The History of the Early Settlement of Norton County, Kansas

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republicans defeating his old partner Mr. Jones. He was elected over L. M. Wilder, democrat, by seven hundred and thirty-seven majority, the largest majority ever given any candidate in Norton county. He was again nominated by the republicans in 1890 defeating his old competitor, Mr. Jones. He together with the rest of the republican ticket, was overwhelmed by the populist land slide of 1890 and was defeated by his old competitor, L. H. Wilder, whom he had defeated two years before by such a large majority, Mr. Thompson receiving less votes in 1890 than he had majority in 1888. He was temporary chairman of the republican congressional convention of the Sixth congressional district held at Norton in 1892 to select delegates to the national republican convention at Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was a candidate for the nomination of district judge for the 17 judicial district of Kansas, before the republican convention held at Oberlin August 29, 1892. He was the leading candidate from the start and held the twenty votes for three hundred and fifty three ballots without a break, when Hon. Geo. A. Spaulding of Phillips county was nominated on a combination of Phillips, Rawlins and Cheyenne counties. He was elected secretary of the republican county central committee, which position he holds. He was nominated as one of the five councilmen of the city and received the next largest vote cast at the city election April 3, 1894. On April 5, 1894 he was selected by the Kansas state republican league, at Topeka, a delegate at large from the state of Kansas to the National republican league convention to be held at Denver, Colorado, June 26, 1894. Mr. Thompson was prominently mentioned as a candidate for the republican nomination for congress from the Sixth Congressional district of Kansas but upon due deliberation declined to become a candidate and is now enthusiasticly (sic) supporting Norton county's candidate, Hon. William Simpson. Mr. Thompson is a member of the Masonic fraternity and was secretary of Norton lodge for three consecutive years end was one of the few secretaries of subordinate lodges that made reports to the grand lodge and never made a mistake. He is also a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen and Degree of Honor and is now holding the position of forman (sic) in the former. He was one of the originators of the Norton County Agricultural Association and was its first secretary.

He was admitted to the supreme court of the state of Kansas on the 7th day of January 1890 and has been before that tribunal more or less since his admission. He is also a member of the state Bar Association, an association composed of the leading attorneys of the state. Mr. Thompson has been conspicuously identified with the development of Norton county. He has been prominent in politics always as a republican. There has not been a political campaign since he came to the country but what he has taken an active part in, having canvassed Norton and adjoining counties in behalf of the party he loves so well. In his profession he has stood with the heads of the bar. He has been unusually successful in the management of his cases and as a jury lawyer is not excelled by any lawyer in western Kansas. His practice has been mostly of the line of criminal law and as a public prosecutor for six years has secured more convictions, of criminals, in proportion to the number prosecuted than any county attorney in Kansas. He has been engaged in almost every important case tried in the courts of Norton county on either one side or the other.

He thinks seriously of leaving Kansas, not but what he admires the state and

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