The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1889-01-10
MARTINS MESSAGE.
The GOvgrOOr's Biennial Message
10 the Leg stature.
A VolughlnOus RaView Of the States
Steady Growth.
Four Years of Marvellous increase
in Railroads.
The Financial Condition OF the Sum-
flower State.


Section ave, OF article one, of the
constitution, prescribes that the gov
ernor ''shall at the commencement of
every session of the legislature, COM
municate in writing such information
as he may possess in reference to the
condition of the state. and recon-
mend such measures as he may deem
expedient."
This year, for the first time IN the
history of the state. tie term OF the re-
firing governor does not expire until
six DAYS after the assembling of the
legislature, and thus it is made my
duty, under the provision of the consti-
tuition above recited, to transmit to
you this communication.
/ have no disposition, however, to
trespass on am prerogative of my
hOnored successor. An experienced
legislator and a citizen familiar with
ali the concerns of the government and
people of Kansas, he is abundantly
qualified to advise you concerning leg
islatiYe, requirements and executive
policies. But as the constitution i'm
poses upon mt the duty of addressing
you, it seems chat, in discharging it. 1
should present such Information con-
corning the condition OF the state and
its departments of government, and
submit such suggestions touching the
practical work OF our institution and
laws, as my observation or experience
may appear to justify.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF KANSAS.
The last two years have not been, in
all portions of Kansas. seasons of plen-
ty and prosperity. The harvest in
many counties or the western half of
the state have been below the average
of former seasons. But, notwithstand-
ing this, our general condition il fairly
prosperous. The growth of the state
has been constant, and the develop
ment of her resources and indus
tries remarkable. The fact is best
shown, perhaps by comparison OF the
vote cast In 1884 and 1888. Both were
presidential years. The total vote in
1884 was 265.379, while that of 1888 was
800, 2l5-an increas of Ga S36. A con-
trast OF the vote OF 1880 with the Uni
ted States census of the year, shows
that the ratio of population to voters
was nearly five to one. This ratio in
creases with the age of the state. The
vote in 1888, therefore, clearly estab-
fishes the fact that the population of
Kansas is fully 1851 .000-an increase
since 1880 of over 654 900, and since
1885, of 392, 900.
During the past four years twenty
three counties have been fully, ard one
partly organized, making total of one
hundred and six. The newly organized
counties embrace an aggregate area of
1882 square miles. or very nearly one
fourth of the total area of the state.
AT the date of their organization their
population aggregated 6.147, and they
polled at the November election. an ag-
gregate vote of IL, 42S votes, indicating
a population at that time, of 81 ,l40.
their territorial area exceeds that of
Massachusetts and Vermont combined
T1d nearly equals that of the three
states or Maryland, New Jersey and
Connecticut. Four OF these twenty-fOur
counties were organized in 1885. viz:
Comanche, February 27th; Clark,
May 5; Thomas, October Sand Meade,
November 4th. Eleven were organized
in 1886, viz Hamilton, January 18th;
kiowa, March 23d: Cheyenne, April
LIST; Lane, June Sd: Seward, June 18th;
Scott, June 29Th; Stephens, August 3rd;
Grove, September End; Sherman, Sep
TENDER 10th, Morton, November lSt b
and Wichita, December oath. Five were
organized in 1887, viz: Stanton. June
18th Haskell, July LIST; Garfield July
10Th; Gray, July Goth; and Logan, Sep
TENDER 18th. Three have been organ
lied during the past year, viz: Kearney,
March 9th; Grant, June 9th; and
Greeley, July 9th. Wallace county, Or
ganlZed in 1858 was declared, by re-
CcnJ ucClSlOH VI Tie supreme court, &c
have been diSorganiZed in 1879 and on
petition of the legal voters. and house
holders OF the county, a cenSus-takeT
was, on the oath OF November last, ap.
pointed to make an enumeration of the
inhabitants, preliminary TO a reOIganl.
zation of the county.
Attic beginning of the year 1880 only
three cities, Topeka, Atchison and
Leavenworth, were organized as cities
of the first class. There are now six
Kansas City, Kansas, Wichita and
Fort Scott, having since been so organ
lied. During the same period twenty.
seven towns have bean organized as
cities of the second class, viz: Cherry
vale, Abilene, Eureka, Minneapolis
Anthony, Ell Dorado, Seneca, Weir,
Great Bend, Dodge City, Larned,
Garden City, Council Grove, Caldwell
Concordia. Coffeyville. Osborn, Hor-
ton, Belleville, Nickerson, Holton,
Marysville, Galena and Marion, in the
order named.
The increase in the area of land il
cultivation, during the past foul
years, aggregates 8 1855 1913 acres; anC
while the assessed value of property
has, during the same period. in
creased $l16, 227 ,94l.
The educational interests of the
state have kept pace with its materia
development. There are sol NOR
school houses and l 1863 more teacher
employed than in 1884, while the valu,
of our school property has swellet
from $5,7l5, 5S2 to IS SOS, 202-anl in
ulation in 1884 was All $50; in 1888
$50, 0l0-an increase of 120,760 Tn
receipts for common school purpose
in 1854 aggregated S3,0l3, 77S. and tn
expenditures, 81, So, 1868; while for ISS
the receipts were S4.732 ,403. and tn
expenditures So, 70S, 747--an increase O
Sl,S1S, 425 in receipts, and 81, $50. 6s
in expenditures, On the first of Jan
uary, 1885, the permanent school fun
aggregated IS, 06S, 9S6.0l, and on tn
first instant it aggregated 81 ,S53 $40. 4
an increase Of 81 ,1S4, $3.50.
The most extraordinary growth, how
ever, is shown in the railway systeI
OF the state. On the first of JanI
airy, 1885, the railways of Kansas aggr,
gated 4,O64 miles of main and A
miles of side track. or a total of 4 %
miles. On the first of January, lss
they had completed and in operatio
S,799 miles of main, and 500 miles {
side track, or a total of 9,69S mile:
and an increase, in four years,
5,l35 miles. The assessed value {
railway property in March. 1884, wa
Sos, 455 800, while on the first of Mare
1888. when the assessments are mao
by the state board,l it aggregated IS
29,644-an increase OF S24 .373, 756 j
four years, or very nearly double Il
valuation of 1884.
On the first of January, 1885, sixt
nine counties We're traversed by OF
or more railways; ON the first of Jan
airy last, one hundred counties we
traversed by railway lines. In ra
way mileage, Kansas is now the Sc
ond state in the union. Her railwa
average one mile to each nine and
half miles OF territory, and five and
half miles for each one thousand inh
bitants.
These facts clearly INDICATE tn
the state, even during two years
partial crop failures, has continued