The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1861-03-21
Kansas Esciief---Reply to Lydia G
smith.

CAMBRIDGE Cry, March - b, 1861.
EDS PALLADIUM 1t is always IN
pleasant TO me TO speak disrespecttnIly OF a
woman; but regard for truth and humanity
ccmpels me to say that / have never wit
messed such an exhibition OF tiendish malig
nifty, without apparent motive, as that dis
PLAYED in tie letter Of Lydia c. Smith. of
Kansas, in your last issue. l refer 10 her
wanton assault upon four respectable citi-
zens Of Blooming ton, two Of whom are now
in this county soliciting contributions OF
grain, provisions and clothing, for the relief
of the des,ituton which she acknowledges
to prevail in that State. These men, who
are well known to many persons in this part
of the county, Mrs. Smith stgmatzts as
..villains," seeking their own profit, and
raising funds, not for the relief OF the sui
fering, but for the pursoss of building col
leges. bridges. &c, &c.
Now, l am intimately acquainted with
three of the men thus denounced, viz !:
Shubal Swain, Edwin Stokes and Paul H
Berkan, and with the facts which she per
verts for the purpose of establishing, her
charge against !hem, and | pronounce the
charge unquaiVedly false. To those who
know these men, | need not say single
word in Communication Of their honesty or
honor and those unacquainted with them,
have only to examine their credentials 10 be
convinced of their entire reliability. But
inasmuch as the building Of college" in
Bloomington las been used, in various
quarters. as an excuse for not contributing
to the reli.f OF Kansas, | will be INDUCED in
a few words of explanation.
The greater portion of the people of
Kansas are not pauPers. aud are unwilling
TO subsist upon ms. What they need and
all they ak, is toork for which they can
receive the ready ray. This, owing to the
general pros;ration OF business, can not be
furnished by their neighbor> For the
purpose Of supplying This want, some of the
best citizens OF Douglas county, on Septem-
Der 18th, 1860, organized the Farmers
and Mechanics Association Of Blooming
ton | have before me an authentic copy
of their plan of operations. in which their
object : declared 10 be, the procurn. Of
funds, or anything useful for the relief Of
the destitution around them. These are to
be placed in the hands Of committee to b..
BY them, loaned. scithout interest, TO per
sons needing assistance: and in cases of
sickness or destitution, to be bestowed
gratutously. The sums so loaned. are.
when due to be paid II work or materials
purposes; thus affording relief in a way
most acceptable 70 The rersoas RECEIVING it.
BY saving them the Humiliation of living
upon charity-snd, at the same time con
trlbuting TO the future and permanent benefit
Of the whole community. Ii is Expressly
stipulated that an accurate list Of the donors,
the sums donated, ami the disbursements.
shall be kept, and. in due lime, published
ri - 81
affording gratuitpuS help to those who may
need it. and guarding against imposition by
requiring those who are able to do so. 10
labor. OF course, no set OF men are infalli-
bic; and individuals may have thought
themselves entitled TO more assistance than
they have received. And then, too. in
Kansas, as elsewhere. there are persons
who are quite as willing to receive help
from others, as to help themselves; and this
class OF persons, in every community. are
loudest IN their complaints. | do not say
that Mrs. Smith belongs to any of these
though, certainly, tie sns pcinn that she
may DO so, IS quite as charitable as her own
charge or 'vIilalny' against others-but
do say that the character of The individuals
comprising the Farmers and Mechanics
Association, is a sufficient guarantee tia,
the contributions have been faithfully, AMI,
IN the main. jadiciously applied
Ii speak harshly let ii be remem bcred
that l have Mrs. Smiths warran, for dom :
SO. and that this IS The first or second time
that citizens of Kansas have evinced a
wilin gness to risk iGe cutting off of supplies
from those who. By their own admission
are perishlng. Tor the sake of gratifying a
private gruIse, or ayenginy a fsncied
grievance For the honor OF human nature,
l regret that in two instances ol the kind,
the offending parties have been women.
L. r. JOHNSON.