Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1897-01-07

q the the Pvr,'''aa' s~o farmers. sr~
Smith and Brown, the lender and bor-
rover:
have been sometimes piqued, other
times disgusted. and not few times
amused, over the manysnewspaper arti-
4cles, pro and con, on the results OF the
late election in Kansas, which l have
read. / have been amused at some OF
the criticisms of the eastern press.
spiqued at the half-hearted defense
made by some of the Kansas papers,
and completely disgusted with another
class of our state papers, that have
Joined the clamor against our own peo-
pie. They remind me of that class OF
birds which befoul their own nests and
thereby soil their own plumage, after
which they raise great ciack, calling
attention, by the very act, to their
filthy condition. The self arrogated
wisdom of many of the eastern papers
is amusing, because it displays 50 clear
ly the utter ignorance of their editors.
They assume to talk wisely and give a
great deal ,of sage advice, but really
their utteramces are but the babble of
fooiishness, dnasmuch as they attribute
to Kansas conditions which do not ex-
ist here, and lay blame at our doors
which rightfully belongs elsewhere.
s 1t seems that Kansas has been sing
led out from among dozen western
states that have been doing just as she
has been doing. and all the opprobium
. that could be conjuced up by writer's
dissatisfied with humanity. themselves
included, has been keaped upon her.
If this is because Kansas voted for free
silver, then she is no more guilty than
her neighbors all around her. If it is
because she has borrowed eastern caPi.
tai, some of which she has neglected to
8 pay back, even then she has committed
no greater crime than every other west,
ern state. If it is because she had a
boom, made a number of eastern men
rich, and lost money for a great many
more, than she has done no greater
wrong than half the states in the Union.
sf it is because she first made laws that
snabled every financial shark to prey
upon her own children, and afterward
changed the laws so as to protect her
own, then she has but manifested the
innate instinct of every fond mother.
8 There is really no ground for aquar-
& rel between the people of the east and
6 the people of the west. All this fuss
reminds me of a little incident which
came under my observation some years
ago. Two well to-do farmers lived on
adjoining farms, in pleasant valley in
middle state. These neighbors,
whom for convenience shall call Smith
and Brown, had been on the best OF
IS terms with each other. exchanging
s work. borrowing back and forth, going
TO the same church on Sunday. and fol.
lowing the same general plan in their
farming operations. If Brown wanted
Aeo borrow a little money at the bank,
smith always endorsed for him; and il
Smith was taken sick suddenly. Brown
would work his best mare into iathel
lgoing for the doctor. Mrs. Brown al
ways helped Mrs. Smith with her quilt
Eng, and the latter was always ready tt
assist Mrs. Brown at threshing time
Even the children were on the best o
terms, and had built a swing under the
3old elm that stood near the dividing line
of the two farms, and under who's,
fbroad, outrageous branches the spot
ted fawns of past centuries had gam
lboled, and the red men smoked the pip,
Of peace before the grating of the kee