The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1863-04-11


him "with defeating the location of the Uni.
yersity at Emporia." / think l have not
stated, publicly or privately, that he, or any
other one man. defeated as. But, as the
vote Of the Legislature vas tie, on that
question, did say that, had be stood true
to Emporia-the only point south, as was
admitted by all, that had any prospect of
getting the institution--or had Lawrence
withheld corrupt influences, or the misrep-
sensations of strong sad unserupulous
lobby; or, if any one of these undue Influ-
ences against US had been removed, the re-
suit, in all human probability. would lave
been different. In my opinion. if we had
had an Emporia lobby there, we should have
succeeded, in spite of the opposition made
to US by Lawrence men, money, combina-
tons, lobby, misrepresentation, and the
mulish, foolish, short-sighted. frnitless pol
icy of Mr.. Page. An oyer-stock of self
conceit causes Mr.. Page to grab too eagerly
at the idea that his back action power was
considered by me, or any one else, as
strong enough to defeat the BILL His,
among other adverse influences, did it. In
my opinion, Lawrence money had more to
do with it than any other one agency.
was informed, shortly after the Legislature
adjourned, by citizens of Lawrence who
contributed, and whose names l can give,
If desired, that eleven hundred dollars were
| 1coI h. r.
afternoon, and at other times enough to
make that amount up to two thousand dol
lars, to procure the passage of the Law
renee bill. Wonder what induced Page to
abandon US at the eleventh hour?" Dur
ing the fore part of the session he was with
us-but from some cause or other, ga
change came over the spirit of his dream"
In the second place, be pleads guilty to
the charge made against him-tbat he pro-
posed to strike out Emporia and insert Lyon
county-just as though he did not know
that Emporia was in Lyon county. "But."
be says. ''to this proposition Mr.. Eskridge
would not assent. The dreaded state of un
certainty could not be endured; and rather
than allow the bill to pass in this form, he
would witness its defeat" From this state
Inent, I can hardly determine whether to
characterize Mr.. Page as a kuave or fool.
Pass in that form l can't think he was so
deluded. Messrs. Maxson, 10y, Tucker,
Kinuer. Harrison, Afford and myself went
to Page. as soon as we heard what he was
at (for he was very sly about it). and asked
him, as a friend, not to urge his PROPOSE
ton, but, as everything had been arranged
for the passage of the Emporia bill. and no
doubt existed but that we had majority
for it, to go right along with US, and help
push it through. Mr.. Page at that time
thought it would pass. Lawrence men were
about to give it up; for know that some
of the strongest friends Lawrence had.
advised together with reference to abandon
ing the field That 1 am correct in THE
statement. quote again from Mr.. Pages
letter, in which he says: ''There was
unanimous expression of tie friends of the
Lawrence bill, that il the University was to
the proposed amendment" This shows
who his advisers were, and how they pulled
the wool over his eyes. According to his
own story, he was dough headed enough to
be wheedled by Lawrence men into the be-
lief that the Lawrence men would support
his amendment, if he would urge it. now
have no difficulty in determining whether
Mr.. Page is knave or fool. He was in
fuenced by his opponents to his own, and
his friends defeat divide and conquer
was their policy; and, through the unac
countable, inexcusable blindness of Page,
they did it. They drew him off, not, in my
opinion, on the merits of his proposition,
but by some other means. 10y, Maxson,
Tucker. Afford, the Manhattan men, all,
told him that his proposition was only cal
culated to help Lawrence-that it might de
feat Emporia; and Lyon county," as we'll as
all Southern Kansas, would gain nothing by
it-that it would be impossible to give the
University such general, loose and indef-
mite location as his amendment contempla-
ted. Against the united judgment and
advice of all, he stood. not as man who
was about to do mean thing. but as per-
son who had already done it, declaring that
he would TRY it on, let the consequences
be what they might" He had hardly be-
gun to move his little boat before 1t cap
sized. and the fight came off. as every body
al e - L.