St. Paul daily globe., 1891-04-14
COMMERCIAL CONGRESS
To Open at Kansas City To-Day
Prominent Men There

KANSAS CITY, April 13.-The first
Western state commercial congress as
sembles in this city tomorrow. The
idea of the congress originated in the
Kansas legislature last winter. and pro-
vision was made for it by concurrent
resolutions appropriating funds for its
expense and authorizing the gov
ernor to issue invitations to the
governors of all the states west of the
Mississippi river and to Mississippi,
Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee and
Georgia, of the Southern states, and
Illinois. Indiana. Wisconsin, Michigan
and Ohio east of the Mississippi. The
governors OF those states all appointed
delegates. The commercial OrganiZa-
tions of each city in the West were each
invited to send representatives, and
many of them have responded. The
congress will, therefore, be thor
oaghiy representative body, and
the personnel of the convention
will be of a character to
invest its proceedings with unusual in
terest, and to enlist national attention.
There will be in attendance a large
quota of distinguished political econ
omists who will make addresses. and
q number of papers will be read from a
number of persons who are unable to
be present. 1t will be pre-eminently a
business convention. 1t will deal with
practical questions in a practical man.
ever may be done will be the
result of an honest desire to
subserve the highest welfare of all the
states represented. The need of the
congress, as set forth in the Kansas
legislatures resolution. was suggested
by the demand which is coming up
from the people for clearer light upon
those questions which affect their ma
terial welfare. With the rapid develop
ment of the country, new problems are
pressing forward for solving and are
absorbing public attention, and as the
West and South are seeking light,
thorough consideration of the new con-
dltionS which have come through their
JectS of the convention. The inter
estS of two sections are reciprocal
and the welfare of both demands
closer commercial relations. The South
has manifested disposition to cooper
ate in the movement. and it will be ably
represented. The plan of discussion
will be conservative. non-partiSan and
thoughtful. a careful effort will be
made to avoid anything like political
rancor In debating the subjects outlined
in the programme. The congress will
not be wholly We tern affair. There
will be read a paper from Erastus
Wiman on reciprocity, and one by Ed
ward Atkinson on the money question,
and others by Charles Francis Adams
and Hon. w. c. Curtis, of Washington.
Papers will be read by other we'll
known Eastern men. The delegates
began to arrive to-day. The delegations
from Louisiana, Kansas, Mississippi,
Georgia, Alabama, Oklahoma, Indiana,
Ohio and Texas arrived this evening.
and delegations from Colorado. Illinois,
Nebraska and Kansas arrived yester-
day. and the other delegations are eX-
pected tonight or tomorrow morning.
Among the notable men who are now
on the ground are Congressman Crisp,
of Georgia; Breckenridge, of Kentucky;
Otis. Davis and Simpson, of Kansas,
and Tarsney, of Missouri; Gen. Breaux,
of New Orleans, and j. F. V. Skiff, of
Denver.