The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1894-07-20
KlNSLEY. EDWARDS COUNTY, KANSAS JULY 90 1894
New York vs.. Kansas.

The following paragraphs are taken
from an article, ''Is New York More
Civilized than Kansas" by J. Willis
Gleed of Topeka, in the April Forum:
1.-The circumstances of the settle
ment of Kansas were peculiar. Men
have been drawn to New York by
accumulated wealth and power, and
by supposed extraordinary oppOrtuni-
ties for pleasure and profit. The first
attraction to Kansas was war waging
for an abstract principle, the abolition
of human slavery. 1t is fair to say
that that war fixed in considerable
measure the character of subsequent
| immigration. Thousands of the
spirited, adventurous boys who in 1861
rushed into the Northern armies,
naturally turned, when the contest
| WAS over in 1865, toward the first great
| battle- ground of the triumphant cause,
| toward the new, young, already historic
state of Kansas. No other state has
larger percentage of army veterans.
| Men came to Kansas young and poor.
| They found no accumulated wealth,
no established laws or customs, no old
families, no long-continued abuses, no
political OF social distinctions, no high,
no low; nothing but atmosphere, sun
light, soil, and room.''
''In Kansas, in 1890, tour-ffths of
all the chilpren under eighteen and
| over five years of age were enrolled in
the schools; in the state of New York
scarcely more than two-thirds; in New
York city less than one-half. Kansas
spent OIL her schools $5,OOO,OOO; the
| state of New York, with more than
four times the population, only ST.
0GO. 900. Kansas to-day has perma-
nept public-schOol fund of Sc ,OOO,O 900.
Only one other state, l believe, has a
| greater.
New York city, rich beyond the
dreams of avarice,-at least, measured
by the accumulations of Il few of its
citizens, does not furnish its children
adequate school accommodations. Ac-
tually, in this age of the world, i'll wise
and wealthy New York, there are
thousands of children in some districts
who cannot get into public schools for
the lack Of house room and teaching
force. The president of the Board of
Education, i'll Il public address
delivered in 1883, computed the num-
Der at II, 900. l have been told that
the difficulties have increased since
then. In ii poor sparseiy populated
community this would not be SO bad,
would not be SO preSumptive evidence
of Il lack of civilization. Yet even in the
arid regions of western Kansas every
child has opportunity to attend school.
A community need not be so very high
ly civilized to know that under a free
government nothing else Is so neces-
sary as the education of the children.
Yet New York city does not adequate
ly provide for it.''
''1'he people of Kansas really read
and discuss the speeches made III Con-
gress. l have been told that book and
magazine publishers regard Kansas as
one of their best markets. =.
"It may be well doubted whether a
million and half people can be found
anywhere in the world who do any
more independent thinking, reading,
and debating than the people of Kali
sas. they are as a people intellec-
tually alive. They actually think
about public affairs; they discuss ques-
tions of the public good; they have on
intellectual life; they are alert, active,
open to ideas,-not dull and apa-
thetic."
Kansas is trayersed east and west
by half Il dozen great transcontinental
y lines Of railroad. This means that
practically every county in the state is
situated on one OF more of the great
highways of commerce. The state
has no backwoods' TO dark, inaccessi
bIe corners, no remote hooks where
the last century fingers. The state
had in 1890 nearly 5000 miles of rail
way; New York had 1,15o miles less
'.Were there two-fold the vice il
Kansas that there is in New York, i
would not be half so deadly. Bu
there is not the tenth part as much
Topeka is city of 40 600 inhabitants
1t contains large populatian Of labor
ing men, the men among whom drunk
enness is supposed to lie most ccm
mon. Yet there are children il
Topeka more than Il dozen years oil
who never saw a saloon OF a drunk
S man.
a 1.-The real value of the assesse
$ property in New York state is abou
e 81 coo per capita; i'll Kansas abOu
0 800. But New YOrk's public il
J debtedness is greater than that of kar
4 s,s Tho ..,,utial interest paid by Ne,