The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1870-07-29
WHIPPING THE DEVIL APOuND THE
STUMP.
rF,on the For,.scott Monitor Mi, -. !,


We are sorry to hear of the unsettled
feeling in Necsho and other counties
along the line of the Neosho Valley
railroad. Hundreds of honest men
went into that country during the ears
1S66-b4, and settled on the Usage lands.
Many OF them came from the East, and
settled there because they had been led
to believe that they would be allowed
the right to homestead their land, or at
least to pre-empt it by paying one dol
lar and twenty-five cents per aero. They
have made valuable settlements, and
spent everything they possessed in i'm
proving their homes. But, in the mean
time, contrary to their expectations, a
bill was introduced in Congress, and
subsequently past, granting alternate
sections TO railroad corporation known
as the Kansas & Neo no Valley Railroad
Company.
This bin was introduced in the lower
House, BY Sidney Clarke, on the Both
day of April, 1866, and reported in the
Gto6e OF lS66-67, on page 1922. 1t
reads as follows:
Sidney Clarke, of Kansas, introduce
ed bill granting lands to the State of
Kansas, TO aid in the construction of the
Kansas & Neosho Valley railroad and
its extension to Red river, which was
read first and second time, and refer
and ordered to be printed"
This bill Mr.. Clarke continued to fol-
low up until il had passed and was sign
ed by the President, and became law.
As was stated in these columns not long
since. Mr.. Clarke introduced a bill
granting aid TO the Leavenworth, Law
renee " Galveston Railroad Company,
and assisted in securing the ratification
of the Cherokee Neutral Land Treaty.
u IL. H.. 80
which gave large amounts of land to
railroad corporations and we may
thank our good stars that he did not pos
seSs the influence aud ability 10 carry
them through the House, otherwise the
larger portion of our State would have
been divided up among the paper cor
porations of railway companies which
then existed in Kansas 1t is notori-
GUS fact that Mr.. Clarke has peculiar
way of whipping the devil round the
stump" in his my land policy" AS
soon as he secures the passage OF a bill
he is ready 10 introduce a counter bill,
or resolution, which has on its face a
semblance of fairness, and if passed,
would seem TO protect the fights of set
tiers, but which are seldom or never
passed.
In the case of the Neutral Lands, he
favored the original treaty, and the sup
had been ratified, he comes out, and
with much talk, pretended to oppose the
treaty. As soon as the bill had passed
granting land 10 the extent of 100000
acres TO the Kansas 81 NeOsho Valley
Railroad Company, he introduced
joint resolution for the relief of the set
tiers on the Dosage coded lands" Judge
Markham, the settlers delegate TO look
after their Interests, spen: about three
| Il. Il.
expense, during the inter and spring
of 1869, looking after this resolution,
and when it was finally passed, lie pro-
| cured copy and left iorhis home with
a light heart, believing he had secured
| all the relief his people desired. But
when 1T came 10 be tested, il was found
to be utterly worthless, and did not ex-
tend to the settlers any rights they did
not possess in the original bill. This
bill, which was prepared by Mr.. Clarke,
was after that cunning style peculiar 10
the man, and in the section which SEEM
ed 10 embody the relief desired, he add
| ed proviso which read as follows:
provided that nothing in this act shall
/ be construed TO interfere with the vest
ed rights of the Kansas & Neosho Val
| ley Railroad Company. This proviso
| destroyed all the settlers expect 10 gain
| by Congressional legislation, and really
placed the settlers exactly where they
stood before the passage of the bill.
| Aud the settlers of the Neosho country
are to day holding meetings, and III
their desperation appointed committees
| to adopt such measures as may be essen
lial TO promote the interest of the set
| lers.
Yet Mr.. Clarke, who has so grossly
deceived the people, and who now thows
the whole blame on the Secretary of the
Interior, is asking their vote TO continue
him in office! He charges the Secretary
OF the Interior with basiRg his ruling
upon a mistaken precedent. and thus
seeks TO shun the responsibility of his
treacherous course TO the people. Set
tiers of the "Osage ceded lands" Sidney
| Clarke kRetc lcheR he introduced his
joint resolution Of Apra 10Th. 1859. that
IL acdS not north The paper it lcdS printed
on, aud that il did not secure TO you the
| rights you desired.