Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1895-01-19
INAUGURAL
OF Governor E. N. Morrill, of
Kansas.


future. He said in full:
FELLOW CITIZENs-A third of a centu-
~ has passed since Kansas entered the
'isterhood Of states 1t is an appropriate
lime to review its history and to mark its
progress. | ask your indulgence, there
fore. while briefly compare its status on
the 29th of January, 1861, with the con-
ditions which now surround it
The measure of dignity and strength
in statehood, attained by a common
wealth, will ever be found co-equal with
the measure of love and devotion borne
to it by its citizsna The respect of man
kind for a state can no more rise above
the respect of the state for itself than
can public respect for a man rise above
his own self respect
It may well be said that the duty of q
man to defend and protect the good
name of his family, can only be second
TO his duty to defend and protect the
good name of his state. The child can
be no more sensitive and vigilant in re-
sisting the assaults of SANDER upon his
father and mother, than every citizen
should be in protecting the good name of
member.
1t is an unworthy, unmanly, indecent
son, that will magnify, expose and parade
abroad the faults of his father, and it is
equally unpatriotic and disgracefuI for a
citizen to go before the world in 3 like
exposure of his state. Even wrongs can
never be righted, nor weakness strength
ened, by such means. do not mean by
this that wrongs are to be defended, nor
actual shortcomings denied. But do
mean that the arena for their discussion
should be limited to the narrowest posi-
bic boundaries of an honest effort for
their correction.
The life and experience of Kansas has
fairly verified the legend upon itS great
seal, as an inspired prophecy. 1t has,
indeed, climbed "up to the stars through
difficulties" In its progress it has mes
and mastered obstacles that would have
crushed and conquered less forceful
and self-reliant civilization. 1t was born
Of an idea, and grew upon the food of q
grand purpose purpose no less than
The idea of universal freedom. To this
end it struggled in the path of martyr
dom for weary years, and until the nation
took up its contention and carried it
through bloody war to victory in the
emancipation of race.
The States Proud Military Record.
Faithful to Its divine purpose, Kansas
put more volunteer soldiers into the IN
ior army that it had male citizens of
military age; and no stronger proof of
their devotion to the old flag and
of their bravery on the field of battle
could be given than the simple fact that
the rate Of mortality of the Kansas
soldiers was greater than that of any
other state. At the close of the great
struggle it found its industries decimal
ed; it had neither agriculture, trade nor
commerce. Its chief city, on its eastern
border, contained more than q fifth of
the capital and productive industries of
the state. There existed neither public
nor private credit wherewith to enter
upon a new career of prosperity. A state
bond could not have been placed at less
than a ruinous discount, if at all, in any
money market of the country; and mu-
nicipal credit was thing unknown out
side of our own boundaries. State officers
and employees. like those of cities and
counties, were paid in promises to pay.
Orders were drawn on an empty treas
ury, which, under the provisions of law,
could be presented to the treasurer,
and when by him Endorsed ''Not
paid for want of funds" bore interest at
the rate of seven per cent per annum
until paid This interest bearing scrip
was sold upon the street at a discount
from its face value of ten to twenty per
cent, although provided for by a current
levy, and practically sure of being paid
within year.
In the Early Days.
School district bonds were issued for
the construction of school house, under
authority of the statutes, bearing interest
ho Of
for period of not more than five years,
and their sale prohibited at price less
than eighty cents on the dollar. And it
is fact we'll known to those who lived
in Kansas at that time, that this law was
only available to districts favorably locat-
ed as to population and cultivated sur
roundings Many could not place their
bonds at all under this twenty per cent
limit of discount Even as late as 1858
the city of Leavenworth, with its
known wealth and prestige as the
metropolis of Kansas, found it
difficult to sell $4,000 of its bonds to
erect high school building, at this legal
limit of discount; and when purchaser
was found for them, he was hailed Hs a
public benefactor, as we'll he might be,
for no man outside of the state could be
found with confidence enough in the IN
known future of Kansas to risk such
sum.
Since that datc the state has had
strange, almost weird, history and ex-
perience. Prosperity and adversely have
followed each other in quick succession.
We have had whitening droughts and
devasting insects; ''booms" of prosperity
and phenomenal speculation, followed
by "boomerangs" of adversely and stag
nation. ave have touched the keystone
in the arch of hope, aud sat upon the
mud-sill at the base of despair"
The Hand of an Evil Genius.
But from the worst. or all of these, we
have suffered far less than from the virus
of unrest, discomfort, and disloyalty, in
jected into our blood by the hand
of an evil genius to poison
manly courage and self-reliant en-
ergy at the fountain of its source. We
have been tempted to despise the methods
and look with contempt upon the legiti-
mate fruits of honest industry and indi-
vidual enterprise; to lean upon thu gov
eminent and demand from it thai which
can alone be maintained through Fer
sonal industry and rigid economy. The
lesson taught in the framing of our nom
paternal government, that "a people gov
erned least is governed best" seems to
have remained unlearned still
The Greatest Triumph of Human En-
d~avors
Yet, with all this, the fact remains,
that Kansas has moved on its course .1up
to the stars" 1t is safe TO say as a truth,
that so large q measure of prosperity, SO
surrounding physical comforts, has never
haF