the ninth governor
of Kansas. was born at Greencastle, O..
July 4, 1927. His greatgrandfather came
from Germany and settled in PennSyl-
vania shortly before the revolution and
with his four brothers took an active
part in the war. His grandfather was
a soldier in the war of 1872 and his
father, Isaac Click, was a politician OF
considerable note in Ohio. George w.
Click was reared on his fathers Ohio
farm and had the common school edu-
cation Of the time. When 21 years Of
age he entered the law office of Buck
land & Hayes at Fremont and two
years later was admitted to practice
law. He practiced law at Freemont un-
til the spring of 1859 when he moved to
Atchison, Kan, and Atchison has been
his home ever since.
From 1859 until 1874 the law business
as conducted by the firm Of Click &
Otis, Alfred G. Otis being the junior
PEELED to give up the practice of law
the firm was dissolved.
Refused to Run for Congress.
In 1858 Click was nominated for con-
gress by the Ohio Democrats but de-
clined to run. When he refused to make
the race he was nominated for the state
senate and made the race against his
former preceptor, General Buckland.
Click was defeated but ran 1,750 votes
ahead Of his ticket.
In 1863 Click was sent to the Kan
sas legislature and was reelected for
four successive terms and again in
1874, 1876 and 1882. In 1873 he was
elected to the state senate and when
he returned to the house in 1875 was
speaker pro tenn, although the 1egisla-
ture was Republican.
The legislature of 1858 ordered a
revision of the laws of the state and
appointed a committee to do the work.
Click was chairman of the committee
and the laws have never been revised
since that time. He was delegate to
the Democratic national conventions
of 1856, 1868, 1884, 1892.
George w. Click was nominated by
the Democrats for governor in 1868,
but was defeated, and in 1882 he was
again nominated and elected. He
made a great fight that year. it being
years after the adoption of the pro-
hibition amendment, and he defeated
John P st. John, the Prohibition-Re-
publican candidate, who was running
for a third term, by nine thousand
votes.
Was Advocate of Important Laws.
Governor Click advocated and Sc
cured the enactment of a law creating
the board of railroad commissioners
to hear complaints about freight rates
he established the live stock sanitary
commission and state veterinarian
He was renominated in 1884. but was
defeated by John A. Martin. Click
was the only Democrat to serve as
governor of Kansas from the war until
the beginning of the Populist wave ter
years after he had retired to private
| life, and really wa sthe only simon
pure Democrat ever in the governors
| chair.
In 1885 President Cleveland ap-
pointed Governor Click pension agenI
for Kansas and he was reappointed
when Cleveland became president {
second time. Governor Click has al
ways been a breeder of fine stock and
his farm at Atchison is known
| throughout the country. He was
| president of the state board of agricul
| ture several terms and was a Kansa.
| representative at the Philadelphia