Outrage — Deception

From The Independent, Oskaloosa, Kansas, January 28, 1865

Just before going to press we learn that a bill has been rushed through the Senate, on the heels of the “Big Drunk” attending the railroad excursion, taking six miles from our county and annexing to Douglas. This is unmitigated fraud and robbery. This County has maintained the laws and protected the citizens of the district in question for years, at the expense of the other parts of the County, the land sought to be taken from us not being taxable; and now that the district is becoming a source of profit and no longer a burden, Douglas wishes to seize it and reap the benefits, and this, too, against the known wishes of the inhabitants. It is a shameless attempt to perpetrate a huge fraud, and hence the indecent haste to rush the measure through the legislature before the fraud can be exposed. We trust the House will kill the infamous bill, or at least stay action upon it for the facts, and until the people can be heard. If the measure is just, time will not hurt it, if wrong, time may right it. The story Speer* tells, that the people on the ground want the change, is all a sham and intended to deceive. Let the people speak for themselves, and be heard.

*John Speer was the editor of the Lawrence Tribune.

This article appeared in “Yesteryears” in October 1989.

The editor of The Independent continued to protest against the annexation of Jefferson County lands by Douglas County. 

County Lines.

From The Independent, Oskaloosa, Kansas, February 4, 1865

The persistent efforts of a portion of the citizens of Douglas County to seize upon a portion of Jefferson, has few parallels. It is simply a covetous desire, without any show of right, and can be defended on no grounds of reason, justice or good neighborship. The only plea set up is, that Lawrence has made some outlays on roads—principally if not entirely in Leavenworth county—on this side of the river, and therefore she ought to have a part of Jefferson county! Who ever heard of Lawrence doing anything of the kind not immediately for her own benefit? If she built roads it was because her citizens believed it was for their interest to do so; and they never invested a dime in a road, except for an interested purpose; and they have ten times over received principal and interest for every cent they have thus expended on this side of the river.

But we have a counter claim to this plea. It is this. The citizens of Lawrence have taken wood and lumber from Jefferson county in value a thousandfold more than all the outlays on this side of the river in roads and every thing else; and this wood and lumber have been taken without rendering an equivalent to this county. These are the facts. Let them be known!

Jefferson County map

Another claim set up is, that a portion of this county is convenient to Douglas! Indeed! If this plea is worth any thing, it is worth all the State, and Kansas may at once be annexed to Douglas by piece-meal; for every time she extends her boundaries she will lay along side of contiguous territory, which it will be convenient to get hold of. This is worse than a robber’s plea. It is the very essence of bad neighborship. Such a principle carried out would banish peace from societies and nations forever, and set communities at law and nations at war.

If we have a piece of land and choose to put our buildings, for our own convenience or profit, on one edge of the land, does that give us a right to seize upon a portion of our neighbor’s possessions, simply because they are contiguous? The thing is so absurd we wonder any sane man should advance such a theory; and yet this is the strong argument Douglas men offer for seizing upon our territory. If the river, God’s own line of division, is not a stay to their greed, what other line can present a barrier to their rapacity?

If Lawrence makes a bridge for her own accommodation and benefit, and taxes our citizens enormously for passing over it, she claims for this a right to assert ownership over a portion of our county! Magnanimous Lawrence! What a spirit of unselfish enterprise her citizens possess!

Lawrence has had ten-fold more aid from the east than any other place in Kansas—more than all the rest of the State together; and yet she claims special privileges! A portion of her citizens want all; and if they had every thing they would still ask for something more!

South Jefferson County, with notation,
"Stolen By Douglas Co. - 1865"

This whole matter is in a nut-shell. The territory belongs to Jefferson county. We have kept it in its infancy at our expense. We therefore have a just claim in right and equity to it. Douglas has none. The river is a natural boundary, therefore the best one. We simply want our rights and good neighborship, nothing more.