A photograph showing the House of Representatives door in the Kansas Capitol after it was broken by the Republicans during the Populist War, Topeka, Kansas. The second image shows a print of the same photo in a frame commemorating the 1893 session. The dispute began when both the Republican and Populist parties claimed victory in the Kansas House elections in 1892. A number of contests were still being disputed when the legislative session began in January 1893. The conflict between the parties reached a crisis when the Populists locked themselves in the House Hall. The Republicans used a sledgehammer to break down the doors to the hall. The governor requested support from the state militia. After a three-day standoff, Governor Lewelling was able to negotiate an agreement with the Republican speaker of the house, which amounted to a Populist surrender. The state Supreme Court ultimately ruled in favor of the Republicans.
Kansas Memory
Kansas Historical Society
Door to the House of Representatives, Kansas Capitol, Topeka, Kansas - 2