The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1885-03-12
TIE woR1FAL L1ED SALE.

The report of the special Legislative
committee concerning the late sale Of
Normal school lands, and published In
full in this paper to-day, certainly
places Governor Sharp, president Of the
board Of regents. in . very unenviable
light.
Il not only seems to show that he
quietly managed the sale of lands that
had been Withdrawn from market, but
that he also ordered the sale Of these
lands ct figures below their value and
without the consent or proper endorse
msnt Of his fellow members Of the board.
We are informed that the committee
has not done Mr.. Sharp entire justice.
Whether they have or not We do not
know. We do know, however. e the
matter now stands It is shameful. II
Gov. Sharp has anything more to say
he should say 1t now. When
the charges Of irregnlarity
were first made, Gov. Sharp was forward
in demanding an investigation. The IN
vestigation has been made and II IL has
been fairly conducted certainly shows
that bad state Of affairs existed.
Governor Sharp is . man whom the
writer, with hosts OF others, has
respected and has been slow TO beiieYe Of
him discreditAble things. He Is . man OF
great popularity and Of jolly ana pleas
ant manners. He seems to have the fac.
ulty Of making people about him hap
pY. Moreover, he has appeared thor
oughlY enlisted in the best inter.
ests of the State Normal school, excepI
in the case OF this Ia nd sale. We know
Of q number Of matters In connection
with the conduct OF the school in which
he has shown . very commendable man
sgement by pressing and arranging af
fairs which materially aided In the NOR
economical and satisfactory administra
ton of the institution. These howeve
much to his credit, do not touch the point
now involved. We hope 70 see justic'
done to all sides In this controversy an,
are awaiting the Developments
If there are any more to b
made. or any extenuating circumstance
As the thing now stands We do not se
but the findings of the committee ar
based upon facts, however unpleasant
these findings seem TO be.
The affair has been peculiarly unfoI
tunate for the best interests Of Cd
school. We have no reasonable doui
! that had not this unfortunate matte
happened the Normal school would hay
: secured the twelve additional sections {
salt lands, which should really have bee
given to the institution.
:, The bad outcome of this eal
seems particularly unfortuna
for Gov. Sharp at this juncture. tt
Washington correspondent Of the t
peka Capital having this to say:
BY the way, any slate that has N
I upon 1t the name of Gov. Isaac Shar
/ OF Council Grove, is very certain 70 |
q broken. Gov. sharp numbers anon
his friends of long standing more Dem
cratic statesmen and political leade
than any other Kansan except Go
Click and Gen. Blair. Vice-Pres
, dent Hendricks, Senators Voorhees, an
3 Pendleton, ex-Senators Thurman, III
Donald and Herman are among tho
who have long known and will insI
= that their old friend, the genial and We
satile Sharp, shall be handsomely pr
vided for at an early period Of N
3 Cleveland's reign.
The above paragraph. however, Wi
written before the report of the con
4 mittee was made, and the prominel
l Democrats may now be little shy
: their fsvors unless matters take a diffe
2 ant turn