The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1861-11-30
IT, Tha Emnoria Newell

r. pursuance of request contained In
um NEWS some three months ago, l wrote
:, article upon the subject of raising wheat
rs.article was attacked by Mr.. David II.
nEer. whose residence believe is some
vEere upon the banks of the Cottonwood.
Hs not only assailed the article ITSELF but
nduleed in personal illusions. which. to
cq the least, were entirely foreign to the
subiect upon which the conductor of The
News proposed to elicit articles. did not
., that time suppose that Mr.. Bakers real
design was to open the way to regular
.vsem of blackguardism, or should have
allowed his article to pass in silence. The
truth was he at that time supposed he could
ssssA ne personally with impunity by with
holding his real name from the public.
hrtuitous circumstance however con-
yered "Countryman" into David H. Baker,
and now the public will judge him accord
ing to the spirit he has manifested since
he commenced the struggle for supremacy
asa dealer in low cant. .n-fE
Perhaps some reader might be sufficiently
Interested to examine my first article which
appeared in THE News of September 21st.
Bakers reply appeared the issue of Octo-
Der 9Th. My reply to him in the issue of
October 18th, and his last in the issue OF
November 9th. It viii be seen by reference
TO these that his aim has been to display
himself, not in the light ofan earnest ing uirer
after truth, but as pedant, an ambitious
seeker after reputation at the expense of
another, having for his capital the low
phrases contained in the yellow covered
literature of the day. The reader will
also notice that he, in his last, absolutely
goes so far as to accuse me Of lying. OF
course when man becomes so far depraved
in bis tastes, so degraded in his express
sions as to indulge in these vulgarisms.
it is hardly worth ones while to continue
the discussion as this almost involves the
question of equality between the parties. 1
wish Mr.. Baker to distinctly understand
that am above calling him a liar, because
first. it would be ungentlemanly, and sec
ondly, it would be illiberal, even though his
statements might have strong smack of
falsehoOd upon their face. We must re-
member that though assertions may be un-
true in our estimation. yet others see things
from different standpoint, and it is not
an exercise of christian charity to accuse
every man of lying who advocates doctrines
~e do not believe. And had he not LETT some
avowals on record which are calculated to
mislead the mind of the reader upon the
subject of chemistry, a subject with which
he assumes great familiarity. should not
add sentence to this article further than to
say that wholesale abuse is powerless with
thinking men, and the good opinion of men
who don't think is not worth having.
And now, sir, permit me to call your at
tsnton to the fact that you certainly display
aqrOfOund ignorance upon the very rudi-
nsAs of chemical science, when you at
Tempt to maligu portion Of my second
article which states that water has, in chem
zeal language, the symbol H. o. You say
That | make the subject about as clear as
nud' you mean presume to yoar mind. J
You then say that according to my sym
OOls the representation should have been
Il, o., because water Is composed of eight
parts of oxygen by weight and one of by
CFosen. Why not according to your no.
nenclature have the symbol of H. O., for
ue reason that by volume these substances
Unite in the proportion of 2 Of hydrogen to
Of oxygen. Your mistake (not your lie J
consists in this: all bodies unite by atoms
ID liked and determinate quantities; one
"'m OF the one with one, two or more at
LUIS OF another; but never in parts of atoms.
e'NOss the word atom means that which
DuO' be divided. Now an atom of oxy-
o. unit's With an atom of hydrogen to form
e'' Oat an atom of oxygen weighs 8 times
:, Hach as an atom ofhydrogen. and the man
"A0 mas studied chemistry at all invariably
I'Oc'ates in the mind the equivalent No.
s0en be speaks of oxygen. the No. when
Nv peaks of hydrogen. of carbon. 355 oil
N'O''ne' IA of nitrogen. is of sulphur. &c
~, ' atom of oxygen unites with atom
"ydrogeu. hence H. o. is the true sym
W OF water. If the symbol according tc
'uf version we're adopted, H. o., it would