The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-02-15

ment Of the state house with their
colonel. The militiamen voted = to
stand by the colonel rather than the
governor. When Hughes followed the
governor to the house rostrum and
declared the guards would not eject
the Republicans, the Douglas followers
carried the colonel from the platform
on their shoulders amid a great dem
onstratfc-. Colonel Hughes later was
made a, major general of the militia.
the highest possible position. under
I Governor Morrill,, Republican. who
succeeded LewelIing and in later years
served several years as adjutant gen
eral. He has a number of trophies
Of the time, including several medals.
and a large hand engraved certificate
! bearing the resolution passed by the
( SO legislature, extOlling him for the
position he took when commanded to
Gust the Republicans.
Named in Honor of G. L. Douglas.
The Douglass house gains its name
from George L. Douglass. who was
chosen speaker by the Republicans
In the 1893 election. the Pops elected
their candidate for governor. but the
Republicans elected a majority in the
lower house of the legislature The
! Popuiists filed contests on all sorts of
charges, against enough of the Re
pubhcans to insure the Pops having a
majority Of uncontested seats The
Pops then attempted to maintain the
position that contested members could
not sit in the hail. The Republicans
disputed this and pending a decision in
the supreme court which sustained the
Republicans, the two factions each
elected a complete set of house Off
Gals who for six weeks carried their
roles in the dual house
On February Is. Governor LEVEL
ing's provisional guards took possession
OF the state house. The Republicans
found the doors barred against them.
The PopuIists were admitted. however,
and occupied representatives hall.
After conference at the Copeland
! hotel. a block from the state house it
was agreed to march to the state house
leaving behind all contested members.
and demand admission With a view
to meeting emergencies. the RepubH-
cans obtained sIedge hammer from a
hardware store. 1t was carried to the
state house boy Representative L B.
Pearson of Allen county. Guards
trained their guns on the Republican
cohOrt, made threats and informed
I them they could not enter. The rep
resentatives. however. did not hesitate
but marched on to the doors of the
lower house Upon being denied en-
trance, they brought the sledge ham,
mer into play against the heavy wal
! nut doors. Speaker Douglas first
welded the hammer; then A. c. Sher-
man of Shawnee swung few blows
and still the doors held 1t remained
! for Will Swan. a blacksmith from the
| Santa Fe shops. Topeka. a member of
the house. to finish the job.
! Hundred PopuIIsts Inside.
| There were about a hundred Pop
ulists inside. half the number of rep
/ resentatives- They fled down the
/ back stairway. leaving the Douglas
/ band in complete possession The Pops
went to the basement and organized
/ their house while the Republicans
with Douglass in the chair transacted
/ business in the house. For three days
I and TWO nights the Republicans did
not leave the hall. Food was passed
| up to them by means of a pulley and
rope thru a window. BY night of the
fifteenth it was estimated 1000 men
came to Topeka, most of them carry
ing arms. the Republicans having
sent out a call for volunteers Spe-
cial trains brought the volunteers from
all direction. In the effort to maintain
order. Shawnee county officers depu-
tized another 1,500, all of whom were
on duty about the state house and
grounds. After three days a truce was
declared and on February % the SUI
prerne court decided in favor of the
Republicans. installing all the Repub-
leans elected Justice Allen, a Pop
ulist, rendered a dissenting opinion
The Dunsmore house issued a long
protest. signed by all its members, but
surrendered and marched to tbs
lhouse- Douglass presided thruout the
remainder of the session which was
brief A few appropriation bills were
passed and the session ended