Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-02-06
Address y Charles w. Robinson.
FIRST GOVERNOR OF KANSAS.

mr.. President and FslLo,U Citizens:
We have assembled to celebrate the twenty
fifth birthday of the state of Kansas. On
such an occasion a review of her wonderful
growth and achievements is eminentiy proper
and in these no state can excel our own, but
l have been notified that am expected to
speak of Kansas in her ante-nltal days, and
relate something of her struggles in embryo.
While the territorial period was full of incl
dent and worthy achievement, the field has
been so often plOwed and cross plowed, har-
rowed and raked as with a fine tooth comb
for items to add to the fame or infamy of the
contestants, nothing fresh or interesting re-
mains to be said appropriate to this occasion.
Some of the results, however, of the terri
torial struggle have been inherited by the
state and constitute its chief glory. OF these
l will briefly speak. To begin at the begin
ming will say the difficulty which eliminated
in Kansas had its origin in the Garden of
Eden. According to report the first law ever
given to the race was prohibitory law, with
death as the penalty for disobedience. This
law, of course, was violated by the occupants
of the garden, and should the threatened
penalty be inflicted, the law-giver would
have no subjects, as the violators included
the whole human family. Accordingly, tie
penalty was modified to suit the emergency,
a precedent still followed by political parties
when the enforcement of their laws will leave
their party without quorum in the legisla-
ture, or minority at the polls. The amended
penalty reads as follows: "In the sweat of
thy face shalt thou eat thy bread till thou
return into the ground" This penalty at
tached not only to the law breaker, but to all
his posterity, aid from that day to this the
chief concern of mankind has been to escape
this penalty. Eve y person seems DESTROYS
of making some one else do the sweating
while he eats his bread. Every device has
been resorted to. Sometimes man escapes
the penalty by Withholding the earnings of
his employees in whole, or in part, but q
favorite method has been to capture, steal or
purchase a man and compel MIN to do the
sweating both for himself and his master.
This practice has been handed down from
generation to generation, till the date of the
opening of Kansas to settlement, and it was
proposed to introduce it on Kansas soil
Hence the conflict. Many people had come
to look upon this business not only as avoid
ing the penalty for eating prohibited fruit,
but as a great wrong to such rs were COM
PEELED to suffer the double infiction. Some
thought it was the ''sum Of all villainies,"
and others ''trembled when they remembered
that God was just" Many years of agitation
had preceded the settlement of Kansas, both
among the people and In congress. Various
compromises and proyisos had been agreed
to, but all such were as ropes of sand before
the demands or the slave power. One OF
these barriers to the extension of slavery
went down in the enactment of the Kansas
Nebraska bill. The opponents to the extern
sion of slavery were beaten. hopelessly
beaten, in congress; the agitafors of the
north and east were powerless and could
anything be done to stay the progress of this
institution? A writer in the Charleston, 8.
c., Mercury states the case as follows:
First, By consent of parties the present
contest in Kansas is made the turning point
in the destinies of slavery and abolitionlsm.
If the south triumphs abolitionism will b
defeated and shorn of its power for all time.
If she is defeated, abolitionism will grow
more insolent and aggressive until the utter
ruin of the south Is consummated. Second, II
the south secures Kansas, she will extend
slavery into all territory south of the 10th
parallel of north latitude, to- the Rio Grande,
and this, of course, will secure for her pent
up institutions of slavery an ample outlet,
and restore her power in congress. If the
north secures Kansas. the power of the south
in congress will gradually be diminished, the
states of Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ar
kansas and Texas, together with the adjacent
territories, will gradually become abolition
lied and the slave population, confined to
the states east of the Mississippi, will become
valueless. AL depends upon the action Of
the present moment"
This is an exact statement of the situation
as it then appeared, and the predictions only
failed of realization In consequence of the sui
eide of slavery by the rebellion, which could
not then be known. Here, then, was the
stake; not the extension of slavery to KAN
sas, merely. but it's extension indefinitely, or
final extinction. Who can be found to enter
the lists? Slavery had all the advantages On
It's side vere billions Of dollan and the do.
mesoi1 relations Of g. 900 people Involved
Coneros ms in favor Of slavery exteu$iuQ
Ter ityouh not havo removed IL baEEioD
lEum - No. fino a. H. Senfo II Minuax8
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