Daniel Mulford Valentine facts for kids
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Daniel Mulford Valentine (born June 18, 1830 – died August 5, 1907) was an important figure in Kansas history. He served as a member of the Kansas House of Representatives in 1862. He was also a member of the Kansas State Senate in 1863 and 1864. Later, he became a justice of the Kansas Supreme Court. He held this position for many years, from January 11, 1869, to January 9, 1893.
Life and Early Years
Daniel Mulford Valentine was born on June 18, 1830, in Shelby County, Ohio. He lived there until 1854, when he moved to Iowa.
He went to local schools and two special academies. He also worked as a teacher for three years while living in Ohio. During this time, he also studied law.
Valentine was a member of the Republican Party. He was also an abolitionist, meaning he was against slavery. When he was young, he was interested in spiritualism. He even wrote a book called Spiritual Rapping in 1852. In this book, he tried to show how Christianity and spiritualism could fit together.
He strongly supported Abraham Lincoln. Valentine attended two of Lincoln's speeches in Kansas. He thought Lincoln's ideas were very powerful and important.
On June 26, 1855, he married Martha Root. They had a large family with five sons and four daughters. One of their sons, Louis Franklin Valentine, was born in 1877. Louis later became a newspaper publisher. He also served in the Kansas House of Representatives in 1939 and 1941. Another son, Delbert A. Valentine, worked as a clerk for the Supreme Court.
The Valentine family moved around Kansas quite a bit. In 1858, Daniel and Martha visited Kansas. They traveled through eastern parts of the state. In July 1859, they moved to Leavenworth, Kansas. Around 1860, they moved to Peoria. This was the county seat of Franklin County, Kansas at the time. Two years later, they moved to Ohio City. Then, in 1864, they moved to Ottawa, Kansas. They lived in Ottawa for about ten years. In 1875, they made their final move to Topeka, Kansas. Daniel lived in Topeka until he passed away.
Career in Law and Politics
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Daniel Valentine's career began outside of law. From 1855 to 1857, he worked as a county surveyor in Adair County, Iowa. While doing this, he continued to study law. On March 9, 1858, he passed his exams and became a lawyer. He then became the county attorney for Adair County.
In 1861, he was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives. He served in this role in 1862. The next year, in 1862, he was elected to the Kansas State Senate. He served as a state senator in 1863 and 1864.
After his time in the state legislature, he became a district judge. He served as a judge for the 4th District from January 1865 to January 1869. This district covered several counties in southeast Kansas.
Supreme Court Justice
When a position opened on the Kansas Supreme Court, Valentine decided to run. He won the election as a Republican. He started his service on the court in January. He would serve for 24 years as a Supreme Court Justice.
During his time on the court, Justice Valentine wrote 1,572 legal opinions. He was known for being a forward-thinker. He was also known for speaking up for people who needed help. He had a strong belief that women should be involved in politics. He used a careful reading of the constitution to allow women to vote in local elections. The constitution only mentioned state elections when it limited voting to white men.
In another important case, he supported women's rights in marriage. He suggested that "mental cruelty" should be a reason for divorce. This would help women who were stuck in unhappy marriages.
He also tried to make Kansas schools equal for everyone. At the time, schools were separated by race. This happened after many African-Americans moved to the state in the 1860s and 70s. In a case called Board of Education vs. Tonnon, he wrote that it would be better if "all children should mingle together and learn to know each other." He believed this would help everyone.
Valentine was re-elected many times. In 1892, he ran for the Supreme Court again. However, he was defeated by Stephen Haley Allen.
He finished his term on January 9, 1893. After leaving the court, he returned to working as a private lawyer in Topeka. He became a leading lawyer in the city. He worked with his son and son-in-law in his law firm. He continued to be a member of the firm until his death.
A few years before he passed away, he put together a book. It was called a Digest on the Decisions of the Supreme Court and Courts of Appeal of Kansas. This book summarized many important court decisions. He kept updating it until his health declined.
Death
Daniel Mulford Valentine died on August 5, 1907, at his home in Topeka, Kansas. He was 77 years old. The cause was given as a general breakdown due to old age. His health had been getting worse for several months. He had been unconscious for hours before he passed away.
At the time of his death, he was the oldest member of the state supreme court. He had also served longer than any other justice before him. He was buried in Topeka cemetery. His wife and all nine of his children survived him. Most of his children attended his funeral.
