The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1875-09-30
THE METROPOLIS QUESTION.
The Meeting at Wyand0tte to
Devise Ways and Means
To Make that City the Failure
Great Town OF Kansas.

The meeting at Wyandotte night beior'
las, was a large one, several prominent mel
OF the State being present. The Hon. S. A
Cobb was elected president, with the follow
ing gentlemen as vice-presidents:
Gen. W. Fishback, johnson county
Theodore {. Bowles, Franklin county ]
L. Worden, Douglas county; DR.. Geo. B
Wood, Wyandotte county Judge Williams
Jefferson county; Hon. John A. Halder
man, Leavenworth county Hon. Geo. A
Crawford, Bourbon county Hon. Hiram
Stevens, Miami county; ". F. Acres, Aller
county; and Hon. J. K. Wright, Davi;
county.
Mr. Cobb made the principal speech Of
the evening. In speaking of the prospects
Wyandotte had of eventually being the
metropolis, he said:
The Kansas railroads are the agencies to
hasten the event. Let our principal rail
road, the Kansas Pacific, as a matter of
justice, comply with its charter and at
most discharge lis passengers and freight
at State Line. Let the Missouri River, Fl.
Scott d Gulf railroad, the Leavenworth,
Lawrence & Galveston railroad, the Atchi-
son, Topeka & Santa Fe railroad and the
Missouri River railroad 60 TO the same
place, with their passengers and freight,
and trade will forsake the hills Of Kansas
City TO be near the point OF discharge.
Eastern connections are already there,
and il is idle to contend, with Kansas pro-
ducing more in value, and infinitely more
in bulk than she consumes, that her roads
cannot dictate the point Of exchange. They
can ii they will. Thus Kansas will alb
sorb the wealth of Kansas City, and the
twenty millions of property of which our
State has been so long deprived, will come
into our jurisdiction.
What interest is there to impel these
Kansas roads to do what have suggested,
and what interest have the people of our
State outside of Wyandotte county, in its
early eonsummation These significant fig
ures, taken from the report OF the Audi
tor OF the State for lS74, show the interest:
Valuation of all property listed for taxa
ton in the State of Kansas for the year
1874, Sl2S, 900, 5l9.S0.
Valuation of railroad assessments for the
year 1874 in the State OF Kansas, Sl4,7l1,-
277.92.
Valuation of railroad property in Wy
andotte county, for the year 1874, $780,
574.66.
First, as to what the railroads would gain
by the change could you transfer to the jur-
isdiction of Kansas twenty millions of tax
able properto not now within her control, is
it not plain that railroad property as well
as other property, would gain. largely in the
general diminution Of tax that would fol-
low such an accretion of taxable wealth ?
The diniinution of local taxation upon
centering here, would be no in
sum in their budget. But,
take il, the great gain to these corpora
lions would be found in this: Let the
people of this State be given to under
stand that their railroads are Kansas rail-
roads, that these roads seek the welfare OF
he people whose carriers they are; that
they seek TO build up Kansas towns and
contribute TO the wealth of the State; that
heir owners and operators are Kansas men
in spirit, studious of the interests of their
patrons and supporters, instead OF giving
cause 10 our citizens TO think that they are
among lis drain us of our goods in place of
us, The change OF sentiment in
he State toward them would be marvel
rus. know OF no act that would do so
much to reassure the people OF Kansas OF
IN identity OF Interest on all sides as that |
It which have hinted.
At tie conclusion of Mr.. Cobb's speech
HON. J. NJ. HARVEY,
.. S. Senator, was called upon to give his |
opinion on the metropolis question. The |
Senator seemed little abashed, and ex-
used himself, saying that he had not ex-
pected to make speech and was at loss
ior something to say. He had as much |
State pride As any man, and wanted to see
, great city built up within the boundary
1f Kansas.
Addresses were delivered by Ex-Gov.
Geo. A. Crawford, of Fort Scott; Col. J. =.
&. John, of Olathe Gen. Jno. A. Halder- |
nan, of this city; Maj. T. c. Bowels, of |
Franklin county, and J. X. Wright, Of Da-
ris county.
Nothing definite or practical was done
however, and after listening quietly and |
to the speeches, the audience dis |
,ersed to their homes.