The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1870-08-19
STATE OF KANSAS

the Black Bob Indian lands, in which CONVEX
sation said Clarke said that all matters con-
corning Indian affairs, which would affect the
Black Bob lands, were always transacted in
secret session, in the United States Senate, and
that he being q member of the House only,
had no power, influence or control, in any way,
of such matters in such cases; nor did he
know what was being done; but said that If
the Senators from Kansas had done their duty,
| the settlers on the Il. B. lands would have had
| their lands long ago at $1.25 per acre; that he
(Clarke) knew nothing of what was done in
| such secret sessions, unless friendly Senator
| would steal copy of the report or proceed
ings, and give it to him (Clarke(- He (Clarke)
| further stated that if he were u member of the
Senate, and could not bring said lands into
market at $3.50 per acre, that he would .shut
| up shop, and let somebody go that could. He
| said that the United States Senate was com
posed of a den of thieves and robbers, and
when anything like the Black Bob land ques-
ton came up, that they would do nothing un-
if il was not for stthat~ thieving hell-hole Of
Senate, that the Black Bob men would be all
right" Further deponent saith not
LEVI KETCHUM,
A. n. HUNzINGKR.
STATE OF KANsAs,l 90
johnson County,
| 1870, before me, notary public in and for said
county and State, came Lew ketehum and A.
ii. Hunzinger, who are personally known to
me to be the identical persons whose names
| are subscribed TO the foregoing instrument of
writing, and they acknowledged the same to
| be their own voluntary act and deed Tor the
Witness my hanc and notarlal seal the day
and year aforesaid. NJ. v. b. PARKER,
| Notary Public.
Mr.. James Temple, another affiant,
testifies that Mr.. Clarke in conversation
with him, about the same time, declared
shat he knew nothing about the pat
ents, but that if the patents were law
fully or properly issued and signed by
| the Secretary of the Interior, they were
as good as any deed"
| William Hanifin, Joseph Williams,
| d. A. Meek, and other respectable citi-
zens of johnson county, also testified to
substantially the same facts, especially
| to the use by Mr.. Clarke of the brutal
| language quoted in the above affidavit
in regard to the Senate.
| Inasmuch as the charges of garbling
/ and suppressing important papers were
somewhat freely urged against me by
| the member from Kansas, while this
matter was under consideration by one
of the committees of which / am
member, l feel at liberty to advert to it
now. Among the papers transmitted
to the Senate by the Secretary of the
Interior, were many duplicates and tri-
plicates, and a mass of papers consist
ing simply of letters of inquiry and
arguments of counsel, as the documents
now published in full will show. The
omission of all this l explained at the
time. But among these triplicates was
published a letter from Agent Taylor,
from which it was claimed L had
omitted these words, and this seems to
have been the particular omission COM
planned of:
81 will in n few days forward protest now
being prepared by the Chief and Council, and
every member proper of the Black Bob settle
ment, against the return and cancellation OF
| said patents, and their reasons therefor
\ cnaoiaI cinnificanra this
promise to perform had in this case, or
what turpitude should rest upon its
omission, supposing the original had
contained them, (Which it did not), as it
conveyed no existing fact, / fail to see,
unless it was that by this promised pro-
test, the Agent and the gentlemen by
whose efforts the alleged fact of the
omission was developed, expected to
prove that the entire band were opposed
to the cancellation of the patents, and
therefore in favor of the partition and
sale of their lands. Therefore if this
act of mine was obnoxious to the crit
icism of garbling (admitting, for the
sake of the argument, that it is SO OBJ
noxious), in whose interest was it per-
formed? Clearly not in the interest of
those who were purchasing the lands
for speculative purposes, but quite as
clearly in the interest of those, if any
ting the lands, and were denied the
right to purchase. In the interest of
those, if any body, who were in the
grasp of an uncomfortable, thieving
ring, and whose only hope of protec-
ton was in Congress. But / do not
admit that my act was obnoxious to
that charge, for the reason that the ex-
tract quoted conveyed no existing fact,
and was not necessary to an understand
ing of the case. 1t contained pledge
to do something, which, if performed,
would have had degree of significance.
/ But did the Agent fulfill that pledge?
By consulting the printed papers, it will
be seen that the Agent states on his
official oath, that there are 134 persons
in the band, he having applied for pat
ents for that number, and it is known
that there are number of others who
have not so applied, making the actual
number, if the Agent is to be believed,
still larger. Now, how many names are
appended to the Agents protest? Not
1877, the number shown by census of
1856, nor 1874, the number of patents
| issued, but just 81, so that we must be-
lieve one of the two things; either that
| the Agent tells the truth in the trans
mission of the promised protest, and
that there are now but 81 members of
the band, instead of 134, the number he
4
sworn to, and that he swore to 80 lies
when he certifiedto the 234 applications
for patents; or that but 90 of the whole
| number could be induced by even his
official influence as their Agent, to sign
| the protest, and that, therefore, from
| 80 to lis out of the 1877, the whole num-
Der claimed for the band, were actually
| opposed to the whole procedure. Those
| who were so profuse in their sudden in.
| n ~ oil
| and suppression of important papers,
/ can take either horn of the dilemma
they choose.
So that this cry of garbling, as must
| be apparent to every one, was simply
| an effort to throw dust in the eyes of
pursuit, to distract attention from the
schemes of the plunderers and, In
| short, as has been aptly said, is ques-
ton, not SO much of garbling on my
part, as of stealing on theirs, and was
| resorted to only after the failure to get
| the papers out of the hands of the Sem
ate, by means of resolution of the
House of Representatives, introduced
by Mr.. Clarke, and thus have it in their
power to delay and defeat Congressional
action until such time as it would be
safe to consummate their swindling
scheme.
But in whose interest was this inquiry
PAO5OSubCo ny II1c NH
sas? Is it not patent that it was, and
could be for no other purpose than to
throw discredit upon the effort that was
being made to enable these settlers to
obtain title to the lands they occupied?
and could that have no other purpose
than to throw them into the hands of
the spectators, as against these settlers2
1 may be permitted to say here, that
while recognizing the right of the peo-
pie of the State, and especially of those
more directly interested, to be made ac-
quainted with all the facts in relation to
this matter, did not feel at liberty to
needlessly prolong the sitting of the
Senate, at the late hour at which my
proposition for its settlement was
reached, Twelve o'clock at night, SIM
ply for the purpose of exposing the ne
farious character of this transaction,
when it was apparent that the Senate
would agree to the measure proposed.
1t has thus far been a rule with me, and
trust will continue to be so as long as
remain member of that body, not to
take mn no <1r 10 g. -