The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-02-09
One of Most Prominent Men in
Affairs i'm Kansas.
He Was Clerk of U. S. District
Court for Over IA Years.
PNEUMONIA CAUSE OF DEATH
Had Only Been Under Care of
Physicians One Week.
snort" Had Thousands OF
Friends All Over Kansas.

Morton Albaugh. clerk of the
United States district court, and for
more than thirty years one of the
most prominent men in the political
affairs of Kansas, died suddenly at 2
o'clock this morning at his home, 1881
Harrison street. He had been taken
to his home from his office Monday
and was threatened with an attack
of pneumonia. His condition was not
regarded as serious until shortly be-
fore his death, when bronchial pneu-
monia and paralysis of the bowels de-
velopet-. He was within a day of Sc
years old.
Albaugh's sudden death is a shock
today in every county and voting pre-
cinct in Kansas, where he had per-
sonal acquaintance and a friend. His
acquaintance and following in the
state was one of the most extensive
of any man who had been active in
public life. He had been active in
every political campaign in the state
since he came to Kansas in the early
sos, and for many years his wonder
full organization ability beat back the
threatened control of state politics by
opposition parties He was a Repubs
lican of the old school, and his in
fluence in state conventions, primaries
and elections had been felt and recog-
nized in every corner of the state.
:. From the time Albaugh first won
a place on the Republican state CEN
i, trail committee in 1888 until the day
of his death, Albaugh never relin-
quished one of the most wonderful
personal followings held by any man
who has played state politics. Since
1895 he had held public position and
made his home in Topeka.
He Owned a Newspaper.
In 1881 Albaugh came to Kansas
Ipv or a r n wv CR in
Kingnan county. Then he bought the
Kfngman Courier and for number
of years owned and published the
paper. 1t was thru his purchase of
the little country weekly that AL
baugh ascended to a leadership in
Kansas which has sbeen attained by
few men.
When the leaders felt the need of
an organization in Kingman county,
A1baugh stepped into the harness and
gave the Republicans a cementing
such as the county had never known.
Then he became active in the affairs
of the old Big Seventh congressional
district. His association with the big
men of the district and of the state
soon gave him recognition and in
1888 Albaugh was elected chairman
of the Kingman county Republican
! committee and until he gave up his
residence in the county seat was at
the head of the committee.
He Won Kansas Back.
Kansas Republicans, tho, recall the
campaign OF 1898 as ,Albaughs great
est single drive in state politics. The
state machinery was IN possession of
the Populists and Albaugh was elect
ed chairman of the Republican state
committee. Governor John W. Leedy
had been elected in 1896 and the
PopuliStS thru an amalgamation with
| the Democrats had swept the state in
that election and given Bryan a big
| plurality over William Mckinley in
| the presidential fight.
Albaugh was selected to redeem the
| state to Republicanism. With the big
men of his party, Albaugh organized
| the state as Kansas was never before
organized in a political battle. There
wasn't school district where Al
baugh didn't have a real positive grip.
J When the votes came to Topeka at
I the end of that spectacular campaign,
Albaugh's organization had won Kan
sas back to the Republican party.
The late w. E. Stanley had been elect
ed governor and the party was back
| in control after many sorrow years.
The power of the Populists was
| broken.
Only once since that time have the
the state political, machinery. That
was in 1912 when the big smash came
following the Roosevelt nomination
for president by the Progressive party.
was with the crowd which shifted the
i states political scenery.
In the heated fight of six years ago
Albaugh was associated with George
A Clark and ]. S. Dean in the work
of the Republican League. Mort AL
f, baugh's power of organization again
came into its own. Albaugh and
: Clark and Dean worked nights and
Sundays that year. And the election
returns told of the defeat of Stubbs
for the United States senate, the de-
feat of six Republican congressional
candidates who showed Progressive
the governorship and the Democratic
control of both branches of the legis-
| lature for the first time in the states
| history
Came to Topeka in 1895.
/ 1t was in 1895 that A1baugh was
first called to Topeka to hold public
place. With the election of the late
, E. n. Morrill, to the governorship in
1894, zAlbaugh was appointed to a
place on the old state board of chari-
ties, which was later made the board
I of control. For two years Albaugh
was associated with George A. Clark,
then a resident of Junction City: and
Kleber E. WiIcockson, of Oakley.
While a member of the famous board
of former years, Albaugh was made
chairman of the state committee and
perfected the wonderful Republican
organization which in 1898 swept the
state
Then comes story little known in
general political circles. Only the
old veterans who have fought the Re-
publican battles a quarter of a crn-
/ L., fhs.% ctr fsy s-t<.