The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1891-04-17
THE CONGRESS- OPENED.
The Western Commercial Congress-
at Kansas City.
address of Senator Kelly, the Father OF
the COagress''-GEOy. Francis Speaks
For the Great and Growing
West.

KANSAS CRY, Mo, April IA The
first western states commerciaI con-
zgress, a gathering not only of the great
west but also of the snew south, as
scmbied in the Coates opera house, gay
with the bright cOlors of red, white and
blue
Ate1O.80 o'clock state Senator Kelly.
of Izansas. the fatheEi of the congress
stepped to the front of the stage, and ia
measured tones said: sssF
@GehsleInen, delegates to the first
commercial congress of the western
states: As chairman of the executive
com mittee of this congress, I now call
this convention to order. The chaplain
will now invoke the divine blessing,
Rev DIR. Hays, of Kansas City"
DR. Hays then delivered prayer for
the divine blessing upon the congress.
Taking sup the gaveI, Senator Kelly
said: F'GentleHnenS the first thing IN or
der is che selection of temporary chair
man
Gov D. r.. Francis. who, occupied
seat upon the STAGE arose and moved
that Senator Kelly be chosen temporary
chairman. There were no other nOmi-
nations. and the governor declared Mr..
Kelly temporary chairman
Senator Kelly then delivered a care
-fnilypEe pared forty five minutes speech
ressiey4inG Ehe tcauses of the calling o.
sEhecohsress, and delivering an exlla lIst+
Ave presentation of his ideas upon bust
ness and agricultural depression, its
cause and remedy. He said:
-'Gov. Francis and Gentlemen of the
Congress: You have assem- bled here
upon the calls of state legislatures, pri-
Enarily of those states in the great val
ley of the Mississippi, embracing re-
gion of country unsurpassed in extent
as u fertile agricultural country, a re-
zgiOn with a population of little less
than 100000 600.
This congress represents the great
est in diligence in agricultural regions,
and the greatest productive region in
the world. The eighteen states com
posing this sisterhOod produce three
fourths of the cereals, meat product
and cotton of the country. They pro-
-ducc enough meat to feed the nation,
enough wheat to supply the United
States and 2, 900, OOG a year more and
cotton enough to supply the spindles
and looms of Great Britain; and yet
from this region comes cOmplaint-not
of this year, not of last year, not of the
year before. but for a number of years.
The Question is and has been:
What is clOgging, what is retarding the
prosperity of agriculture?' This
thought suggested this convention.
This convention is not drawn upon the
lime between the man who holds the
ahandIes5Of the pillow and the M an who
wealth is the result of labor, and in this
country the one great source of wealth
rs our fruitful. fertile soil
When the thought of this congress
was first discussed the cry went up thai
the coming together of men with party
utilization from Kansas and from Mis-
=sissippi from Michigan and from Ala
oama, from Missouri and from Ohio
could but result in political controver
sizes"
Hon. c. L. Lavretta, of Mobile, thel
stepped to the front of the stage and il
behalf of the citizens of the gulf city
presented the convention with tv,
magnificent floral tokens. One was
banner, quite five feet in height. an,
containing over 5000 roses and alnos
as many other flowers The other. wa
a ship, full rugged, of roses, carnation
and other Migrant flowers. Mobile
Kansas City" appeared in blue letter
upon the banner and upon the pennant
OF the ship.
Hon. John w. Springer. was mad
temporary secretary Then Gov. Fran
els was introduced and received an Ovs
ton.
The convention, the governor said
marked a new era. He referred brief
to the war which left the west saddle
with an enormous debt Then the Yves
was in its infancy Very near wher
he stood was the great american desert
IN building up the waste places obi
cations had been incurred, for whic
the people cried for relief. Even tn
school houses were mortgaged. Durin
this time ali had contributed toward
bearing the burdens of the state. Raj
road influence. class legislation, di!
-crimination-put the blame where on
VVORld-there Yves. wide dissatisfactio
-sand-a determination that remedies mus
zoe found and inequalities corrected Z
We of the west felt he said, that w
had not looked after our own interest
The west was out of her sSvaddIin
clothes a moral conviction was a
irresistible power in modern societ,
a feeling OF that kind was rising
the west 1t was felt that legisIatio
had been in favor OF the east TT