The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1880-02-05
MEMORIAL.

fully submit the following statement
OF facts TO your consideration.
Under present circumstances, South
ern Kansas must depend almost cxciu-
sively upon its agricultural resources.
The absence of coal and timber
cheap fuel ard lnmbcr-cniorees this
necessity. 1t must continue while the
want of these continue.
Oar broad fields fairly grcan with
the abundance Of their harve>ts, yet.
after years Of toll. our people general
~ remain POOR.
This is the necessary consequence OF
orr great distance from markets at
present available, and this result must
continue while the conditions con-
tinuc.
For our four. corn. and bacon. the
people along the lower Mississippi,
from Memphis down to New Orleans,
are oiIr nearest as well as ctr best
cusromers--or could be If zee could
reach them.
They want our productions and we
want fheiis-tleir sugar, molasses, rice
ami coffee received from adjacent
Central American States.
But direct commercial intercourse
between these sections, in every way
80 desirable, is prevented by hither-
to impossible barrier-a portion OF
that National Preserve OF Barbarism,
the Indian Territory.
The Northern Railroad system ter
inmates a: the northern boundary oi
the Territory and the southern Sys-
TEN at its eastern limit.
Only one hundred and fifty easy
miles separate them, and capital
stands ready to supply the missing
link.
II ii were "a mountain, an ocean or
a desert. human energy would sur
mount the obstacle. II is neither, but
ii is more impossible thar either or
all together.
The Indian Territory. as hitherto
managed. is an anomaly IN our system
of governmental section Of Chr
nese isolation set down in the midst
Of The Republic and fenced round by
Cii,r'sc wall Of paper, more ihsnr-
moub!ablc than one of stone.
1C give free passage to railroads.
whore necessary tn connect general
systems, viii not disturb the Indians
III possession. nor infringe their rights.
To refuse all rig Int of WAY. may de-
ye!opc a public opinion which wonli
couDtcnancc an invasion of the Terri
tory en- mdsse by men who cannot see
that the rights. Of the Indians are. OF
ought to he. .ulx rior Ia those Of white
men.
T!e principle that private property
may he taken for public use. under
certain conditions. should apply with
in a well as without the oi,ndaries
o" tho Territory and Should be exer-
ciscd along natural highways of COM
mercr whenever shown IL be uecessa-
ry-:hus s.oiding Il Just balan sc be-
tween the claims of hall and Who'll Y
civilized peoples.
Within the Territory are vast coal
fields. Of Use only to civ ilized men.
and Arkansas is covered with forests
of the most valua BILE limb er. and I'M
derlaid with inexhaustibIe beds of
coal.
\ railroad along the general course
% the Arlianss river would solve
III once for us the problem of cheap
fuei and humber and enable us TO sup
plemen: our agricultural resources
by the establishment of manu;ac-
lures.
To open the Territory without re-
striction would be grossly unjust 10 its
present occupants, tut. on The other
hand. to allow larger intercourse
would be certainly beneficial! 10 ticni.
As now situated, the Indian Terri
tory Is the common receptacle Of the
ontcasi element OF surrounding com
ics-the outlaws of civilized So
clety. freer intercocrce would bring
them IN contact with better ciasses
to their manifest advantage.
Brety then. We neither seek 10 oc-
cney the Tcrriioi-'. dispossess those
VINO do, nor ifeslaS- upon ANY OF
Their risht>-'re simply claim he
rDncomitani of civilization. and equal