Wichita eagle., 1888-05-08
BANKERS BANQUET.


who, if cut off from the base of its sup
plies would starve in nakedness. Is this
Independence Is this statehood?
| ask you as kanSans, as men, to bind
up these arteries of trade and stop this
flow of the blood of our soil into the
channels of Missouri trade.
/ ask you as citizens to do as you do as
men-look after your business interests.
Aggregated state pride is national great
ness, but pride of past record, with our
commerce dependent on Missouri, will
eventually and should, commercially sink
us. / appeal to Kansas to trade at home
or in St. Louis, Chicago or farther east. |
entreat you to no longer enrich Missouri.
| appeal to the impershable record of q
state-bright, short, and yet so full OF in
struction; record, the first chapter traced
in blood by Missouri.
/ never stand at the junction of Ninth,
Main and Delaware streets of this bastard
city that | do not feel a bitterness in my
heart that my tongue cannot express. L
feel all the indignation of an heir who Is
robbed of, and yet Is pOwerless to recover
his estate. | appeal to the young men
born on soil consecrated to liberty. and en-
shrined in the heart, embalmed in the
memory, preserved in the chronicles of
every nation on earth; whose infant Strug
giles wrung a tear from every lover of
humanity and awakened in even the breast
of its foes admiration, and moved the
thinkers of the world to pay tribute to its
earnestness and rejoice in its success and
prosperity. VIII you, the inheritors of
this glorious past, accept this legacy and
do nothing to prove your heirship?
Let ambition provoke you to be worthy
of the bright record entrusted to your
keeping. kansas City, on Kansas soil
would be grand city; but Kansas City on
Missouri soil arouses my detestation.
10 hot inn,
to our growth, that stagnates our CONNER
cial blood, and whose future prosperity
means our partial paralysis.
''Tis not that we love Caesar less, but
Rome more" Shall Colorado, shall the
Indian Territory or shall Kansas arm the
Brutus who shall strike the blow for COM
mercial independence in the southwest and
free us from tribute to Missouri.
You, the bankers, are the medium by
which commerce is diffused throughout
southwestern Kansas. Commerce thrives
under your fostering smile, languishes un-
der your frown.
The mercury in the commercial ther-
mometer rises and falls with bank de-
poSiJs.
The condition of the commerce of COM
munity is ascertained by feeling the pulse
of its bankers.
Commerce is largely controlled and gov
erned by bankers The shipper is an add
junct of the banker. He borrows money
on stock" consigns TO his banker, his
money is deposited to credit of bank at his
market and he receives his margin at
home. We may say the banker is the real
shipper Your good will turns commerce
easy victory.
Without we have long. hard, toilsome
stauggle and at tremenduous cost.
We ask for good will We ask that you
point Wichita-ward; that you try US. If
we fail it is our loss. All we demand is
fair day, an open field and free fight We
ask no sacrifice, no tribute, only the same
love of fostering home commerce which
the most of you feel in national affairs and
home industries. All Kansas will reap
the fruit.
We all started in Kansas near the same
time, all hopeful, ambitious and industri-
GUS Chance determined our location, Ell
ergy, geographical position and railroads
produced the result. Without vanity
may say we have triumphed, but at a
terrible cost. We have subscribed private
money, 81. 600, 900, and public money subsi-
lies. s2,0OO,O00. for the upbuilding of the
city and country. AT times we have al
most sunk under the difficulties that sur
rounded us; at times we have felt that we
stood like a wounded lion surrounded by
our hunters.
Hope faith, money. industry, courage.
hath been our savior; Harmony, Unity, |
were and are Kansas. The men that set |
tied Kansas were not common clay, but I
were cut from the marble of the gods.
Enured TO hardship, accustomed to toll. |
learning to receive defeat and Ell Joy vic |
5Ory long before the Indian title was eX-
inguished in the Arkansas valley in
many a well fought battle, where success
victnrv and Hafpat tln Hicbn,,nr
At Gettysburg with Hancock, OF at Don
sldson or Richmond with Grant, with
Sherman marched down to the sea. Faced
Jackson at Manassas, heard the
'ebel yell, at Charlottesville too brave to
Ieny courage to TO their victors, they
yept at the loss of a tattered ensign and
registered VOW to the Almighty to re-
gain it or die. And although they could
lot sympathize with the cause of their foe,
hey pitied his misfortunes, admired the
ortitude and intrepid conduct of his lead
II, rejoiced when the struggle was over.
md side by side came west to build homes.
% rear families and vie with each other in
making the Arkansas valley bloom as a
garden, each community in generous
'lvalry, endeavoring to surpass the others.
In such hearts there is no room tor envy,
malice or hate. 1t is this truth that buoys
Up our hope that if we have reached
POINT when we can give YOU ample or even
reasonable facilities for the transaction of |
business you will sustain Us, and as we
grow we may be able TO sustain you.
Every facility should be afforded that
We may supply each others needs
We are larger, richer, more prosperous
han when we all give our commerce to
Kansas City. Our trade is Kansas wealth
rs kansans we ask that you upbuild
In old Rome all roads led out from the
Drum throughout the entire empire that
he Romans might penetrate from one
enter. and all coming to it reach that
common center for the interchange of
,ach others habits and industries.
In conclusion may not say,
That | long for glorious day
When commerce shall point cur way.
When thousands to live will speak our
name
History unwrltten preserve our fame,
tongues yet mute our deeds proclaim.
Happy thought of Faiths inspiration,
Bidding men strive for their generation
3ulldIng commerce for a states preSer-
Walton.
Dur record. guide known near and far.
Grandeur immortal aud glory our star,
-uring US on as the plume of Navarro. -
low sweet then the fond reflection,
ntinged by better recollection.
hat onward We pressed without defiec-
ton.
Presenting 20 earth people so great,
Hearts 'ertiowing with love for the state.
attention, creating their fate.