Herald of Kansas. [volume] (Topeka, Kan.) 1880-1880, 1880-02-27
TIL APPEAL.
The Refugee Board,

cate, which vail explain just how the
humane people North and East are
appealed to:
Topeka, Kans' Jan. Is, 1880
My DEAR FRIEND -Canst thou go
and see some influential persons in
Boston and represent the suffering
condition of these poor refugees. By
the circulars [ send by the outgoing
mail you will see something of tile
state Of things. I wish thee wouldst
write All article, for one of the Bos-
ton papers about the exodus. The
Massachusetts people do not under
stand their condition: or ( am sure
they would send their help speedily
Tell them that our treasury is nearly
empty; that the refugees are crowd
ing into the State faster than they
can be taken care of; that more than
fifty have had their feet frozen for
want of shoes. We need money ur,
gently for bread, fuel and medicines.
There is much sickness from expos
ure and for want of proper shelter
The city and barracks are crowde d
some refugees living in wretche d
tents. Collins are in daily demand
for babies and others who might
have lived many years if tbev had
had the common necessities Of life.
Let your citizens know that the peo-
pie are freezing and perishing here
for want of supplies 1 hive begged
Of our English friends. and they are
held in bond in New York for duties.
ThoS. Ryan, Representative from this
city, introduced bill in Congress for
their admition free of duty, and it
was defeated by the, obi ection Of Fer
napdO Wood, in>the hands OF whose
committee it is.now slumbering. Do
make stir and get some one in pow
er to take up the matter and shake
WashiugtOn's capitol and the Speak
er in the chair, and AL the. bolts and
bars Of the custom house and free the
warm blankets. OYercOats and other
valuableS, that they can be sent here
before more freezing occur. I wish
that the heart of Fernando Wood
could be touched with sympathy for
the freezing and perishing refugees.
If thou canst not attend to this mat
ter thvseif, please hand this letter TO
some. one who can and Will, spee&f-
| ". Do not lay this aside aud neg
lect it for one hour, as the people
may freeze and starve before help
comes.
With love, thine effectionate friend
E. J.. CoMEsTeCK.
Now, this letter contains a, great
amount of misrepreSentations, and
is certainly at variance with the truth
While there may have been some
little suffering among the refugees,
this suffering would not have occur.
red had the funds Of the board been
rightly applied. The statement
made to the people East that the ref
ngees are starving and freezing, i,
rs palpably false as it is ridiculous,
and we think it our duty to disabuse
the minds of these humane people
East, that sush s. condition of affairs
exist, as are claimed in the above
letter of appeal.
tt the money received by the
Refugee Board was expended "a II
was und9r the administration of Gov.
st. John, there would be no cause for
making such appeals as are contained
in the above letter. If the money
the Board received had been invest
ed in land aud that land divided up
into small farm and the refugees sent
there instead OF being huddled to-
gether in the barracks there would be
no cause of complaining about 'sick.
ness among the refugees" The let
ter priRted above claims that
there-is not sufficient shelter for the
refugees, but just go over TO the head
quarters OF the Board and they (the
board) viii point YOU with pride to
those shanties down the Santa Fe
track!
The assertion made IN The Sbo vc
letter that refugees have frozen TO
death at the barracks is manufacture
ed from whole cloth. and does not
contain one ounce of truth. Where
are those tents pitched that the letter
above refers to? We have never
seen any OF them, and we made sew
erAl visits to the barracks during the
month OF January. New this beg
ging for the poor o-l-o-r Ell
b-r-O-t-h-e-r has gone on long
enough, and forbearance has now
ceased 10 be 4 virtdre, and we pro-
pose in the future to hew to the line,
let the chips fall where they NAV, and
shall do all in our power to prevent
the people from being imposed upon