Evening star., 1943-06-06
Capital SideIights
Bu Will P. Kennedy.

Lest we forget" there are many men,
who have done great things for this our
country although in these days there are
few who know-or give them any credit.
Such a one was Eli Thayer, Of whom
President Taft in speech at Topeka,
Kans., May 80, 1904, said: There are no
greater heroes in the history OF our
country than Eli Thayer of Massachu-
sets and Charles Robinson Of Kalsas.'
Nearly half a century earlier Charles
Sumner, Senator from Massachusetts.
one of the founders of the Free-Soil
party in l84e, had said: The State of
Kansas should De named Thayer. l
would rather accomplish what he has
done than have won the victory at New
Orleans"
Who was Eli Thayer and what did he
do? He was an educator from 1885 10
1852-taught school. was an instructor
in Worcester Academy. founded the
Dread collegiate school for young
women. and had been member Of the
Worcester school board. While member
of the State Legislature, 1853-1854, he
secured a charter, originated and organ
lied the New England Emigrant Aid
Company, with the purpose to sending
out colony of anti-slavery settlers TO
Kansas. Later, both he and his son, John
Alden Thayer, served in Congress.
1t was through the agency he founded
that Kansas was made free State,
which result has affected our national
hot co,,lI
be another slave State in the Union.
Hence secession, the Civil War and the
Emancipation Proclamation as "a mill
tary necessity"
The Charles Robinson whose name
was linked with that of Eli Thayer by
President Taft was his great co-operator
in the Kansas crusade. He was leader
of the Free State Party in the Kansas
territorial conflict and the efficient war
Governor of the State. Another leader
in the crusade was the great Edward
Everett Hale, clergyman, philanthropist
and author of more than so important
literary works. In 1889 Hale wrote: Il
am more proud of my part in the settle
ment of Kansas than am of any public
service I have ever rendered" He had
listened in the galleries of Congress to
debates on the joint resolution that
annexed Texas. returned to New England
and published pamphlet How to
Conquer Texas Before Texas Conquers
Us" He proposed Mayhower company
for redemption of Texas some nine years
before Thayer. with a genius for organ
ization, achieved the antislavery colon
ization of Kansas Hale was one Of the
young directors and afterward vice pres
ident.
The first result OF Thayers colonization
was civil war In Kansas, second the
success of the Free State settlers, third
the election of Abraham Lincoln. Kansas,
only admitted into the Union by Lincoln's
first Congress, furnished more fighting
men, in proportion to population, to the
Union Army than any other State.
What were the "Locofocos"? No less a
person than Senator John P. Hale of
New Hampshire, the first anti-slavery
man elected to the United States Sem
ate, used it during debate on the slavery
question. He had been Speaker In his
State Legislature, was appointed United
States attorney by President jackson
in 1884 and removed by President Tyler
in 1841. He served in the House in the
Twenty eighth Congress and refused to
vote for annexation of Texas, although
instructed by his State Legislature. He
declined nomination for President by the
Liberty party in 1847 and was unsuccess-
full candidate for President on the Free
Soil ticket in 1882. He was Minister to
Spain, 1865 1859. "Locofocos" was q
nickname given member of the Demo-
cratic party. It was first applied in 1884
to a portion of that party which held
a meeting in Tammany Hall, New
York City, where there was great di-
versity of sentiment, the chairman leav-
ing his seat and the lights being ex-
tinguished, with the intention of dis
solving the meeting. Whereupon loco
foco matches were produced, the lights
were restored and the wranglins con.
tinued.