The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1888-02-16
WORE AgOyT OKLAHONA.

4
homa. That this is fact that is pretty
conclusively provenby Senator Buchsn.
On Saturday last we published a sum-
mary of the gentleman's letter declin-
ing an invitation to be present at the
Oklahoma conference in Kansas City, |
and giving his reasons for so doing. 1t is |
such an able article and the reasons so |
strongly appeal to every Kansan who
has the good of his state at heart, that
we publish the letter in full, as follows:
KANSAS CITY, Kan, Feb. 4
Messrs. 81. NJ. Holden, 7; b. Bullene; ct al,
cial Club of Kansas City, Missouri.
GENTLEMEN: am in receipt OF your
letter of January "a, asking me to be
present at meeting to be held Febru-
AIRY Sth, at Kansas City, Mo-, having In
view the advocacy of measures looking
| to the opening of the Indian Territory
to settlement, and assuming that there
has always existed an ardent desire on
the part of the people of the adjacent
states, that this, of all things, should
| be speedily done.
In reply let me say that am aware
of no prevalent sentiment in Kansas
| that would indicate that the interests
of our people demand that the Indian
n
ment. Laying aside the Indian view
| of the question which to my
mind is worthy of the most
careful consideration, l am unable to
see why any thoughtful citizen Of our
state should be in favor OF 1t. For
years Kansas has been, and IS now, the
recipient of tide of immigration and
development that in extent and char
acter is unprecedented in the history OF
any state. In twenty-five years we
have grown from a population OF a
hundred and ten thousand to million
six hundred and ten thousand, indus
trious, thrifty and happy people; fIom
an assessed valuation of S221 ,OOO,O 900 to
1900, O0O, 900, and we have yet the re-
sources to warrant and good reason to
| believe that this enormous increase
may be duplicated in the next twenty
five years, unless we should do just
some such foolish thing as you now
ask, to retard our natural growth and
development.
There are now remaining within the
limits of Kansas about 300, 900 acres of
government land open to homestead
and presumption entry, and in ad-
dition to this great body of public land
there is also embraced within our state
nearly 800, 900 acres of railroad lands,
that can be bought on long time with
low interest at an average OF 50 per
acre, to say nothing about the millions
of acres of other lands that can be
bought at from SO to SO an acre.
Now, gentlemen, in the face of these
fiSures' WHY should a citizen. of Kan
sas practically advocate the withdrawal
of her lands from market, flor this Is
the tendency of your prOposition) and
invite the home seeker who other
wise would stop in Kansas
to go beyond our borders, and
make this section or purchase
in the new found ''Eldorado," saying
to him it is true that our lands are as
accessible to you, and as good, and or
the average much better than the lands
in the territory, that we can give you
better facilities for marketing the pro
duct of your labor than you can tnC
there; that we can give you as ample
and nearly perfect a-SysJem of educa
tional and religious advantages as car
be found in any community, and vel
come you to as bright, energeric anC
desirable civilization as can be found
| under the sun, We can give you al
this and much More, yet we advise yoJ
= to go down into this new territory
this comparative wilderness, and there
undergo all inconvenience of terri
torial era before you attain statehood
aud all for the sole reason that KGns9
3 Ctty todhtS to erteRd her commerce..
No, gentlemen, none of this in mine
The Indian Territory may be grea
: field for your commercial tourist o
your real estate boomer, " but fail t.
:, see any reason why a Kansan, who ha
|, the building up of our material inter
: ests at heart, should cOVet the san
hills of the Creeks and Seminoles, G
> pine for the alkali plains of Oklahoms
), and it certainly seems to me that tn
action of your business men in thei
| ,v,fa, D, hns ~ nE
Is nature to warrant any such sacrifice {
f our interests to the ascendancy of you
business relations. Kansas City is
great commercial metropolis, its deve
i Opment is one of the wonders {
d modern civilization, and may
" mOdestly add. that Kansas is a gres
= state, one of the marvels of I'll
II nineteenth century. We are neighbor
Is you from the heights of your sevent
4 hills, are commercially reaching OF
\ for the commerce of the world, Will
we are "A vast agricultural empire, an
are looking with equally commendab
enterprise to furnish the markets of tt
world with our grain, our beef, oil
n pork, our coal and our mineral, an
IS why should we aid in building up a
"A opposition to our interests, to enhanI
the value of our mercantile advantage
D" what have you done to forward our IN
TO terial growth, to give you the assurant
/. to ask it of us. / have said that KaI
f sas City is great, and that Kansas. to
:. is great, may 1 ask which of the two
ii indebted to the other for its greatness
rs Is Kansas great because your magni
re cent city is separated from us only
an imaginary line, or has Kansas CT
been made great by its close proximi
to the wonderful resources of Kansa
10 Has the great network of railroads tn
Us center around your city been attracts
O. three hundred miles across the state
al its western border, to carry back t
products of Missouri, or the trade
7r, Kansas City, or to reach and distribu
be the productions of Kansas? Has Ka
,er sas City capital or influence ever be
We contributed to any appreciate exte
toward the advancement of Kansas
III tereSts? Not that 1 am aware
a Kansas muscle, and brain, and ente
er prise has made her what she is.
AZ have built our own railroads, lad
them with our own products, a
es' cheerfully emptied them into your e
vators and your warehouses, and be
or cheated by your double-barreled s,
II tenn of inspection.
You may say, gentlemen, that the
ii' are rather earnest sentiments; if so,
pal can only say that l express them
la cause believe them to be true, and
ids a kindly spirit to warn you that a c.
:; tinuation of your seltishness in dealt
Is with us, may at no distant day kill |
as; goose that lays the golden egg.
ION We see your business summar
sas magnitied by wholesale appropriate
of Kansas enterprise.
Is We see your monthly trade balan
ew swollen by the same methods.
ma We have seen and felt the power
your capital and influence combined
prevent the location of manufactur
upon Kansas soil.
We have heard your leading busin
men distort the truth, and misstate
as fact TO prevent the investment
2 of capital in Kansas land. We h;
ing listened to them revile our people a
cen misrepresent our advantages and
Ia sources, to deter home-seekers fir
ed, locating in our midst. And but vest
axe day was credibly informed of
a If | humilatino anactacle Of UOuv Y,Ost0f