AUTHENTICATION. STATE OF KANSAS, OFFICE OF SECRETARY OF STATE, TOPEKA, January 14, 1891. To Whom it may Concern: THIS IS TO CERTIFY, That the Kansas election tables contained in "Admire's Political and Legislative Hand-Book for Kansas for 1891," have been compiled from the official returns on file in my office, and are correct, as I verily believe. WILLIAM HIGGINS, [SEAL.] Secretary of State. CONTENTS. Constitution of the United States......... Early discoveries and settlements in Kansas.. Treaty ceding Louisiana to the United States...... Page. States admitted into the union since the adoption of the constitu- tion, their population, area and formation.......................... Table of territories, showing the date of establishment of a territo- rial government, their population, area and formation.......... 146 Electoral votes for president and vice president............... Presidential elections-popular vote from 1824 to 1888, inclusive, 169–185 Register of the executive and judicial officers and legislature of PREFACE. As A newspaper correspondent, during several years last past, I have often experienced the need of a volume similar to this, containing in compact form a compilation of political facts and figures pertaining to our own state; i. e., a political hand-book for Kansas. The task of compiling such a volume appeared at first to be a very easy one, requiring but little time or labor, no particular originality, and George W. Crane would pay the printer. But it is human to miscalculate in matters of this character, as well as to err, and I am free to confess in this public manner that had I known as much about political hand-books a year ago as I do to-day, "Admire's Political and Legislative Hand-Book for Kansas" would never have appeared in print. However, here is the result of time, labor, worry and vexation of spirit. And Mr. Crane will probably always remain poorer because of that public spirit which prompted him to undertake this publication. As Mr. D. W. Wilder well says in his introduction, which follows: "Heretofore the publishers of Kansas books have been sold, while the works themselves have not. Kansas books go like hot cakes-when freely given away." In presenting this volume to the public I realize that it is not complete; it is not up to the high standard I had intended it to be. In looking over the printed pages it is now plain to be seen that there are some things that might have been omitted which would not have lessened the value of the book. And there are many others, no doubt, that should have had an abiding place between these covers. But it is the present intention to issue this hand-book every two years, with such additional data as newspaper publishers, politicians and those interested in politics, legislators and others, may have occasion to refer to. With this purpose in view, the election returns herein and other expensive tables have been stereotyped, so that future editions may not bankrupt the publisher. A particularly valuable feature of this volume is the very able treatise on "Legislative Practice in Kansas," by Hon. A. P. Riddle, ex-Lieutenant Governor, who is beyond question one of the ablest parliamentarians in the country. Mr. Riddle has taken great care to cover every point upon which the legislator should be posted in order to acquit himself creditably as the representative of an enlightened constituency and as a law maker for a great commonwealth. This treatise will no doubt commend itself, not only to the legislators at present assembled in the Kansas capitol, but to those of former sessions, as it should, also, to every one desiring to be informed upon parliamentary practice. (See Appendix.) In many of the states of the union political and legislative handbooks similar to this are published at the expense of the state governments, under the direction, generally, of the secretary of state, who is especially charged with their compilation. But in Kansas no such legislative enactment has been had, and the work and expense of producing such a book has remained for private enterprise alone. Whether this particular compilation will meet the requirements of those into whose hands it may fall, is not for me to say. I can only hope that, it will meet with a patronage sufficient to reimburse the printer, and that it will not be too severely criticised. To Mr. George W. Crane, who has kindly and generously undertaken the publication of this work, I cannot return too warm thanks. His generosity, public spirit and energetic character are known and honored all over Kansas. He has suffered disastrously by fire, but he never falters or stops business. His great publishing house is constantly issuing books and other publications which the public of Kansas feel proud of, and which will make his name permanently prominent in Kansas history. To Hon. D. W. Wilder, upon whose almost limitless fund of information I have most frequently drawn, am I particularly indebted. His generous nature, ripe scholarship and kindly counsels have for years been of great benefit to me. His "Annals of Kansas," that complete history of the state, has also been frequently resorted to in search of reliable data. It has never been "found wanting." I also wish to give special thanks to Hon. James Smith, long secretary of state, and the private secretary of Governors Martin and Humphrey during the past six years. To have been associated with him during this period, and to have enjoyed his friendship, confidence and assistance the while, I esteem the greatest felicity of my life. W. W. ADMIRE. |