The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-04-17
a KANSAS DANGER.
-oble Prentiss in kansas CITY Star.

; liIC LII 81 place, anu the IISL u SGUeTdlS.
cOlOnels. professors and doctors of laws
and divinity that monthly adorn the
front page of the cover, the door-plate,
so to speak, of the magazine, held said
confidence till it became an habitual and
child-like trust. For person whose
mind has been torn by the contending
views of the newspaper press there IS a
balm IN a monthly. There is an assur-
ance that a daily or weekly periodical
cannot give. In all matters of instruc-
ton or opinion the writer rests the head
Of faith on the bosom Of authority-the
Forum.
He has been content to Just rest there
and abandon his reason to the Forums
powerful sway, while he crOoned, .'Oh,
to be nothing; nothing but nothing.
Sometimes the deliveranceS of the or
acle have seemed contradictory, but this
has but given room for the exercise of
faith, a quality given US when under
standing gives out, and which enables us
to believe the impossible.
The always admirable Forum has
gained a new attractiveneSS of late in
opening itself to Kansas writers. This
Is great thing for Kansas. 1t gives the
state a certificate of its own greatness.
that it did not have before. and it en-
ableS Kansas writers to reach higher
plane, loftier vantage ground, whence
the voice of infallibility may penetrate
to incOnceivable distances.
a recent number of the forum con-
tanned an article from a Kansas man
which settled at once and forever ques-
ton which has given the political ecOno-
mlstS, statlsticians, statesmen and grain
operators of the world countless fits of
nervous headache, finally resulting IN
sOftening of the brain and paralysis.
The final decision is that the troubles of
| the Kansas farIner-it is next to certain
that the Kansas farmer is meant
arises from the fact that there are
/ too many farms, too many cattle
and swine, too many bushels of corn.
wheat, oats, barley, rye, buckwheat and
potatoes. too many tons of hay, and too
! great a production of nearly all other
! farm products for the number of con-
! sumers."
| OF course this settles it. What is man,
| that he should dispute the Forum? But
| the settlement of the question requires
action just as a constitutional amend
ment must needs be followed by appro-
pirate legislation.
In view Of the suffering caused the
farmer by abundant harvests, and the
injury done mankind by agricultural
plenty, something should be done to
suppress Kansas. This is the first step
to be taken in hushing the agonizing cry
of the producer, TOO much!'
Kansas has always suffered from a |
natural tendency to produce. Pike, who |
visited Kansas in 1906, declared that the |
Arkansas valley would support all the |
Indians Of the continent. such were the /
abundance Of game, and it is noticed /
that u country which supports beasts |
VIII support men.
Kansas is 400 miles long and 200 miles |
wide, and the misfortune is that it can /
all be plowed. Such is the weakness of |
man and his Ignorance of true business
principles that he will, if turned loose
with pair of horses and a pillow, where
he can run afurrow for mile and turn
over the earth without striking stump,
or stone, or slough, go right on blowing
till he has an immoderately large break
ing" in sight.
This condition of the earth, which
tempts the farmer to pillow too much, Is
supplemented by another evil. VIZ.
long season between frOSts, and even
winters so mild that blowing may go on
through December, January and Feb
ruary.
These are natural features of the soil
and climate which all the skill, patience
or self denial Of man can not obviate.
In regard to the increase of live stock
the same distressing conditions exist.
The wild cattle the buffalo. swarmed by
hundreds of thousands; the wild horses,
knowing neither hostler nor halter. sur
vived every vicissitude of the climate
and continued to roam the prairies even
after settlement had advanced almost to
the western frontier. OF course the rule
has held good since: horses continue to
thrive in dOmesticatiOn, though not Vet
quite 50 cheap as in Buenos Ayres, where.
we are told, a beggar viii galiop up on
his IS brOncho and ask in the name Of
ell the saints for % cents to buy his
breakfast. Hays. unless happily cut off
by cholera, multiply rapidly.
Legislation, though generally believed
in Kansas to be nearly equal to every
thing, does not seem equal to this emer-
gency. 1t might be suggested in order
to break down the cattle business to a
paying point, the president might order
the cattle owners of Kansas to drive
their herds out Of the state. as was or
dered in the case Of the cattle barons'
of the Indian Territory; but no one en-
tartains any hope that this beneficial
treatment viii be resorted to.
The friends OF the doctrine of limina-
ton, those who believe it is better to have
no corn at a dollar bUshel. than TO have
cribbed 10000 bushels at fifteen cents.
have little to encourage them in what
may be called the traditions Of Kansas.
Governor Martin said in his quarter-ceu-
tennial address at Topeka, January -.
1886:
The corn crop for Kansas for 1885
would fill $4,000 freight cars, reaching
from Ogden. Utah. TO Boston. The wheat
crop of the state last year was called
failure. Il was for Kansas. And vet il
would fill 31,939 grain cars and load
train 1S9 miles In length. The oats crop
of the st ate for the same year would I'LL
40. 33j cars and load a train 250 miles
long: while the hay crop would load
76S. J34 cars, making train 4,jI0 miles
long"
1t viii be seen that while 1t IS easy.
comparatively speaking. to settle a doc
trine by publication IN the Forum, II l.
hard. IN the face of the facts OF soil and
climate IN Kansas. together with the
long enforcement Of an opposite teach
ing 10 the effect that Kansas farmers
should raise all they can and brag about
it afterwards 10 enforce that doctrine.
The world might be better off if the
cultivation of corn were limited BY
statute to the state OF New Hampshire.
or to the sandy plains Of New jersey.
where met the other day the enlightened
farmers who protested against aid tv
congress 10 lrrizate IN Kansas. preferTiCZ
themselves a government bounty on
apple jack. 1t would certainly limit the