The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1878-10-04
THE SETTLERS PROTECTIVE Asso-
CIATION.


Citation.
The EmPoria Ledger's ISLANDERS Refuted.
One of the best settled and law abid-
ing neighborhoods in Lyon county is
that of Allen creek. 1t is a very fine
section of country, with excellent farms,
and is progressing rapidly in settlement
and improvements. The Kaw land there
has been such fruitful source of con-
f1icting claims to this and that quarter
section, and there is so little in either state
or national laws, land office or any other
recognized rulings 10 go by in determin-
ing what constitutes valid claim, that
the only way to obviate disagreements,
and possibly violence, between contend
ing claimants, is to do as the settlers
have done, organize themselves into an
association for the express purpose of
submitting all contested claims to
common system of arbitration and thus
without i'll will or violence reach fair
and peaceable decision in any case. This
method, rendered necessary by the pecu-
liar circumstances of the case and de-
signed solely to prevent violence and in
justice, was so grossly misrepresented
by the Ledger last week, it having the
impudence and effrontery to stigmatize
the association as a K. K. K. gang"
that committee of the settlers called on
us Monday, and after thanking US for
the impartial account in the NEWS of
the case brought before Justice Bachel-
Ter on the 23d ult., handed us a copy of
the rules and regulations of the associa-
ton, together with the names of forty
eight farmers signed thereto, nearly all of
whom we recognize as among the best
citizens in our county, and subscribers
to this paper. The following are the
rules, and we leave the consequential edi-
tor of the Ledger to point out wherein
they SAVIOR of Ku Kluxism:
PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION.
KnOao -0ynaen By these presents; That we,
the people of Americas and Agnes City
townships, Lyon county, state of Kansas,
in convention assembled at the school
house in district No. 10, this 9th day of
March, A. d. 1878, adopt the following
rules, which if complied with, will com
mand our sympathy and aid in the tax
ing and holding of the undecided and IN
occupied land usually called trust land:
Rule LIST. Sec. LIST. That five men are
hereby appointed committee who shall
elect one of their number secretary,
whose duty 1t shall be to keep a record
of the number of acres, section, township
and range, together with name of claim
ant, date of taking the same, also amount
of improvements and nature thereof.
Sec. I'd. 1t shall be the duty of claim
ants expecting any benefit from or
through said commission, to furnish the
secretary thereof written statement as
provided in section 1, together with the
statement that he or she has taken such
claim, not exceeding 100 acres, for the
purpose of making and having a home,
and will improve the same as fast as his
or her circumstances Will permit, and
shall also pay the secretary the sum of
% cents to defray expenses and trouble.
Sec. Sd. In no case shall the commits
sion or those who subscribe to the above
rules be held in duty bound to aid in the
adjustment of any claim difficulty, ex-
cept in behalf of those who shall strictly
comply with and subscribe to the above
rules.
Sec. 4th. The disputants shall each
select one from the committee to de-
OANO Oil LII IL llIc1
see fit may call third party from said
committee.
Sec. 9th. Any person may become a
member of this association by signing
these rules and paying the sum of ten
cents.
The settlers deny that any violence
was used, intended or threatened They
state also that one w. L. Brazier, whose
name has been stricken from the roll,
became angry because case duly arbi-
trated between his brother and John
Adams, was decided by the arbitrator
against his brother, and that he therefor
event back" on the association, and per-
suaded Mr.. Thomas to erect a shanty
on the same claim. When Mr.. Adams
went there to continue his work, recent
ly, he found nine men collected, who're
quested him to leave, and he did so, and
appealed to the association. The asso-
citation held meeting and decided to
call on Mr.. Thomas and argue the case
with him. They did so, without using
or threatening violence, and he agreed
to leave, but was afterwards persuaded
10 contest the matter by appealing to the
law, which he did by causing the arrest
of two of the association, who, as we
stated last week, were held to bail by
Justice Bachelor. We told the commit,
tee that as matter of course the law
must decide in all cases, and to this
they readily assented, declaring that the
association has never had the slightest
unlawful intention, and that its sole OBJ
ject is to secure by friendly arbitration
peceable and friendly settlement of all
conflicting claims. It seems to us that
this is method to be approved, and that
the Ledger is altogether too fast in stig,
matizing the settlers association as Ku
Klux, and injuring the reputation OF
one of the best communities in the
county.