Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-11-02
A STARTLING DISCLOSURE.



fdenCe, breeders Of diEsensioa and strife,
socialistic and anarcbisiic in tendency, we
were vigorously attacked by the union
labor press Of the state and denounced
by democratic newspapers and speakers
for what they were pleased to term ''po-
Ijticsl intolerance" At the time, and
until now, the basis OF these charges
against the union labol party leaders, was
thelz past history as sympathizers, aiders
and abettOrs Of the Chicago anarchists.
and the fact that they have, at various
times openly avOwea their belief IN so
ciRlism or anarchy.
Some days ago the Winfield Courier
published a ritual, large part OF which
was in cipher, OF a seen ct military or
der known as the National order Of
Videtts." The order was anarchistic
and reasonable In character, the mem
bers placing it above their country and
government, swearing by an oath, the
violation of which was death by the
hands OF their comrades" s'never to re-
veal to any human being, except a com
rRde, anything I may see or hear while
assembled IN biv' (bivOuac) or any Of the
secrets Of our order, or the eristeuce Of
the same, and that aCiH dllCQg8 TmpItc-
ittg obey the orders Of this N1Iic'LOc and
the officers thereof" At the time OF the
publication OF the ritual BY the Courier.
it implicated the Vincents, the editors
and publishers OF the patent sheets of
all Of the union labor party newspapers
in the state, and Ed S. Moore, the chair
man Of the union labor party IN Cowley
county, as among the members Of ana
tiOnal order OF Videtts." Ib was also
shown that the ritual was printed in
the establishment Of the Vincents
at Winfield, the type being set at night
by q young woman sworn to secrecy,
and who afterwards became the wife of
one OF the Yincents.
The publication Of the ritual OF the
order, and other facts about il, created q
great sensation in Winfield and In Cow
ley county. The first issue of the Vim
cents newspaper, which has the very
suggestive name, the american Non
COEJOTD1ist, sngrily declared and in the
most positive terms, that they had moth
ing whatever to do with the "NationRl
order of Videtts;" that the ritual was
printed under contract with a st. Louis
man, and that so far as their knowledge
extended there was not a chapter or
lodge Of the order In existence In the
state Of Kansas, and that they did not
know that attempts had been made even
to organize them. They pretended to be
totally ignorant OF the National order
of Vidett's', and most vigorously de-
nOunced the Courier for connecting their
names with it. Ed. S. Moore, another
Winfield man who was implicated, when
4 Es-A L..
ing OF the order except that he believed
an effort had been made to organize a
chapter in Cowley county, but that it
had failed.
THE Commonwealth did not publish
this information at the time, knowing
that without positive and irrefut-
able proof it would be difficult TO
convince the public that even a ridicu-
lousy small per cent OF the
people of Kansas were identified with
the organization, especially as it would
be denounced as political thunder and
made light of by the democratic press.
While the ritual was proof
positive of the existence OF this
snRrchistic order, yet, proof OF
it's extent and evidence to show who
were its leaders and members and its
secret purposes and intents were lacking,
without which its publication would do
little good except TO startle the public
and cause it to wonder who these secret
enemies Of our country and our govern
ment were, and where they Iurked and
organized and plotted.
All Of this proof has finally
been obtained by the Courier and was
published in that paper OF Yesterday.
It appears elsWhere in to-day sCOngnlO7l-
egeaIth, and is positive, absolute and
irrefutRble in its character. The 'IEa-
tiOnsl Order of Videtts' is laid bare to
the world. It's extent In the state OF
Kansas, its secret purposes and objects,
are now IS plain as day. The names Of
at least a hundred of its leading mem
/ bers are made known to the people Of
She state. For the safety OF the lives and
property OF our people, for the safety Of
cur institutions and the perpetUity OF
our government, the Commonwealth
trusts that every citizen Of Kansas will
I carefully read through the evidence ad-
duced and the irrefUtable exhibits made.
Read them and reflect.
The National Order of Videtts" is
/ solely political in its aims. It is g
BoCE55 JD4tllcaL 5OC40ty5 O4Bh-4iASA LOL Liz
purpose Of getting control Of the gov
( eminent. Every member Of il Is sworn
{ to not even reveal its existence. This
fact has enabled It to gain the great
! strength that 1t has In this state, having
nu1c'lucs in 81 counties in Kansas,
/ Ii many Of the counties as
many as three or four nuic'lOcs.
In the evidence which appears
Q - LE,wE
union labor party is virtually g
creation OF this secret order, the
National Order Of Videets' The 'ETa-
4;-,,e1 Odd Of Vi6efTs'5 F,oId a national