The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1874-08-06

! CllltHS, VI vi lHtClCSts, anu
their needed encouragement and pro-
lection, was the Southwestern Con-
gressional District organized. In the
absence of these interests the district
could never have been blocked out in
the eccentric shape agreed upon, the
establishing Of the meets and bounds
of which affected very materially the
local and political interests of the EN-
| tire state beside.
In assigning the reasons that actua-
ted the legislature TO make a South
western District the Commonwealth
must conccde that the writer of this
ought to be, at least to some extent,
qualified. Threc-fourths of the terri
tory comprising the Third Congress
sional District of Kansas is compare
lively new, Boosting only new peo
pie, in the main. and with all its new
material interests in process of devel-
opment. Prominent among the latter,
and which will require more or less
legislation, and much looking after for
some time to come, is the public lands
and lines of railway. Without the
proper adjustment of the one and the
settling and extension OF the other the
great agricultural and manufacturing
interest of n large and naturally rich
territory comprising from twenty to
thirty counties, must lay dormant and
untitled for long period. AS far
as Topeka and Emporia, and all the
older settled portion OF the district is
concerned, these questions have long
been permanently and satisfactorily
settled Your lands are secured, your
railroads located and built, your post
routes and post Offices established and
every material interest of that charac-
ter fixed, leaving. in a congressional
view, only personal ambitions TO graf
ify. But how stands it with the great
Southwest with her great tracts Of
different kinds of Indian lands, gov |
ernment lands, railroad lands, home
stead lands and but one single line of
railway yet definitely settled upon?
Evidently this portion of the dis
trict will require national legislation
and political power, far more than the
older portion of the district; and
would it not be sound wisdom TO
choose man for congress who is
identified and fully conversant with
these wants and the work to be done,
rather than to support a stranger to
them, who would be compelled before
he could do anything, to learn his
business from the ground work up?
One thing moro before we touch
upon the man, and we hope the Com
moawealth will take it in good part,
and not attribute to us narrow mind
edness for speaking of it: Topeka is
the capitol of the state; she has the
legislature all the state officers are
virtually her residents the L. 5. dis
trict and circuit courts meet there
she has a L. s. land Office; the L. S.
pension agent keeps his Office there
the supreme court of the state sits
! there: the state political conventions
meet there; and, by virtue of being
the capital, she is favored with more
federal and state appointments than
any city of the state, consequently, she
having more political power than any
city in the state, is in little need of
congressman.
The second assertion of the article
| alluded TO. that we must beg leave to
dissent from. was to the effect that
Gov. Eskridge, of Emporia, and Judge
Brown, of Hutchinson, were the only
two gentlemen prominently named in
in that connection. Nearly or quite
all the papers noticing the candidacy
Of these gentlemen have just as prom
inently noticed the name of Henry &.
Sluss, of Wichita, and nothing but
notice and talk can render candidate
prominent at this stage of the canvass
when no delegate has been elected and
no county signiticd or named its man
formally. Henry c. Sluss is not now,
nor has lie been. candidate for con-
gress upon his own motion, but Wich- /
ita being not less than the third city
in the district in population, and sec
ond to no city in the district in the
matter of business, the desire of her |
people renders a man just as promi- /
nent and notewo rthy as any other. |
His name was suggested in the EAGLE !
without his consent or even knowl- |
edge, but not through a personal (
choice or within of its editor, but be- /
cause of expressions made by many of
the leading men of the county. Adj /
vocaiing the nomination of Mr.. Sluss, /
we claim TO bc actuaied by as high /
considerations Of the public veal as
was the Commonwealth III supporting /
the candidacy of Hon. John Guthrie.
Disparaging no one and conceding and .
knowing the eminent abilities, trust
worthiness and political soundness of
Judge Brown, Judge Guthrie. Gov
ernor Eskridge and Governor Slower.
vet. in view of all the reasons set forth
in this article in favor of local cousid-
erations: in view of the purity of
character and fine talents of Mr.. Sluss:
in view of the fact that he has never
been identified in any manner with
the old political rings of the state: in
view of his location, with reference
TO the Arkansas valley. and the most
populous counties in the Southwest,
outside Of Lyon, Usage and Shawnee,
and in view Of the perfec, unanimity
with which he would receive the sup
port Of his home people and such
prominent men Of the Southwest as .