Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-07-04
MISSOURI FOR MISSOURIANS, KAN
SAS FOR KANSANS.

'Behold how great matter a LITTLE
| fire kindleth!' James, iii-5.
Kansas is accused of ingratitude, by
reason Of desiring commercial freedom
by Kansas City papers.
We are threatened.
Is this the language of solicitude fol
Kansas welfare?
Do Kansas City. Mo-, papers wish u;
to believe that they have defended us, a;
they claim, only from selfishness and
the moment we express desire to have
that which makes US prosperous in fact
not apparently so, we are to be humbled
by threats?
Ingratitude is base, yet admitting fol-
the moment that Kansas City from pure
not mercenary, motives defended u.s.
what are our rights?
Gratitude should not prevent a man
or a state from exercising the rights in
herent in man. or fundamental in
government.
These rights are not subject to barter
and trade.
No act of a community can put it our
of the power of a state to build up its
trade and maintain it. No continued
acts of kindness. though founded in be-
nevolence, not conceived by greed, can
shut the eyes of the people to injustice.
1t is the duty Of state to protect its
people; that of people to build up the
state.
Commercial freedom belongs of right
to every people, and, it is debasing to
surrender it. A states trade and COM
MERGE cannot be rated in gratitude. No
people can be under a debt Of gratitude
for either civil or religious liberty. 1t is
theirs of right, and that which delays or
restrains or brushes it is tyrannical. The
same rule applies to the honest acquisi-
ton of property, and whatever prevents
the people of state from growing in
wealth-whatever prevents them from
successfully engaging in every avenue
of trade and business on their own soil
is species of tyranny.
The pursuit Of wealth, the right to be
remunerated for labor, and the right to
have commercial freedom at least at
home unrestricted and unhampered, and
the right to develop the state, bring
prosperity to all Kansas and make
1t near as self-sustaining as our condi-
market for the direct and indirect pro-
uuCIS VI AdIlSdS ldIlu, dlo dill llSu lS
which are unimpartable, inalienable, in
herent and invaluable in body polite,
and can only be surrendered by abdica-
ton of government and the decline of
manhood to state of beggary.
To allege that because we are not sat-
isfied to be a state of small towns and
cities; because we demand that two mil
lions of hogs and half million of cattle
and an incalculable acreage of corn
shall be wealth producing
factor all over Kansas and because
we demand an open market
for our wheat, other grain and salt in
dustries, unfettered by determinations;
because we demand system of railway
lines that will open us boundless field
for our buyers, sellers and shippers,
bring capital to the state, enable US to be
prosperous in every walk of life. Be.
cause we demand these things we are
ungrateful.
Admit that we have received COM
plimentary press notices from Kansas
City, No.; admit that these things were
from disinterested motives, not from a
desire to throttle us in our youth and
comparative poverty, and grow rich
from our weakness; should motives Of
gratitude prevent US from becoming a
wealthy, prosperous, enterprising, COM
as well as a great agricultural
state? Our demand is but the demand
that every self respecting on earth
should applaud, not condem. so"