Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1915-11-27
What Might Have Been

about to break up without decision. Then
General Chaffee is said to have given utterance
to a sentiment-and / like to believe it is true
that should make the heart of every American
swell with pride.
Gentlemen, he said MY orders from my
government to go to the relief of the
American legation at Picking My column will
move at six o'clock tomorrow morning"
The American column did move at six
o'clock tomorrow morning and the rest of
the columns moved with it. There is no doubt
of the result as history records it. and it will
be a fine thing if Americans for all time to
come assume that General Chaffee's course
influenced the movement that brought the
suit. Such assumption, if it be assump-
ton, will enrich the heritage of American boys
and girls.
And now to the story l started to tell. The
preface is intended only as protection against
a possible flood of chaps who might desire
to correct the details, analyze the motives
of the central figure, as they view his motives.
1t has to do with the climax of the political
career of great Kansan, in some respects the
greatest Kansan in all the states history, John
]. ingalls,. For reasons personal to the writer,
if for no others, only the name of ingalls, will
be used in telling the story.
It during the days of the Populist upr1s-
ing of the early nineties. ingalls, nearing
the close of his third term as United States
Senator The state senate elected two years
previously, was Republican but the House OF
Representatives was Overwhelmingly Populist
In the Joint session. and there the senatorial
choice was to be made, the Republicans were
in hopeless minority. ingalls, did not want to
retire from the Senate. His political ambitions
were unsatisfed, and he had made bid for
Popuist votes for which many of his warmest
friends have never forgiven him.
Ambitious Populists, with private notions
that senatorial toga would fit them, were
plentiful. They were unable to agree among
themselves, and the senatorial fight dragged
on without prospect that the warning factions
within the Populist party would get together.
ingalls,, with some of his friends, held out
hoping that lightning might strike and that
with the solid Republican vote already his he
might pick up enough Populist votes to win.
At this stage of the contest, little knot of
politicians some of them Republicans and some
of them Democrats, but all friends and adj
mirers of Ingalls, who believed that in view
of his record and standing he would better rep
resent the state than unknown man, took
hand in the proceedings. The session had been
long, and to some of the legislators on the
majority side, expensive. Negotiations were
undertaken to interest certain Populist mem
bers in the reelection of Ingalls,. The negotia-
tons were successful Pledges were made that
if certain financial considerations were met,
enough Populist representatives would vote for
Ingalls, when the two branches of the legisla-
ture met in joint session the succeeding day to
elect him, if he also polled the solid Republican
strength. That he could secure the Republican
votes was certain. The men who were engi-
IL ,G4I hot