The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1878-03-29
ProtecttpC EsmIgranas.

respected clIiZen OF SeQ8 WICK cOun- /
", Kansas, wants to know if it is o
crime to be caught in the public
places of Kansas City distributing |
IL a quiet and orderly manner TO
emigrante, q sheet describing the
lands, minerals, climate, markets, |
towns, public improvements and
other attractions of Las county.
There is very little railroad land in
that county and no great corpora
ton is pouring emigrsnts into 1t.
But it's people concluded that many
of the exclusion parties carried by
the railroads to other sections of the
state might return dissatisfied with
the railroad land shown to them,
and might be retained in Kansas II
made acquainted with the attrac-
lions of the country around W1ch1-
Ia. They therefore cent Mr.. Jew
EFT here, duly accredited as their
Emigrant Agent, and provided with
a printed sheet descriptive of their
county, and giving statistics of its
population, wealth, products, etc.
AS soon "a he arrived and began
operations, however, he was warn
ed that if he was caught delivering
that sheet to any person about the
Union Depot, he would be arrested
under the following ordinance,
which Is printed and conspicuouslY
displayed thereabout;
Be it ordained, &c.
SEC. 1. 1t shall be unlawful for any
person IN the depot or on the depot plat
form o. upon any walk connected with
any depot platform Of any Railroad Pas
ssnger depot in the City oil Kansas to SO.
lIclt or carry out for passengers or bag
gage for any Hotel, Railroad, Steamboat,
Inn, Boarding house or other public plac-
es, or for the carriage OF such person or
baggage IN any dray, wagon, cart. hack,
hackney carriage, omnibus, CAB or car
riage, or other vehicle.
SEC. 2. ANY perron violating this ordl-
nance shall be deemed guilty OF INSIDE
meanor.
OF course such an arrest as Mr..
Jewett was threatened with under
this ordinance would be an outrage
which would not be tolerated, even
If any policeman could be found
willing to perpetrate it. The ordi-
nance prohibits something different
from the harmless and proper work
in which Mr.. Jewett is engaged.
But we understand that the rail-
roads take the position that Mr..
Jewetts Business is an infringement
of their private rights, that the de-
pot premises belong to them, and
that they have the right to estop
him from using those premises to
divert to other sections of the State
the i'm migrants they are gathering
up and bringing to Kansas to settle
NA asy L. 1a 70
ton is correct, and how they pro-
pose to enforce the right they claim,
we are not advised; but it is not
probable that there has been or Is
likely to be any special legislation
enacted for, that purpose; and 1t lie
probable that, If Mr.. Jewett is dis
posed to stand up for his legal
rights in the matter, they will find
it rather difficult to restrain him
from handing his sheet to any one
IN the depot who is willing to &C
cept it.--Kan. City Daily Times, 23d
The railroad authorities have done
and are doing, at their own expense
a very large share Of attracting i'm
migration to Kansae, and we believe
all their lsudable efforts in this way
should be duly appreciated and en-
couraged, and we are disposed tC
cheerfully submit, along with the
rest of the public, to any reasonable
action they may take to protect theil
own interests, and to effect sales o
their own lands. But in doing
what the Times describes, the rail
roads have evidently gone too far
and assumed an arbitrary position
which we do not believe the court
or public sentiment will sustain
Nor do we believe that it ia necessa
ry for the railroads to adopt sncl
Asiatic methods of keeping thei
passengers in ignorance of the fac
that there are millions of acres O
good and cheap land for sale in Kan
sas, beside railroad land. The rail
roads are interested in a general wa
in the settlement of the entire State
they have not done all the advertis
ing for Kansas they cannot sell a
the lands that the immigrants ar
going to buy; they are bound
sell their share, even If the imm!
grants do get an opportunity to lear
something about the State general
Iy; many travellers may be in thei
dspots any day who were not a
tracted there by the efforts of raj
road agents. Railroad passenger
have an unquestionable right to rea
immigration documents, or pater
office reports, or any other door
ments that are not forbidden b
law; and such open, arbitrary. a.
tempts to keep the public in ignC
rance of the advantages which an
section of this or of any other Stat
may offer to settlers, is a polio
which the public will soon find on
aud very naturally revolt sgains
because it will look not only unfai
but as If the dealers in railroad lane
were afraid to have the inducemen
hey offer compared with those o
fered elsewhere. The America
travelling public has some rights
this matter, and it is in the habit
hearing, reading, thinking and d.
Gliding for itself, and it will not re
ish any attempt to deprive it of il
formation on subjects It takes an il
terest in. 49,
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Mai. Il. H. Bancroft. -
croft that he has concealed nothing tn
the members of the Normal Board OF r