Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-11-11
DECLINING KANSAS.
IT ls NO LONGER A GROWING OR
PROSPEROUS STATE.
Town. Nearly Observation-Disclosures
ment CompauiesCarrying Heavy Loads.
Encct of the Sumptuary Laws


ArcGIsoS, KAN, October %, 1890.
Dear Sir,-Kansas is no longer a
growing or prosperous State ; on the
contrary. il is retrograding, and there
ore several reasons for this condition.
My own opinion has been and still is
that the greater portion of the western
half OF the State is not now adapted to
agriculture or capable OF sustaining n
large population. IL is sufficiently fertile
g. produce good crops when the seasons
nro favorable. but tho rainfall 10 very un-
certain. / think the area OF rainfall 10
gradually extending and VIII increase.
had hopes in the planting OF timber
helping 1t. az 1t undoubtedly does, and
] also beloved that if the prairie fires
could be prevented n spontaneous
growth OF various kinds Of timber wonld
soon spring up, rs IT has IN the more
eastern portions. But its future IS
matter OF conjecture only. and It IS the
past and present that wo have to deal
with.
MIsREPRTsENTATIoN.
Tho railroad companies arc RESPONSE
be 10 q great extont for the settlement
Of the ard region Of the State. They
owned much Of the land, and they adj
vcrtisod and mimcprcsented the soil end
climnte and induced many people 70
purchase and settle. They lRborcd for
vears-kept on planting and hoping, but
the many failures and the very rare
cases Of reward discouraged them, and
they have been going and continue TO
no until some sections aud towns are
nearly dcpopulatod. Oklahoma was a
promise. and many went there others
have gone 10 Washington and Oregon,
and still others 70 the East Many of
them borrowed money which they could
not pav. and LIFT land and improve
mcnts for the loan companies, many of
which are no doubt carrying very heavy
load.
COULD NOT Bg FOOLED.
Tho eastern part Of the State is more
favored having in the majority Of years
sufficient quantity Of moisture to in
fure good crops and / also believe IT
las more thrifty and shreWd class o.
people such as could not be- fooled into
going into the dry district further West.
Tho extreme eastern part, bordering the
=
this year, tho crops Of corn and wheat
b.ne very good, while those farmers
who were lucky enough TO have orchards
have made small fortunes on their apple
crop. which is good But taking the
State as "a whole, the crops have been
failures this year, and many discouraged
farmers have Lett. and that is one reason
why Kansas is not prospecting.
rHoumToN.
n is not increasing in population for
what conceive 20 le another good rca-
aon-prohibition. If you and for any
reason should believe it TO our advantage
20 go to q new country TO settle-Austra-
lia for iustnuco-aud we learned that in
ono Of the provinces the people had
passed sumptuury laws forbidding tine
use of coffee and tea and otherwise
restricting tho people in their mode of
living and dressing, whlio IN the adJOln-
ing province equally good for our pur-
pose, the laws were Of more liberal
character and we could continue the use
of our ieyoritCs. We certainly would give
thc former the eO-by and select the more
liberal province; ard ! don't think there
would be any question as TO which would
DE the more prosperous in few years
and for al time. We are all human we
stick 10 oCr old associations and habits
and customs rs long as we live We
ike 20 be free agents especially.
Now, take il that oil those
who cmigrate from the continent
of furoue-tho Germans particularly
have been ms much accustomed from III
fancy 10 the use of beer aud wine rs you
nnd j have been 10 coffee and tea, and
that they would very naturally avoid
States like Kansas md Iowa, IN which
they knew they could not indulge IN
tltir OLD, innocent. aud harmless habits,
or could DO 90 only by violating the
laws and periurng themselves. Our
uciehbOring States get them and they
will continue 10 DO so. They are more
liberal they are much wiser too; they
understand human nature better, and
they 20 deal with the question OF intoM-
catIpg liquors rs 20 be able to regulate
IT and thereby they reduce drunkenness
They DO not make their people perJuro
themselves. They obtain ina legitimate
way revenue which they require, and
they allow their citizens to be free
agents in the matter
You have observed this peculiar fea-
ture If human nature: What We can
have We don't caro- much for or appre-
ciatc. but how We do long and strive for
that which is out OF reach or forbidden
UrTRB FAILURE.
Prohibition has entirely failed in pro-
venting the sale or use of liquors; but
il has done several things very eGectually
beyond any qucstion-stopped almost
entirely the settling IN this state OF the
desirable immigrants from the old conn
tries. and also in causing many others
already located here 10 leave for adioiu-
ing States, where they cannot only drink
their beer but can make. use, and sell
the wine produced from their vineyards,
which ought 10 bc q source of wealth to
Kansas, where grapes do splendidly. 30
we have some people leaving the state
on account of drought, andothers because
Of prohibition, ana as the laws discour-
age Others coming il the natural result is
that Kansas Is not growing.
Will Rave BEER.
I hope some Of these days this misera-
bic farce Of prohibition will be done
away with and sensible regulating laws
passed, and then / believe she will grow
again. More beer IS used in homes now
than ever before, and | really believe
that more is consumed in the State than
before prohibition went into effect
y bera are nunberloss ioints hero "a in