The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1873-08-22
TIE coBB-TAYLOR LIBEL CASE.
A Card frem Colonel CoBb Concerning
FayIer's Alleged LibeloHs
Allegations.
10 THE PUBLIC.

Allegations.
To THE PUBLIC.
While / was quietly pursuin;
the duties of my profession, a
home, sin the midst of my pro
found peace" the Wyandotte Ga
zette of the Sth instant published
a grossly libelous article. of over
column, about me, in which occurs
the following charge:
"When John Speer's case wa!
about to come before the granc
jury at Topeka, Col. S. A. Cobb
being counsel for Speer, called one
of the members of the grand jury
out from the left House, and as
the juror understood, and any one
would understand from the Ian.
guage used, tried to bride that
Juror to vote and use his influence
against the finding of an indict
ment against Mr.. Speer. This, OF
course, should have sent Colonel
Cobb to G o-n-g-State's prison. -
Ny business is that of lawyer,
and / am in the enjoyment of a
lucrative practice in my profession.
If the charge above quoted Is true,
then l am unworthy the generous
confidence of the army of clients,
whose business has raised me from
poverty to independence. The
profession of the law l hold to be
one demanding the highest honor
and integrity, and that no man
can be good lawyer, in the high
est sense, and a dishonest man. If
the charge be false it is due my
profession, the public and myself,
that l deny it in the most solemn
form. Hence I have done so, and
because Mr. r. B. Taylor, the edi-
tor and proprietor of the paper
which published the article, to he
arrested on charge of libel.
] deeply regret the necessity of
such a proceeding, but could see
no other alternative for me to pur-
sue, in the charge made by Mr..
Taylor. This course appears to
me to be in conformity to the en-
lightened sentiment of Kansas.
The public will therefore under
stand that my grievance is not
political; l care not how many
stale ISLANDERS of by-gone cam
paigns are paraded against me.
The public appreciate at their true
value charges of this kind and
their reSurrectiOniStS
In this connection l submit the
following bit of history: In the
spring of 1859 1 came to Wyan-
dotte, to commence life, without
capital or friends. But theeworld
was bright. l was rich in energy,
ambition and sublime confidence
of success.
l found here a little clique of
men, of whom Mr.. Taylor is fair
exponent, of the same political
faith as myself, all my seniors by
half score Of years and up
wards, and all ambitious, but with
out tact to Command success. l
was successful, and these men, be-
cause of my success, began to
view me with jealousy. Beneath
the sunshine of my prosperity this
jealousy soon rIpened into dislike,
The war came and l went into the
army and won honorable mention.
These men remained at ONE to
protect the women and children,
and of course could claim no part
in the pride and glory of the re-
turning soldier. They disliked
me because l haI worn the blue
and not disgraced it.
Not so the people of Wyandotte
county, who Immediately restored
to me the airport and confidence
OF former years; they shoWered
upon me almost every position
within their gift; they gave me q
generous practice in my profession.
No public man in Kansas ever re-
ceived a heartier home support
than myself. All this intensified
the dislike of these men into
hatred, and as their organ, the
Wyandotte Gazette, for five years
has teemed with abuse and SIAN
ders about me, without Interrupt
ton or stint, and with no parallel
in malignity, which have patient
ly borne, because the character of
the author of these libels was such
that they could not injure me at
home. I should not notice this
libel were it not aimed at my pri-
vate business and character, and
because of obligations 1 am under
to the people of Kansas, to prove
myself worthy the honor they have
invested me with. For myself,
claim no protection; ] have ever
been faithful to every public and
private trust, and true to my
friends. AS to every charge dis
creditable to me, as a man, now
made or heretofore made against
me by the Wyandotte Gazette, or
any other person or newspaper, /
pronounce them, each and all,
without equivocation, untrue in
substance, fact and form, and I'M
supported by any evidence.
AS to the charge that l was faith
less to my duty as disbursing Off
Ger in the army, meet it squarely
by the most emphatic denial. 1
was discharged at Galveston, Sep
TENDER 23d, 1865, and settled my
accounts with the government in
November, 1865, and received q
certificate of non-indebtedness
from every department, which /
now have. STEHHEN A. COBB.
WYANDoTTE, KAN, Aug. IL, '73.