The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1872-06-07
Topeka MUST LOSE THE CAPITAL
EmpOria as a Competitor.

IhOSe VINO are IN the habit OF not
ing the rapid development of this
State, and who possess the ability
to interpret the signs of the times,
will coincide with the conclusion
expressed at the head of this article.
They must at least acknowledge
that there is good reasoH for the
prophecy. We write this out of no
i'll feelings towards Topeka. Our
only desire is to call the attention
of the people OF Southwestern Kan
sas to this to the end that their Rep
resentatives and Senators may give
the matter acareful consideration be-
fore voting any further appropria-
tions toward completing the capitol
building already commenced.
AS all know, who know aught of
the geography of Kansas, Topeka is
east of the center of the northeast
quarter of the State. Cut the map
of the State into eight equal squares
as nearly as may be, and Topeka will
be found to be located near the CEN
ter of the northeast eighth.
| We care not what may be said by
| those living east and north of To-
peka about the barrenness of the
western part of the State, or want
of population. Our assumption of
the future removal of the capital of
our commonwealth is based on q
proposition that lops off one hun
dred and fifty-six thousand miles of
the western end of the State, or to
q point as far east as Fl. Larned, as
uninhabitable. But is it? With all
that cut off the center would not
| fall far from Council Grove. in Nor
ris county.
The southeast quarter of this State
| will, in another year or two, if it is
not already, be as densely populat-
ed as the northeast fourth, while the
southwest will have in ten years a
population equal to either, and far
in excess of that of the northwest
quarter. We conceive this state
men to be true and one that will be
conceded to be fact by all before
long. Upon it we base the prophesy
that Emporia will stand a good
chance to become the future perma-
nent capital of Kansas. junction
City is not geographically much too
far north, but as to population she
probably will be. Salina is nearer
right geographically, but too far
west for the future center of popu-
lation.
Emporia will be, within five years,
the nearest the center of population
of any considerable town, while to-
day she is about as accessible to the
great bulk of population of Kansas
as is Topeka. The completion of
the Carbonate road, from Law
renee; the Holden road, west from
Paola, and the Solomon, or Repub-
lican valley roads north from juno
ton City, Emporia will be far the
most accessible of any point in the
State. Now, all southeastern and
southwestern Kansas has direct
connection with her, as has also all
the larger cities of the State, togeth-
err with the Kansas valley west of
Junction City.
Kansas has four grand distinctive
valleys in the State, the first of
which in Importance is the Kaw ;
the second the Arkansas third, the
NeOsho, and fourth, the Republican.
The three first of these valleys are
already connected by rail with EN-
poria, and the last is virtually so at
Junction City. Take your map and
satisfy yourselves upon these prop
ositions.
| We care nothing about what may
be said about the expense conse-
quent upon such a removal. The
people pay the tax and the people
do the voting. To wealthy State
like this will be in few years, the
extra tax 10 great majority of
voters would be but a few cents,
and would not have the least infiu-
ence, providing two or three mill
lions of money is not expended on
the present building before the
question is tested. Topeka was far
west of the center of population
ten years ago. Now she is far north
of it; soon she will be far east and
north of such center.
The present building was brought
some sixty miles to its present site,
the material being carted across the
river. 1t surely could be taken six
ty miles further.
But we did not start out to dis
cuss the proposition, only to say
that we had been thinking the mat
ter over and to get others as much
interested as ourselves to thinking
also. Topeka may boot the idea
and the eastern Kaw valley laugh,
but the Kaw valley is fast becoming
northern Kansas, and the first time
that an appropriation of $780,
600 or 100000 is asked for
building another wing of the cap
itol, this question will be seriously
discussed, and the next thing the
people will demand a vote upon it.
II Wichita Eagle.