The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1885-03-19
THE NEWS.
rae NoRMAL LANp sArE
Stat Ins.t OF vIadlcAtiOn BY Wan n
Holmes, the Agent tor the Lands.

m ENO1AAA - - ~ - 3AAfG
SEaa<msat OF VIndlcatiOn nv Van n
HOLMES, the Agent tor the Lands.
To the EmpOria News;
deem 1t u duty owe no less to my
friends IN IN TO myself. to make . public
statemsGt In answer to ceriain charges
and insinuatiOns affecting me and em
bodied In the report of = committee OF
the legtslature appointed 70 investigate
the Oh sale the Normal school lands in
Mitchell and Lincoln counties of his
state To II. Z. Gross, last July.
The report was published lew days
since. Ny response 10 Il, SO far as oy
Implication II effects me, woul1 have
Immediately followed It's publication, il
had had IN my possession the original
report of q special committee OF the
board OF regents Of the State Normal
school, appralsing said land IN body at
So 80 per acre, snd the original order OF
the said committee, directing me TO exc
cuts a contract for the sale Of said land
10 II. q. Cross. These documents had
been delivered 10 me as agent TOR the
sale OF the Normal school lands by the
board and constitute my authority for
nay acts as agent IN the sale OF Mitchell
and LIncoIn county lands. Having been
summoned 70 appear before the commit
toe OF the legislature, these documents
were produced by one, and by request OF
the chairman lett with the committees.
upon the positive promise that q copy Of
them would be made and the papers
forth with returned % me. Without my
consent they have been transferred by
the committees e. the attorney general, a
proceeding unwsrranted by law or
fair deAling and Ia gross violation OF
q positive promise. After earnest effort
I racafUaA IN hau frnfn fha aIfnrnaV nam
eral copies of these papers, the insertion
Of which in this response IS essential 10
= correct understanding of the points at
issue. This answer therefore may be
truly said To have been delayed by q
breach of good faith IN derogation OF my
legal right by special cOmmittee Of the
legislature. Furthec criticism of their
conduct Ia tails particular would be
supernuons.
To put II mildly il seems at least mex.
cusable for JOINT committee of the leg
IslAture by assertion or IDsinuAIion TO
sssail the character of q citIzen uoless
the subject OF investigation has been
thoroughly examined and the proof OBJ
tanned 10 Of such a character as TO leave
no reasonable doubt of its sufficiency TO
justify the charges DIade or limited.
Whether the report of the committee 80
far as Il has to do with my agency IN the
sale of the Mitchell and lincoln county
land, is not unworthy of the body from
which II emansted leave TO the unbias-
sed judgment of my fellow citizens, con-
hdent that the following statement will
justify my acts as agent of the board of
regents of the State Normal school In the
sale referred to.
The committee assert in their report
under Statement of Facts" as follows:
Your committee ind that in March, 1884,
the state Normal s. hool owned abouG 1851
hcreh OF land all being in Mitchell county,
Kan excepting one section In Lincoln coun-
~, said lands b ing contiguous and compris-
ing one body. That said lands, mp TO March.
1884, had been on the market under an APP
prAisement u.ade In the spring OF 1882 said
Appraisement having been made by the board
OF regents At an average of over 50 per acre,
~ which tt.Ie, March, 1874 by order Of the
board, said lands were ala withdrawn from
the market and u committee appointed, con-
sisting OF ShArp. Thanhauser and OrDer,
members OF said board, and directed TO witt
value of such lands and the advisabnity OF
their sAie In body. Said committee visited
said lands about July !. 1854. and made
sharp. president OF the board, afterwards
prepared a report la blank which was signed
by the committee about the 10th day OF July,
1884; hat said rerort was never presented
e. or nled with such board Nor did said
board ever adopt raiify or confirm said re-
During sucs time one Van X Holmes Of EN-
sale of Normal school lands: that said
Holmes, from March. 1884, up 70 July 10. 1884,
was not authorize TO sell said lands, except
less than IS per acre in gross That on or
before the 10Th day OF July, 1884, Isaac Sharp,
president OF the board, sold the emit re tract
OF Normal school lands in said Mitchell and
Lincoln counties. HgKregatinE $40 acres, Rt
the price Of $3.50 per acre. to one y: @ Cross
Land Agent Holmes made and executed q
contract Of sale to said Cross. That said sale
was made by said Isaac sharp without con
aAltAtlOn with the board of reRenta- and
order OF the board WAS ever made for the sale
OF such lands, nor has tho board ever ratified
the same since; and no authority was ever
giveu by the board 70 said Holmes TO make
u CHI contract or sale
by this extract from tho report of the
committee Il will 10 seen that the
charges are substantially these, viz:
]. That a committee Of the board of
regents, consisting oil Messrs. Sharp,
ThAnhauser AMI Orner, were appointed
In June, 1884. TO visit said lands with q
view TO the zppraisement of the value of
the same and To the expedlency of their
sale In n body, and that concurrently
with this action OF the board said lands
were withdrawn from sale.
