Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1886-12-29
NO MORE RAILROADS.
The Proposition to Stay the Progress
and Development Of Southwest
Kansas.

During the last session of the legislature,
when a strenuous effort was beng made by
wild-eyed impracticals and soured and
short-sighted demagogues to force max
imum freight bill through, the EAGLE
came out in series of articles which had
the effect of thoroughly arousing tie
people of the west and the south
west. The EAGLE undertook to show and
did show, conclusively, that in the absence
of any restrictive or oppressive legislation
that new area OF railway construction
would soon follow in western Kansas, but
that the passage of the maximum freight
and tariff bill would discourage any further
railroad building in the state and would In
effect retard the development of western and
southwestern Kansas many years. In look
ing over these articles now and in the light
of what followed, they seem akin TO proph-
ecy. Every prediction has been more than
fulfilled. The tariff and other like bills
were killed after hard fight by men prin
cipaily from southwest and western Kansas,
who felt convinced that such railway legis-
lation or any railway legislation would be
the death knell TO as many as forty counties,
or one-third of the state, at least for years,
so far as any development or growth was
concerned. Without railroads western
Kansas would have had no equal showing
in the race ef civilization; with them her
possibilities are immeasurable.
From the recommendation made by the
railway commissioners, as well as from
hints as to what the governor proposes to
say in his message, it is very evident that
another effort will be made this winter
at railway legislation All the influence
that the present railways have, and all the
influence of many of the older counties and
debt burthened towns and cities of eastern
Kansas will be thrown in favor of any
scheme that will promise TO cut off or re-
strict aid voting. The success Of such a
policy would be at the expense of the
prosperity and development of forty or
fifty counties of western Kansas, where a
high state Of cultivation and a progressive |
civilization cannot be maintained in the |
absence of railways not only, but Of COM |
petitive railways. The people of the ter
ritory alluded TO have a rich soil beneath |
their feet, and over their heads smiling
heaven, but with these advantages pros
perity is out of the question in the absence
of cheap fuel and cheap lumber, which can
be afforded only by cheap transportation
for long distances by competitive railways.
The howl which will be raised by
railway attorneys in either house,
and by railway lobbys outside
that the state is going to the dogs
because of her immense aggregate indebt-
edness will be a terrific and prolonged |
howl in which hands viii be laid upon
hearts, eyes rolled skyward and the patri- |
otism of members appealed to, yet all this
demonstration will have been paid for be
fore made 1t is clean uncomfortable
proposition of political economy, we take
it, that there can be no great loss where
any municipality gives its interest bearing
note in securing any permanent property |
whose valuation for taxable purposes is
twice the amount of the note or bond |
given.
But we did not start out to discuss this
question either generally or Systematically
at this time only to give notice to all par
ties in interest that the EAGLE will be with
prosperous and more ambitious west and
southwest this wiLter or whenever the
fight may be declared on