The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1874-01-29
FROM TOPEKA.
Members Who Pay for the Cireu-
lati0n of Confederate
CalumnieS.
The Distribution of DefamatOry
Diatribes.
Making Merchandise Of Political
Misfortune.
Sense Of Decency and Sense OF
Vanity.


pose Of this article to impugn mans motives
or to indulge in wholesale or reckless charges
affecting members Of the Legislature and se-
riously compromising the honor Of the State
as Missouri newspaper has done. The pur-
pose, however, is TO cite few facts and men
ton few names with the hope Of awaken
ing semb!ance if not the sense Of decency
in the minds of some o! the members of the
Kansas Legislature.
1t is well known that Kansas has been
called the "Roiten Commonwealth" Pa
pers of the Kansas City Times ilk have con-
tinually heralded that reproachful misnomer
and lost 10 opportunity TO give publicity 10
every paragraph and every rumor tina, could
in any possible manner rebound to the die
credit of Kansas and her people. That Kan
sas City sheet now daily sends forth the mos,
reckless. stupid and INSCRIPTIONS charges
touching the integrity of Individual
members of the Legislature, and particularly
by rsfec'ing upon Speaker McEckron, whom
it has disguised with an avalanche Of sick
ening praise. The motives and integrity
of other members equally honorable have
been misrepresented and called into shame
full question because a newspaper lash held
in the hands of a doubtful reformer was not
obeyed. ! submit to every fair-minded in
dividual ii these shameful reports have not
gone too far already. Does any one believe
that any sum of money has been P:ofiered
to members of the Legislature TO carry any
measure or resolution through ether hou-s?
There is 70; one IN the Senate or in the
Hon-e who believes it. Every member
knows that there have been no brides offered
this session, ard tie state honestly dese:v,s
all the credit that can lie derived from the
absence of both brihe-givers and bribe-
takers from the halls o the Legislature;
yet We have The spectacle, day after day, O:
an indecen: newspaper in an adjoining stale,
whose interest in Kansas il measured by the
gain it derives from TIE disgrace
attending exposures of Karsls corrup-
tions, manufacturing cul OF whole
cloth falsebooGs Of the most
meanest kind, and seniing them abroad with
a grand fouri-h of reform head lines. The
fault is no, with the editors or the CORE.
spondent for the editors about that, Jackson
county ambuscsde have so long followed the
of vi!liiying Kansas and Kansans
tia, they have prob.bly Convinced them
sitting in the Legislature to-day who has any
hope in life worth cherishing above that Of
receiving good fat bride 70 r his vote.
.Iaut 10 the oiuI now. Ii is is disgraceful
to publish these aspersions, is il not equally
disgraceful 10 circulate them. submit TO
Mr.. Calvin Reasoner, who yesterday bought |
Fifty copies OF the Kansas City Times CON-
tanning puff" fer himself, if their circu-
lation Is not at the expense Of the good
name of his associates. The writer disiikes
10 mention names in this manner, but is
conscious that members cannot be aroused to |
the sense of wrong to the State and the peo-
pie therein, without pointing directly to in
therefore the mention is made. |
Doubtless Mr.. Reasoner purchased those |
papers because his speech on the resolution
considered the previous day was given some
prominence. Perhaps Messrs. Moonlight,
Potter, Body, York, and others whom We
could name, purchased papers on the
same condition, but whether the condition
differed or not, The fact is plain that the
very sheets which they purchased to scatter
abroad contain faisehooIs as foul and infam-
ous as we're ever uttered against members of
he Kansas Legislature. Neither OF these
gentleman would rise and assert that he had
.eason to believe that Spesker McEckron
vas offered bride to vote against the indef-
lite postponepen; of the resolutions in Gues-
ion. The assertion has been Published more
han once, and was published in the papers
If which members purchased packages yes
erday that "ring'' OF Republicans were
aising money 10 assist in securing the pass
|
,harges, these open and palpab!e libels on
good and true men OF both houses are given
treat prominence, and the worst feature OF
III is that members who get favorable notices
with the calumnies on their COM
,anions. buy the libels and furnish them
With a circulation that they could not other
gise attain. The writer does not mean 20
tate these unpleasant truths extensively, be.
ause he highly respects Messrs. Moonlight,
Potter and Boyd. They know,
however, that the ISLANDERS uttered by tibet
Kansas City Tunes are stupid and false.
They knog flat McEckron was no
ased from pillar TO post, and logged hitler
nd ,hithtr by bribe givers. They knew that
be Leavenwo.ih delegation has not raised
fund of 81 900 ID influence: mem
ers, las the Kansas City Times saws; bssides they
new that 1t is imruiebt TO presume that re-
,rme,s could be Influenced by the money OF
rings. They knew likewise that
ha, tie Kansas City paper terms the ring,
,eanipg evidently Republican Ssna.ors and
is not endeayoring TO carry
ieasuies through The Legislature by the use
money. I say they know these things,
ct from the email qualification and question
Bile honor they derive from pleasant per-
,nal mention. they circulate papers contain
lg charges TO the very extend named above.
may surprise Mr.. Reasoner, and 1 say it
it'll all due respec; TO his prominence "a a
tiz.n and reputation "a legislator, that
ny man can &c. "ruf' in the Kansas City {
lines by paying for it. The most brazen
ender Of venerial medicines can &c; Puff
vice as good as he got, by simply buying
vice as many papers as he bought. 1t will
: found by examination that all the men
no purchased packages of the Kansas City q
imes received lsudatory notice, and that C
embers Who are charged as false to their
,nsti,uenrs and guilty of inumerable corrup- !,
ons and trescheries, did not purchase c
tile packaye of tina, great reform paper.