The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1874-05-22
FACTIONS RRFORMERs.


in those great moral reform move
ments, the 'Reform" party, organic
ed at Topeka last spring. and the
Independent" or ''Franklin County
Movement" recently launched upon
the waves Of trouble, at Ottawa.
We are sorry for this. The first |
party was ushored into ext stence by |
those pure and guiieless patriots,
Ike Sharp, A. NJ. York, Henry
Bronson, Sam. Wood, Sid. Clarke.
Frederick William Potter and others
of that class. This was q fearful
array of purity to commence with,
and well nigh struck terror to the
hearts of the public, but strange as
it may seem the movement 'Ecame
down like a stick" cit died
bornin'." After waiting some time
a handful of patriots over at OtGa-
wa concluded TO found q new party.
a meeting was called for that pur-
pose, at which speeches were nader
addresses written, committees ap-
pointed, platform adopted aud 3
State convention was called at To-
peka for the 9th inst. Everything
seemed lovely. We are only &C.
quainted with one of the movers in
the Franklin county party, aud for
the sake of political purity we hope
there is but one Pierce in it. Dir.
Melius, the editor of the Ottawa
Journal seems to be the grand mo-
gul, and his paper is devoted cxclus-
lively to the interests of the "Iude-
pendent" party. We understand he
has not been ia the State over a
year. Like all Euglishmen he came
here to reform things generally.
But now comes the trouble. No
sooner had the Franklin county
movement begun 10 attract atten-
ton than John Davis, the president
of the Topeka concern, inaugurated
by the shining lights of reform first
named above, invites Mr. Melius to
postpone his moral exhibition at
Topeka in order TO harmonic the
"Reform" movement in the State.
Davis seems to have regarded the
Franklin county concern as q sort OF
side show, and evidently thought il
would out at his bidding; but in this
the great Cincinnatus who dweIls
on the outrageous banks
|, of the Kaw was slight
ly mistaken. Tie little speck of re.
form in Franklin county suddenly
shot up to the dignity of being en-
dorsed by half dozen newspapers
and as many township conventions
and who ever knew an Englishman
with "blood in his eye" to bach
down. Now, here is pretty kettle
of fish. Mr.. Melius Informed Mr.
: Davis in the following emphatic
manner how he stood on the prop
T osition:
mot seeing the necessity for har
monY and unity, especially with the
class who were leading that (thI
Topeka) movement, we politely re
3 fused to surrender, preferring rath
D to go before the people disencum
, bered of the load which they were
carrying. Mr.. John Davis conse.
quently determined to follow hi
3 own sweet will, aud last week TIT
: Junction City Tribune came on
q with the address and platform o
their Reform movement, naming
the 10th of June as the time for the
: "Independent and Reform" conVen
ton, and stating that arrangement
= are now going on for a union of the
. two branches for that date, thus in
!, | timating that we had or were gOinS
1 to come in under this later call
a when we had distinctly assured Mr.
= John Davis that VIC would do moth
, ing of the kind, and that we in
tended going ahead and perfectins
our organization, and meeting a
Topeka on the 9th of May, a
stated in our circular"
| So that we see this reform
, and independent" movement il
more matter of personal ambition
between politicians, than one o
principle. Out on such nonsense
The people, we fear, will look il
vain for true reform from the move
: ments now being made in this State
) and the ambitious politicians who
= are managing the affairs of the diff
? ferent factions will come out abou
$ the 10th of November with t9ei
E feathers sadly dropping.