New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-11
THE .JOCTND SOCTU

For some reason or other IL Is generally taken
for granted that the people Of the great States
of Missouri, Kansas and Arkansas take life with
an almost gloomy seriousness. There are con
spicuous exceptions, Of course. 81. Louis. for
instance experiences tumultuous thrills Of pure
pagan JOY at least once year over the gorgeous
pageant OF the Yelled Prophet. And in Kansas
City life is made continuously beautiful by the
thought that the metropolis OF the Kaw will
soon stick several million more pigs every year
than poor, decrepit, old Chicago. But these ex-
ceptions only prove the rule. 10 Use a some
what threadbare locution. The social phoso
pliers who so kindly find these things out for
us declare that life on the great Southwestern
plateau is the prosest kind Of prose. With the
exception Of "IroDquil," and another bard Of the
prairies whose name has escaped u.s. they ask
what poet that region has ever produced whose
verses would he printed In 1.-The Century" not
TO speak Of 1.-The Atlartic." Whether it is that
a prairie has depressing influence on the mind,
inducing gloom despair and Populism, or that
some other more reconcile cause Is at work.
they cannot say But Of the fact itself they
have no doubt. and their earncstness in pro-
claiming it has led to its general acceptance In
the speculative but effete East
But if our veracious contemporary, "The Kan
sas City STAR" is not entirely ut fault this view
of the case Is altogether erroneous. Without
attempting to confound the social philosophers.
but simply as n matter of news, 1t gives "A pict-
IRE of life in the Southwestern plateau In these
glorious autumn days that oumerries merry
England if we may be allowed TO parody the
Bard Of Avon. According to THE Star" every
country paper in that region Is full OF accounts
of merry doings Of all kinds just though
there were no Populists telling the people that
their vitals are being daily puckcd by the East
crn Condor of Capital. Hundreds OF old set
Tiers meetings being held, at which we
NAV suppose the amber juice Of the corn passes
current at its full value. Nearly every county
has its soldiers reunions, its county and district
conventions of young mems associations, its
Epworth Leagues its Christian Endeavor soci-
cites and what MT. And there are more hunt
inc parties. fishing parties, nutting parties hay
ride parties and constructing parties than the
most vigorous Populist can shake a stick at.
This is the record Of the country neighbor-
hoods In the cities term which includes all
towns with more than 100 inhabitants. the
social functions indicating n spirit Of gayciy
almost frivolous are too numerous 10 be noted.
Pretty nearly everybody in Topeka, for instance.
Is getting married or is helping to celebrate
somebody's wedding anniversary. The amount
Of rice thrown AT happy couples-and they are
all exuberantly happy-is affecting the rice
quotations In the market: and the number Of
teas given to returning brides and grooms. be-
witching bridesmaids and charming hancees Is
said to be doing more 10 Increase the price OF
tea than the war between China and Japan.
Chrysanthemum parties destroying all in
terest in the political campaign in Kansas City
and the State Of Missouri generally. In st.
Joseph the social thermometer is registering
fever heat; and the mad whlrl In that enter
prising city can only he compared with that Of
Paris or London. In Kansas the football mania
Is raging, and even the smallest towns have