The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1875-12-09
That Apportionmout Again.


the question was receiving considera-
bic attention at the hands of the edit
ors throughout the State. What we
said was that newspaper articles
amounted to very little, aud that ''af-
..tcr this winter it will be the fault of
''the people of the iatcrior if all the
.sofiices are Given to few towns, II all
"the patronage is bestowed on men
'aud places representing only frac-
"tion of the population and wealth OF
estate the fault of the rural districts
"if each and every seciion-the west
"and south as well as the east-are not
.'honorably and fairly represented aud
scared for politically, commercially
"and materially for all future time"
OF the effects of this squib we alude
in an article under editorial notes on
/ the first page. Since writing that the
Topeka Commonwealth comes TO hand
containing not only our article in full
but the following sharp reply made By
that able. and ordinarily fair, journal
the Atchison Champion, which says:
"Our friend Murdoch does very
unjust and mischievous thing in thus
attempting TO create prejudice be-
tween different portions of the State.
aud we regret very much to see this
same spirit exhibited in papers IN
Western d Southwestern Kansas. Ii
is not true that any injustice has been
done Southern or Western Kansas ia
the apportioment Ii counties in that
region have a smaller representation
now than their population entities
them TO. il is due 10 their rapid growth
and not 10 anything for which the Leg
islaiure is responsible. Apporiiou-
ments are based on population returns.
as friend Murdoch well knows, aud we
hrlieve that The present superintendent
of The was. if not entirely, very nearly
his own work. while member of the
State Senate.
OF course Eastern Kansas had for a
long time, a majority OF the Legisla-
ture because il had nearly all of the
population As settlement extended
westward this difference III population
decreased. aud has NOW almost entirely
disappeared The representation OF
the west has increased with each sue
ceeding apporlionment, and as the
number OF Representatives and Sena-
tors was limited the representation OF
the east has decreased. We outgrow
the apportionmeni in Kansas a rapid
~ as boy does suit of clothes: aud
this growth Is. very naturally, more
marked in the western than the eastern
counties, because there is more room
for growth in the west.
Ia one respect. however, Eastern
Kansas voluntarily gave the new and
sparsely settled counties the advantage
in apportionmen,s. The constitution,
adopted when all OF what is now
known as Western Kansas was unln-
habited, provides that each organized
county should have at least one Rep
resentaiive. The consequence of his
provision is, that while one Represent
alive in many of the eastern counties
represents from six to eight thousand
people, in many of the western coun-
ties the Representatives. represent not
more than from four hundred to a
thousand people.
But outside of ali these things. Kan
sas is Kansas. and whatever benefits
one section of the State benefits all
other sections. We are just as proud
of the rapid growth and splendid de-
velopment OF the Arkansas Valley as
our friend Murdock can possibly be.
and we believe that we eau say with
perfect truth, that the Champion. here
on the eastern border of the State, has
published as much concerning Western
Kansas. has done as much 10 direct i'm
migration thither, and has always man
ifestcd Just as lively. active aud help
fIl an interest in the growth, develop
ment and prosperity OF that section of
the State a. has the Wichita EAGLE.
Eastern Kansas has never manifest
ed any jealousy of Western Kansas.
| The people Of the eastern border and
central counties feel that they are
! Identified with those of the west in
interest and in sentiment, and thai
whatever clips one of them helps all
of them. Every dollar added to the
value of Sedgwick county helps to pay
the expenses of The State government.
aud takes something from the burdens
of Aichisou county, and vice versa.
If this c,ty had a hundred thousand
inhabitants and a taxable valuation Of
a hundred million dollars, would not
every man in SedgwIck county be
benefited thereby !? Ia brief. we are
all interested mutually in the prosperi
~, growth aud development of every
portion of the State. and there is 10
cause or reason for jealousy or bicker-
ing between different localities.
If the EAGLE means 10 provoke
sectional feeling that wonld lead to
the nomination and election of I'M
worthy or inco a.potent men living in
one section, or 10 the defeat of worthy
aud competent men because they hap
pen To live in another, it is doing "A
very mi>chicvous thing. Nobody
knows better than the editor of the
EAGLE that il would be preposterous-
IL absurd To present man As candi
date for any position simply bccau-e
of his local w. If Sedgw ok county
can present the best man in the State
for Governor. or Senator, or Congress
man. he ought to be elected; but il
not. aud she presents candidate sim
DIV because he lives within her bor-
ders. he ought not to receive any con-
>ideration whatever in any part o. the
State. We do not mean TO say. of
course, that the best men have always
! been selected ia this State, because
such an assertion would be notorious
lv untrue But we do mean TO say
that the mere fact that a man lives in
southern, or Northern, or Eastern, or
Western Kansas, should not .entiIle
him TO any support, nor should it pro-
woke opposition to him.
TIE EAGLES article intimates that
Western Kansas will soon be in POI
silion 10 make war on Eastern Kansas
people, aud seems to advise and en-
courage such a war. We don't believe
that friend Murdoch means any such
thing. and still less do we believe that
he could induce any general co-opera-
lion of the people of Western Kansas
ia such war. il he did. We of Kan.
-as are one people, having common in
reresi, common associations aud SYM
paihics. and common government.
We shall prosper or fail together. And
we will continue, we hope, to appre
ciate this fact, TO act together, and help
one another, knowing that whatever
helps one section helps all the rest.
To all of the above we briefly and
succinctly answer:
No attempt was made upon our part
10 stir up local strife, or to create
prejudice between different portions
of Kansas The animus of our article
will admit of no such conclusion.
Colonel Martin does US Infinitely too
much honor in speaking of the present
apportionment. At that time we rep
resented different portion OF the