Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-08-28


| ~ soaD nsnGhs the EAGLE has been
I 1oGsseing 70 show the people Of Kansas
| NJ Gwe was no uualterable decree, fixing
81 III time to come the commercial me
| tropolis Of this state In Missouri; that with
the proper awakening Of local and state
pride and by the utilizing OF the means
within our grasp, Kansas business could DC
done on Kansas soil. We have endeavored
TO point out that the key to the situation
vas and is independent lines of trunk rail-
ways, now held, for tho most part, by Kan
sas City, whereby all the vast products of
this state are forced to and through her
msrts. In another article we endeavored
70 show that that key once wrenched from
the windy wonder Of the Ksw's mouth her
real estate bubble would collapse leaving
that city only what she is entitled to be. The
articles had up to this time called
out no expression of opinion from any news
paper in the state, but some Of the strongest
men in the state have endorsed them in pri-
vate letters. The Commonwealth published
one of the articles and also personal inter-
view to the same intent, and these only. In
the meantime this city has taken the initia-
tive in carrying out such policy, taking it
alone, yet none the less earnestly. Instead
of endorsements, jeers have followed from
the thoughtless and sneers from the envious.
Now, the Topeka Capital Of Sunday comes
to the score with ringing article in the
same spirit and largely of the same language
employed by the EAGLE. That one other
paper of the state recognizes the true situa-
ton is encouraging. The Weather class of
people of Topeka 20 largely to Kansas City
to do their trading. So do the people OF
many of the Kansas towns within radius
of one hundred miles of the mouth OF the
Kaw. Why? So they would from this
section of the state but for the great
distance. Whys No answer is needed.
As we said in some of our articles, SO far
as Topeka, Emporia and some other Kansas
towns are concerned, now is the accepted
time. Ten years hence and it will be too
late for them, if not for Wichita, which al.
ready has two lines independent of Kansas
City. And, as we said, Kansas trade-cen-
tiers, in the adoption of this new policy, will
not only have the capital and energy of
Kansas City to fight, but the combined in
terests of ali the trunk lines centering at
Kansas City; for the simple reason, with
such policy carried out, the entire systems
of the state would be compelled TO organize
and operate on new basis. Roads which
now take each their share of all the
vast products Of this state from the yards
and warehouses, elevators and depots, of
Kansas City, would be forced either to make
new connections or push their lines out TO
where these products are raised, and Kansas
roads, instead of operating their trains by
and through Kansas towns, would be forced
to operate them 10 and from Kansas towns,
and under long-haul rates of competition.
There is but one simple solitary reason why
the Chicago and Rock Island and the G. B.
& O., the Chicago and Alton and other
trunk lines stubbornly refuse to enter the
field from whence comes all their transpor-
tation and that reason Is that they get it
about all without that trouble or expense.
OF course we would not be understood as
saying that all the towns that half dozen
trunk lines might strike in Kansas
would become commercial centers
but we do say that q dozen of them
more or less which would do the
bulk of the business of Kansas, would all
be important towns and all the other towns
OF the state would be the better and more
prosperous for the business of the state be-
ing done within the state.
The EAGLE is glad that it has won over
one paper of the state to its way of thinking
and, We hope, with that paper will come
over also the people of Topeka. and the pa
pers and people of Emporia, another natu-
raj trade center, and other papers and peo-
piles, until the trains of every trunk line Of
railway now tied up by pools and per cents
on the Missouri river, shall go laundering
out over the great agricultural counties of
the state, whose competing rates shall cause
every farmer to prosper and enable every
natural trade center to economically and
probably handle the business of the section
which rightfully pertains to it. Then, and
not ill then, will the business of Kansas be
done on Kansas soil, and it will then make
no diference'to Kansas people which side Of
the line Kansas City is located.