Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1896-05-07

Mckay Of Harper county in which he
advised the people Of western Kansas
to stop paying taxes as method Of
escaping the burdens Of excessive
bonded Indebtedness. The United
States Investor, OF Boston, has heard
Of Mr.. Mckay and it offers a few edi-
torial utterances on this Populist
statesman as follows:
''0f course a state which puts such
man into office cannot hope to pos
sess credit. We have had a wide ac-
quaintance with the state OF Kansas,
and are convinced that the real bust
ness men Of that locality are not be-
hind those Of other sections in their
ideas Of business morality and bust
ness expediency. Such suggestion
as that recently made public by Judge
Mckay affects them in about the way
community would be affected with
one Of its members running a-muck,
knife in hand, determined only on
destruction.
1.-The reputable business men Of
Kansas are alive to the disastrous
consequences OF the utterances SO
freely made in favor Of reputation.
That state today possesses the most
unenviable reputation Of any COM
munity in the United States. Invest
ors avoid it, though fully conscious Of
its great possibilities from an indus
trial point Of view. People with
money are, Of course, not going to in
vest in a locality where business
honor appears to be in danger Of
reaching vanishing point. 1t only
remains for the people Of Kansas to
ask themselves II they are prepared
to permanently dispense with the aid
of all outside capital. 1t might be
possible for them to perpetrate
cold steal on the eastern investor
once, by refusing to acknowledge the
just claims already contracted, but,
of course, such opportunities do not
come twice to tie same people. Even
assuming that all the wealth Of out,
siders at present found IN Kansas Is
confscated, will that state possess
sufficient means to develop its re-
sources in manner to allow Its in
habitants to enjoy such a measure of
the comforts Of life as they have. a
right to expect9 PROFESSIONALLY no.
"We are obliged to admit that the
situation which conironts some OF the
communities In western Kansas is one
Of desperation. tits well enough to
talk OF paying your debts, but if you
have no money and no prospect Of OBJ
tanning any, how are you going to ac-
complish this very desirable endp This
is question which cannot be evaded.
1t is possibly wise to face the fact that
some communities never will be able
10 pay the Indebtedness SO extrava-
gantly contracted in boom times.
1t is not so much this possibility that
depresses outside investors as 1t is the
utter indifference so widely displayed
as to whether the debts are paid or
motor, worse still, the downright
knavery Of such men as Judge Hall,
who advocate the use OF methods that
will relieve debtors Of their obliga-
tons without their being obliged to
sacrifice the collateral which they
have put up as security-in other
words, that will allow them to eat
their cake and still have it.
1--WE would not be understood as
believing that the state of Kansas is
on the eve of wholesale reputation.
1t is not necessary, however, for it to
reach this stage in order to preclude
its failure during the lifetime of the
present generation, at least to obtain
any more outside capital for the de-
velopment Of its resources. A few
more statements like that Of Judge
though they come from
persons who are known at home to be
settle the fate Of
Kansas for longer period than any
IF its inhabitants would care to con-
template"
Is II nossihla that M D;ol;usor Do