After the Civil War the Republicans held uninterrupted supremacy in national elections, and almost as complete control in the state government, until 1892. From about 1870 onward, however, elements of reform and of discontent were embodied in a succession of radical parties of protest. Prohibition arose thus, was accepted by the Republicans, and passed into the constitution. Woman suffrage became a vital political issue. Much legislation has been passed to control the railways. General control of the media of commerce, economic co-operation, tax reform, banking reforms, legislation against monopolies, disposal of state lands, legislation in aid of the farmer and labourer, have been issues of one party or another. The movement of the Patrons of Industry (1874), growing into the Grange, Farmers’ Alliance, and finally into the People’s (Populist) party (see [Farmers’ Movement]), was perhaps of greatest importance. In conjunction with the Democrats the Populists controlled the State government in 1892-1894 and 1896-1898. These two parties decidedly outnumbered the Republicans at the polls from 1890-1898, but they could win only by fusion. In 1892-1893, when the Populists elected the governor and the Senate, and the Republicans (as the courts eventually determined) the House of Representatives, political passion was so high as to threaten armed conflicts in the capital. The Australian ballot was introduced in 1893. In the decade following 1880, struggles in the western counties for the location of county seats (the bitterest local political fights known in western states) repeatedly led to bloodshed and the interference of state militia.
Territorial Governors[5]
| Andrew H. Reeder | July 7, | 1854-Aug. | 16, ’55 |
| Wilson Shannon | Sept. 7, | 1855-Aug. | 18, ’56 |
| John W. Geary | Sept. 9, | 1856-Mar. | 12, ’57 |
| Robert J. Walker | May 27, | 1857-Nov. | 16, ’57 |
| James W. Denver | May 12, | 1858-Oct. | 10, ’58 |
| Samuel Medary | Dec. 18, | 1858-Dec. | 17, ’60 |
Acting Governors[6]
| Aggregate | ||||
| Daniel Woodson | 5 | times | (164 days) | Apr. 17, 1855-Apr. 16, ’57 |
| Frederick P. Stanton | 2 | ” | ( 78 days) | Apr. 16, 1857-Dec. 21, ’57 |
| James W. Denver | 1 | ” | ( 23 days) | Dec. 21, 1857-May 12, ’58 |
| Hugh S. Walsh | 4(5?) | ” | (177 days) | July 3, 1858-June 16, ’60 |
| George M. Beebe | 2 | ” | (131 days) | Sept. 11, 1860-Feb. 9, ’61 |
State Governors
| Charles Robinson | Republican | 1861-1863 |
| Thomas Carney | ” | 1863-1865 |
| Samuel J. Crawford | ” | 1865-1869 |
| N. Green (to fill vacancy) | ” | 1869 (3 months) |
| James M. Harvey | ” | 1869-1873 |
| Thomas A. Osborn | ” | 1873-1877 |
| George T. Anthony | ” | 1877-1879 |
| John P. St John | ” | 1879-1883 |
| George W. Glick | Democrat | 1883-1885 |
| John A. Martin | Republican | 1885-1889 |
| Lyman U. Humphrey | ” | 1889-1893 |
| Lorenzo D. Lewelling | Populist | 1893-1895 |
| Edmund N. Morrill | Republican | 1895-1897 |
| John W. Leedy | Democrat-Populist | 1897-1899 |
| W. E. Stanley | Republican | 1899-1903 |
| Willis J. Bailey | ” | 1903-1905 |
| Edward W. Hoch | ” | 1905-1909 |
| Walter R. Stubbs | ” | 1909- |
Authorities.—Consult for physiographic descriptions general works on the United States, exploration, surveys, &c., also paper by George I. Adams in American Geographical Society, Bulletin 34 (1902), pp. 89-104. On climate see U.S. Department of Agriculture, Kansas Climate and Crop Service (monthly, since 1887). On soil and agriculture, see Biennial Reports (Topeka, 1877 seq.) of the State Board of Agriculture; Experiment Station Bulletin of the Kansas Agricultural College (Manhattan); and statistics in the United States Statistical Abstract (annual, Washington), and Federal Census reports. On manufactures see Federal Census reports; Kansas Bureau of Labor and Industry, Annual Report (1885 seq.); Kansas Inspector of Coal Mines, Annual Report (1887 seq.). On administration consult the State of Kansas Blue Book (Topeka, periodical), and reports of the various state officers (Treasurer, annual, then biennial since 1877-1878; Board of Trustees of State Charities and Corrections, biennial, 1877-1878 seq.; State Board of Health, founded 1885, annual, then biennial reports since 1901-1902; Bureau of Labor Statistics, founded 1885, annual reports; Irrigation Commission, organized 1895, annual reports, &c.). On taxation see Report and Bill of the State Tax Commission, created 1901 (Topeka, 1901). On the history of the state, see A. T. Andreas, History of Kansas (Chicago, 1883; compiled mainly by J. C. Hebbard); D. W. Wilder’s Annals of Kansas (Topeka, 1875 and later), indispensable for reference; L. W. Spring’s Kansas (Boston, 1885, in the American Commonwealth Series); Charles Robinson, The Kansas Conflict (New York, 1892); Eli Thayer, The Kansas Crusade (New York, 1889); the Proceedings of the Kansas State Historical Society (Topeka, 1891 seq.), full of the most valuable material; W. E. Connelley, Kansas Territorial Governors (Topeka, 1900); W. E. Miller, The Peopling of Kansas (Columbus, O., 1906), a doctoral dissertation of Columbia University; and for the controversy touching John Brown, G. W. Brown’s The Truth at Last, Reminiscences of Old John Brown (Rockford, Ill., 1880), and W. E. Connelley, An Appeal to the Record ... Refuting ... Things Written for ... Charles Robinson and G. W. Brown (Topeka, 1903). W. C. Webb’s Republican Election Methods in Kansas, General Election of 1892, and Legislative Investigations (Topeka, 1893) may also be mentioned.
[1] For the thirty years 1877-1906 the mean rainfall for ten-year periods was: at Dodge, 22.8 in., 18.4 in. and 22.7 in.; and at Lawrence, 35.1 in., 39.2 in. and 36.7 in. for the first, second and third periods respectively.