The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-28
A GREAT SPEECH
Waggener's Nomination of
Judge Thompson Today.
Senate Ordered 1t Printed i'm
Records.
CALLED IT A CLASSIC
Had to Do With Kansas His.
tory so Years.
The POmerOy Fight for the
Kansas TOga.

speech:
! Mr.. President: In all human prob
ability, the senate of this state will
never again assemble in this cham
Der to take the initial step in the
election of a United States senator.
! AS we are called upon to discharge
this duty today, my mind goes back
to the scenes enacted in this hall
forty years ago, when I witnessed a
political tragedy which has no paral-
lei in the history of this or any other
state.
! Samuel c. Pomeroy was elected
United states senator shortly after the
admission of the state into the Union
in 1861; he served for twelve success
sive years, during all the dark days
OF the Civil war, and participated in
; all of the reconstruction legislation
succeeding the war. He was in the
senate at the time when Abraham
Lincoln was aSsaSsinated he was a
member of the court of impeachment
which tried Andrew johnson; he was
a potential factor, if not the controll-
| ing one, in the passage of the home
/ stead bill, which was the one bright
| ray of hope through the darkness and
gloom which enshrouded our country
| IN 1862. The passage of that law was
benefaction to hundreds of thous-
and of people who made haste to
/ take advantage of the beneficence of
our government. He continued to be
an important factor until in the early
seventies, when it was believed that
ne mad transferred his interests from
|
were mutterings of dissatisfaction and
discomfort throughout the state. There
was no recognized effort against him
| until just preceding the fall election
of 1872. After the results of that
election were known, it was uncer-
tain whether he had secured enough
senators and representatives to re-
elect him, and the issue thereafter
until the final result on the 27th of
January, 1873, was involved in doubt
During all these years the election of
senator was controlled by the will
of the caucus and not really by the
will of the people.
The Two Caucuses.
The Monday night before the cleo
ton, forty years ago, two caucuses
were held in Topeka; one the Pomeroy
roy caucus. The result of the Pom
eroy caucus was. that he had a
clear majority of all the members of
the senate and house, which were to
convene on the following day in Joint
session to report the will of that eau
Gus.
While it was generally understood
that the joint convention was to be a
mere mere formality: yet there were sensa-
t1onal rumors in circulation every
where, but none could be traced to
any reliable source whatever This
hall was the place where the Joint
convention assembled. There were no
columns. such as we see here today,
and none of the decorations which
now adorn this chamber The sneak
ers desk was on the north side of the
building, and there were three gall
leries-one on the west, one on the
south and one on the east side 1
occupied seat in the front gallery on
the west side, overlooking the speak
ers desk. The gallery and Hobbies
were filled to the utmost capacity In
the hands of everyone in the gallery
especially, was a tally sheet. to follow
and keep track of the course of the
-nTI
was first in order. and the senators
each responded to that call; some
voted for Pomeroy, some for Ingalls,
and some for others. until the name of
Senator York, which was the last
name on the senate roll was called.
He arose in his seat which was in the
front row next to the speakers desk
and delivered a bitter and vituperative
speech against Pomeroy, in which he
charged him with fraud and bribery
and corruption, and walking up to the
speakers desk, he removed the COW
er1ng from a package which he had in
his hand. and stated that, 81 now de-
liver to you, Mr.. Speaker, 100000 in
currency which Pomeroy gave me for
my vote, and which I ask shall be
appropriated to send this malefactor
TO the penitentary. The result of
that speech was sensational in the eX-
treme. The tally sheets in the hands
of those in the gallery trickled down
like autumn leaves, and everyone, for
fate of Samuel C. Pomeroy was sealed.
1t Was Tragedy That Was Enacted.
The tragedy had been enacted amid
great excitement, and those who had
voted for him thus far, changed their
vote to ingalls,, others and the roll
call proceeded, and John ]. ingalls,
was elected senator by lis votes.
And now on this day, 40 years after
this sensational drama in the history
of Kansas politics, Sheffield Ingalls,
who was then unborn, the son of John
J. ingalls,. who was that day elected. is
now the presiding officer this senate:
and the man whom the people of the
state of Kansas have selected to rep
resent them in the United States sem
ate to succeed Charles Curtis. was
then a baby in his swaddling clothes
not one year old in his mothers arms.
The state of Kansas had had a phe-
nomena1 political history. 1t came into
the Union amid the throes of revolu-
ton; its original territorial population
was largely made up of fugitives from
justice. absconding debtors and poIiti-
cal highwaymen. but by degrees after
the admission of the state into the
Union, better class of people sought
homes and abiding places upon Kansas
homesteads. They were making great
progress in the development of the
state. but they were called to the
rescue of our imperilled country and
to the defense of their country's flag.
They shouldered their guns and left
the pillow to stand still in the fields
of promise and briers to curnber the
gardens of beauty" Some returned
and took up the labor where they had
left it, but others never returned hut
their children and their children's
children are enjoying the advantages
secured by their sacrifices upon the
field of battle
Changes of so Years.
Many changes have taken place in !