The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-06-02
TOPEKA NATURALIZATION.

| W.
ventions the capital itself might be los
to Topeka; that the seat of government
might follow the political gatherings
and the legislator the footsteps of tht
politician, or other equally foolish no
ton, the Topeka papers have of lat
evinced considerable sensitiveness
The Capital, in complaining Of some
very plain talk from the Lawrence
Daily Journal, touching Topeka's de
Hnuuencies and failures as conven
ton town, attributes the charges Of hog
ishness made against that place to the
papers and peoples of Leavenworth and
Wichita. That paper says that the
idea of Topeka's inhospitality original
ed with the enemies of that town, who
hate Topeka because of its enforcement
Of the uncomfortable" prohibitOry
law. AS one not entirely innocent OF
putting a finger in the pie which gave
Topeka her present case of abdominal
disturbance, we say that the last part
of that declaration is wide Of the truth.
/
uncomfortable law. but because To-
peka assumed unwarranted preroga-
tives touching its enforcement in other
| towns, and in such a way as to largely
towns. The matter resolved itself into
game of tit for tat, in which the other
towns having nothing further TO suffer,
gave Topeka the worst Of it, and gave
it TO her in her most vulnerable '.joint."
Having ostentatiously invited the scrap
her subsequent whine will fail to arouse
much marked sympathy from any, save
from those who applauded her chip"
act in the first instance.
The Lawrence Journal in speaking of
Topeka's peccavi cry tantaliZingly OBJ
serves that "the town is bog, and
doesn't seem TO care who knows it. 1t
to have every convention Of state i'm
portance, every gathering of western
people But as the conditions now are,
it is losing them whenever any other
for the Topeka papers to jump up and
crack their heels at this item. The
cold truth is in it, and no one knows it
better than do the Topeka newspapers.
They realize that as a convention city
Topeka is a miserable failure. 1t is
time the papers were declaring the
truth themselves instead of denouncing
other papers that tell it,
The Eagle has never gone that far,
quite, nor do we believe that Topeka's
present discontinue is chargeable to
her lack Of auditorium room, or to her
hoggiSh proclivities, so much as to the
dominate. That town will have to
learn that being the capital of the state
does not necessarily make her the polit-
ical center and administrative author
much a subject as any other city; and
not only a subject. but political de-
pendent, receiving many substantial adj
vantages and official favors enjoyed by
of which are conferred, or come to her
because she is the seat of government,
and from no power, right or claim out
side of that fact
The Capital and Journal, both, in at |
tributing the present fight to the peo- |
pies of Leayenworth and Wichita, ig- |
more the fact that these were -goaded TO |
it by the unWarranted charges and /
wholesale criticisms and denunciations
Of these papers which preclpitated a !
very unpleasant state of affairs during
the summer and fall months of last
year, the results of which touched the
pocket Of every taxpayer, in this county
at least, to say nothing of the good men
whom il drove from this city and state.
The sooner Topeka realizes that she is
not great enough, as the capital nor
big enough politically or commercially
10 force her peculiar municipal ideas,
and her likes and dislikes, upon the
other towns and cities of Kansas,
through legal enactmentS, her assumed
superior moral convictions or other
ways, the better it viii be for her con-
ent and the more surely will she re-
ain the desirable advantages and ben
licences which go with the seat of gov
She may or may not get the
lext state convention. If she does 1t
Will be more because of the compiled
ions arising out of the conflicting can
iidacy of two other points than from
my desire of conveniences or any wish
o reward or TO placate Topeka.