The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-14
A STRENUOUS MEETING
Gas Belt People Say Gas Must Be Kept
at Home.

Coffeyville, Kan, Dec. 14.-Four
hundred persons attended the mass
meeting of the Gas Protective assOcia-
ton. held here Tuesday afternoon. In
point of enthusiasm it was the most
satisfactory meeting yet held. The re-
suit of the meeting, SO far as the open
session is concerned, was nothing ex-
cept the making of speeches to keep
up the courage of the members and
the Federation of the determination of
those present not to permit the piping
of the gas out of Montgomery county
If they can help it till after the legis-
lature has had a throw at the question.
After the meeting there was a ses-
sion of the ways and means committee
and it was resolved to back up the
proceedings begun at Topeka An
other session of the committee will be
held at Independence probably this
week. Then funds will be raised to
assist the authorities of Coffeyville
and to employ additional counsel.
This meeting was characterized by
frequentl references to the higher
law" in case other remedies fail and
every mention of this last resort was
cheered. The members from Cherokee
and Labette counties made a deter
mined effort to get the meeting to con-
sent to the piping of gas to those coun-
ties before the meeting of the legisla-
ture, but the crowd every time told
the Cherokee and Labette county peo-
PIE 10 walt I'LL AFTER the court mas
finally passed on the question or the
legislature had passed a law which
would keep the gas in the state.
Judge A H. SkidmOre of Cherokee,
upon being told that they would have
to wait, said:
Our senator is here and he came for
the purpose of telling you he believes in
Kansas gas for Kansas and that he is
willing to do everything in his power to
keep the gas in the state, but he does
not believe in Kansas gas for Mont
GOmeEy county. When you talk about
Kansas gas for Kansas you must
member that Cherokee county is on the
map of Kansas. Until you do that you
cannot expect us to help you"
The representatives from Cherokee
left in somewhat of a huff and Senator
Huffman was among those who depart
ed long before the meeting was over.
There was big crowd in town. Two
hundred came from Independence and
fifty from Chanute. The local peOple
had prepared banners roasting Judge
Flannelly and these were conspicuous
" displayed. One of them represented
the judge as being in the grave and the
Injunction as having put him there.
Every reference to Judge Flannelly
made at the meeting which was not
complimentary was cheered and the at
tempts of Judge Skidmore and Judge
Ergenbright to defend Judge F'lannelly
were listened to without sign of APP
proval.
President D. NJ. Kennedy opened the
meeting, saying he hoped harmony
would prevail. The issue was whether
the natural resources of the state are
to remain here or go to Missoui.
w. D. Ziegler of this place, who insti-
tuted the proceedings at Topeka, said
there was nothing for him to say as to
the course to be pursued in the future,
but he desired to assure the people of
the gas belt that the fight would be
kept up till the finish and he believed
the prospects were better now for win
ing than they had ever been. He depre-
Gated the criticisms of Judge Flannelly
which had been INDUCED in, and would
not have appeared on the stage had
the banners which he had seen in the
streets been brought into the building
He would like to tell those present what
the Cofeyville citizens had decided to
do, but there were some persons in the
hall not friendly to the cause and the
matter would be deferred till a later
date. Kansas gas is going to stay in