The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1876-07-15

question to be put to candidates running
for the Legislature, evil you try to
have established the south line Of Allen
county on the south line of the New
York Indian lands and on the north line
of the Ossge Indian landsr If they
said they would, and their other quail
fications suited, We would elect them.
So we commenced sending up our petit
tions asking the Legislature to pass that
bill. So we continued for four years,
sending our best talent as we thought.
But Humboldt was always there ready
to defeat us. Now you can see how the
enmity existed between the two places.
as spoken of in the article lam answering.
While Humboldt kept the county seat
all was right, but when the tide changed
all was wrong. Then, and now, they
raised the howl that poor Humboldt, in
her weakest days, and in the absence Of
her population, was taken advantage Of
by the northern part Of the county, two
members being elected in the interest of
Iola.-While their citizens were absent
on account of the marauding bands of
rebel bushwhackers; with nearly all
their decent houses burned, and their
people murdered, they say it was then.
that the Legislature perpetrated that
cowardly and wicked act of cutting of
a part of Allen and attaching it to Neo-
sho county-which was heavy blow to
Humboldt.
Now, let US see. As said before, we
had the matter before the Legislature for
about four years, and were defeated. In
1864, I was elected to the Legislature.
I was an old farmer; had always worked
hard for q living; and could not be
bought over. So, in 1865, when the
Legislature convened, the same old bill
was introduced in the house by myself
A petition with the signatures of ma
jority of the citizens of the county, and
l think with the signatures of every one
of my constituents attached to it was
presented, asking me to put the bill
through the House. And now, what
should ! do or say? Should l say, my
dear sirs, you are my servants and l will
not do as you say but As I please-as too
many of our officers do. But ! thought
I was the servant of the people that sent
me there.
Three-fourths of those whose votes had
sent me there said for me to vote for Jim
Lane for Senator, and l would have done
so though General Washington had run
against him. So you sec believe in
servants of the people doing as their
constituents wish them-not - they
themselves please.
And now you see the fun commenced
over that bill which have heretofore
mentioned as being in the Legislature,
asking that honorable body u establish
the south line of the county. Now you
see how badly Humboldt was treated, Is
it is claimed in that article, (that great
many of their citizens we're absent, etc.
when this bill was passed. But the
writer Of that article is badly mistaken.
1t was in 1861 or 1862 they did their
biggest running, as I lived on the main
road and several Of them stopped with
me the first night. But in 1865 they
were about all back and had soldiers
statio ned there; and, as you all know,
there was no danger then as the war was
about over. go .--
Now, to the Legislature again. As l
told you, had the bill in the house.
Who was there to defend its merits
No one but this same old farmer. No
lobby filed with Iolians, but ON the
other hand, Watson Stewart, their men,
Der, with his big remonstrance Orlin
Thurston, Gilbert, Redfeld, Burnett,
and others in the lobby, if not in person
by letter; the member from Anderson
to help them: and then came Samuel
Stewart, fresh from the old 10th Kansas,
with great influence upon the members,
Captain Harvey, Captain Broadhead,
Lieutenant Leland, and causing them to
work and do all they could against my
bill. Only Leland absented himself and
did not vote as the journals of the house
will show.
As to the burning of houses at Hum
boldt, and as to the murders,-there were
few houses burnt and they say one
man was killed. I think he was not q
citizen Of that place, though. The
writer of the "reminiscences claims that
the time selected to inflict this terrible
blow on Humboldt was in the hour of
her greatest distress. Is that caused by
bad memory or is he wilful? l hope
the cause is bad memory. But l hope
the gentleman will hereafter put on his
thinking cap before he writes. Every
man in the county that was here then,
knows that this same bill had been in
progress for five years. He claims now
that it was at selected time this wick
ed deed was done. But surely the gen.
tleman must have been dreaming. He
could not have wrote such an article
| when he was wide awake.
He claims two men were elected fav.
orable to lola. / would like to know