The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1875-07-15
Dos,;,u,ion in the County.

.,,,,ioct of destitutiOn in Doniphan County
-, 70 attract attention outside. Inc
= 80 ,os beep the object of some little sport
'y ,1,,,ors in other parts Of the State, as be-
hadIv scared over the grasshoPPer question
LIZ - tho Chief indulges in sensation less
than any other paper in the o'a'e' anu "o
,ttempt to make the situation ou' "oi'' ,"A"
the facts will Justify. We kno" 'na' VIC n"'o
felt the pressure severely IN our ous'neSS' anu
that all branches of trade and business nave leit
Il in like proportion. Men who nave heretofore
T., obIe TO make a comfortable living for their
foniIics. have become County charge, and
soor.s of Iaborers and mechanics have gone
otroad in search of employment We do not
I,nou of single improvement of any cbacter in
rrogress in the County. Let us make brief
review of the situation.
In 1875. there was not half crop in the Coun-
tv. but there was no panic, and no fear Of any
one suffering. In 1874, the drought and the
cbiuch-bug had almost destroyed the crops, before
the grasshoppers came. Very few farmers had
more than would take them through the Winter,
even with the strietest economy, and many bad
not so much. But they were not discouraged,
and nut in more Winter wheat than ever before.
They supposed the grasshoppers would be about
as they were on their former visits, when they
left pretty good crops after their departure
Then the cry of want came from the West, and
Doniphan County, with her short ratiOns, sent
aid as literally as any other County in the State
The people expected to have plenty in few
months, and they gave all they had to spare
But'the grasshOppers proved destructive beyond
the darkest forebodings of any one, and left 1T
orally nothing. To be sure, afew farmers, here
and there, have some wheat, and some few have
old wheat remaining over; but they cannot be ex-
pected to divide it out among the needy-doubt-
less they would do their part. There IS no ques-
tion but that DOniphan County has suffered more
seriously than any other County in the state.
She has Jared worse than the destitute Counties
of Missouri which have been calling for and re-
ceiving aid for many weeks past. The destitu-
tion presses more heavily upon the smaller farm
ers and renters But many of the wealthiest
farmers in the County have been compelled to
borrow money, for which they have given mort
cages to the Trust and Loan Companies. These
mortgages cumbering the books in the Re-
corders office, and the Register is overrun with
work. To be sure, as is always the case, many
persons are squealng who could get along with
out aid; but OH the other hand, many deserving
persons are in actual want, and are suffering in
silence
Steps have been taken in several localities, to
send solicitors East for aid. We are afraid that
this has been in great measure agitated by per-
sons who desired to be sent a soliciting tour.
We trust that they will reconsider the matter
and not send, at least, until it becomes evident
that the corn crops will be failure. DOniphan
County has never yet begged, and she ought to
avoid the disgrace as long as possible. We be-
leve, with the Topeka Commonwealth, that if it
is necessary to solicit let it be done in the por-
tion of Kansas that has good harvests, and that
received aid from us last Winter. Gov. OsbOrn's
advice was sound, in his little speech, the other
night. In the first place, Kansas beggars are in
bad odor in the East. And then, he argued, sew
eral hundred editors from all parts of the East
recently made an excursion through the State.
To be sure, they did not visit Donphan County !;
but all along the routo they travelled, there were
splendid crops, and their papers are at this very
time full of glowing descriptions of what they
saw. For Kansas beggars to make their appear
ance among them, right upon the heels of this,
what would be their receptiOnf They wOuld be
denounced as impostors; or, at the very midest,
they would say, if there are a few destitute To-
calities in the State is not the balance of Kansas
to take care of her own destitute, but must send
them begging to the Easti
We trust that people can worry through T;
or, if they must have help that they will seek it
in Kansas