2. That n report of this committee was
prepared aud signed by the members
thereof, but not presented to or filed with
said board, aud never adopted, ratified
or confirmed by that body.
3. That Van K. Holmes, as agent for
the sale of Normal school lands, never
had any authority to sell said lands AT
less than $5 per acres IL gross.
That no authority was eyer given to
said Holmes TO make the contract of sale
with II. o. Cross.
These charges are made with that con.
ldence of expression which bespeskl
thorough Investigation. That they lack
truthfulness and are based upon very
atNnaNAefal In - NnAaaA h.
examinatiAn made bV the committee Ii
worthy of being entitled IAN investigs-
tion," NAV be ascertaIned from a peru
sal Of the following documents received
by me as agent The first is an Official
communication addressed to me by tn,
secretary of the board and received
about the time OF its date:
RoARD OF REGENTS RAHs as STATE
NORMAL SCHOOL. SEoRErARY's OFFIcE.S
NEosHo FALLS. KAs June TO- 1884.
Van r; Holmes. Agent Tor sale OF Norma
lands;
DEAR -IR-By direction OF the board Of re
gents all Valuations heretofore made on land
in Mitchell county, Ransas, and on sectio
10. township lc, range 8. are hereby revoked
A committee consisting OF MeSsrs. Sh rp
ThanhOuser ard Orner have been appointed
nLp c,n.Hrnin.s ms ,sasitiiitS Of SiS,in
said lands in tracts, and you will act upoI
thei' report when delivered to you upol
an order OF this board 4 Yours ~ h 1TalEE
IsKAL OF THE sTArKI Secretary.
NORMAL SCHOOL.
BY this letter. therefore, l was special,
informed that the land IN question haI
been Withdrawn from ssle--thai It woul,
be re-appraiscd by certain members O
the board of regents appointed as
special committee. That thus Commute
would also determine whether said Liant
should b. sold in n body OF in tracts, AnC
that l should act upon the report of thi
committee, "as upon an order of tn
board"
The next thing in order would be tn
report of this special committee.
On the 10th day of July, 1884, re
ceiYed a paper of which the followingi
copy:
To the Honorable Board of Regents OF Stat
Norma school l. nds, Emporia, Kansas:
We, the un der iRned. "A committee appoint
ell 10y said beard, on Juns TO- 1884, and direct
ing said committee To appraIse actua
Nt"w, and to require into and decide upon tn
Feasibility of selling the unsoll lands belong
ing 10 The said Normal school in u body or ii
legal subdivisions and TO secure the sal
schOo, agatnst loss BY reason OF the subse
Sslers snd thaS this rsnort ~ I'D an M,
tee, when delivered - Van X. Iiolmes, tn
agent tor the sale Of SAIL lands, be his author
ity to sell ,ho same In aecuTdAlos Herewith
hcreoy make this. their report, accordingly
We did on the sSth day of June, 1854. pre-
oeed to and on aciuAl view did exImine an
ApprAiss said lands. ami upon a careful OK
animation OF the same, 10 Il Il bnat IL wOul
be highly injurious to the aid Normal schoC
TO offer for sale or sell the aforesaid lands 1
legal subdivisions or In small tracts, for IN
reason that the best " altered and farm land
would readily sell but much the larger QuaI
tity thereof are unit for any purpose oths
than grazing. and could N & be sold for TN
purpose ut any price when detached from II
lands that have " alter and better grazing al
on them.
Wherefore. we report In fsvor OF selling a
lands IN n body. and when sold in n boo
We further report that the sum of $S-5 p'
acre Is all that said lands are worth and v
here TX the selling price per acre at that suL
On the further condition that IL tho pu
chaser or purchasers execute and deliver
the board oil regents In the name OF the sta
of Kansas, for the use OF the said Norm
sshool a good bond in the penal sum