Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1890-10-23
To Colonel L. L. Polk, President
OF The National Farmers
Alliance.

OF The National Farmers
Alliance.
From the Topeka Capital.
Dear Sir, as Colonel L. L. Polk Of
North Carolina, the Capital welcomes
you to Topeka and Kansas. Among
the generous and hospitable people
of our state, you will find no section
al prejudice to offend your pride or
wound your feelings. The fact that
you wero a confederate soldier would
be no barrier to your social or busin-
ess recognition if you made a perma-
nent home with us. To the other Of
fcers of your organization from
Georgia and other southern states
who accompany you, the Capital ex-
tends also a hearty welcome, and
hopes your visit may be one of bene-
fit and pleasure to all of you.
Dear Colonel, as you do not come
on a visit for pleasure or seeking a
home with US but on political bust
ness visit to instruct the farmers of
Kansas in their political duties, you
will pardon us if we make some IN
quiry into your credentials land your
qualification for the task of instructing
as intelligent and as Independent
people as can be fonnd in any state
of the union. Excuse us for asking
the question, but are you really
known in your native state as pre-
eminent in the study of political sci
ence or economic questions? Do the
citizens of your own state recognize
you as a scholar or statesman, or
successful business man in large or
small way? Have you been an edu-
Gator or legislator at home? While
Kansas is quite long distance from
North Carolina we have not heard of
you as pre-eminent in any way, line
of thought or study or work-we
have heard of you only as small ex-
perimental politician, preferring a
large salary and an Office where the
duties are abbreviated, the RESPONSE
bility less, and the honors large. We
hope our information is not correct
because the extraordinary reforms
your political party has undertaken
will require leader with more brains
than gall. You have the honor, col
onel, to come from one of the origin
al colonial states, and it has occurred
to us that we may find in your veneer
able state it's progress and achieve
ments covering more than a century
of growth, some good reasons why
the young commonwealth of Kansas
should look to you as the Moses to
lead her children to the promised
political land where money will be
plenty at 1 per cent per annum.
The population of your state, dear
Colonel, is no greater than Kansas,
although you have had the start OF
US a hundred years, and going deep
er into the records we ind that about
one-third of your population cannot
read and write, while here in Kansas
the ilIiterate are less than 1-l6. In
over 100 years you have accumulated
in your state $735,OOO worth of school
property, while Kansas in less than
thirty years has gained over $780,
600 of school property. You average
in North Carolina only twelve weeks
school per year. You employ 1000
teachers while Kansas pays double
the wages your state does to 1000
Your state school superintendent
said IN his report December 80, 1888
North Carolina expends less money
per capita for schools than any one
of the thirty-eight states except South
Carolina" What seems to be the
matter down there, Colonies The il
literacy of your population IS not CON
fined to the colored people, because
nearly one-half of your 100000 citl-
zens over 10 years of age who cannot
read and write are white. Have you
not great field for missionary labor
at home, dear Colonel? Can your
state afford to loose your valuable
services? Your state contained II
1888, 1856 miles of railroad worth
$10,9O0. 600, while the new state you
are now IN contained 1900 miles val
ued at $52,OO0OO0 But that is not
all, Colonel. The total valuation Of
all your personal and real property
which you and your forefathers have
been over 100 years accumulating
amounted in 1888 to 2100O0OOO