The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-07
THE KANSAS CELEBRATION.

[F'rom the St. Louis Globe-D Democrat
1t is the intention of the people of
Kansas to give an especial prominence
to this years celebration of the ami
versary of the creation of their state.
This will occur on January %, three
weeks from next Friday. The state will
be thirty-six years old on that day.
After a contest which lasted for several
years between the element which tried
to add Kansas to the roll of the fifteen
slave states then in the Union, and the
men who were determined to preserve
that region to freedom, the latter tri-
umphed. The chief obstacle to the adj
mission Of Kansas as free state was
the senate, in which the Democrats had
a large majority. After the withdrawal
of southern members to follow their
states in secession in the opening days
of 1861, however, the Republicans gained
control of the senate, pushed the Kan
sas bill through that body, and Presi-
dent Buchanan signed it on January 20
of that year.
The coming celebration ought to be
of national interest At one time and
another Kansas has filled a large place
in the country's history. The act which
created the territory of Kansas in 1854
brought with it mightier consequences
than those which depended on any
other law ever placed on the national
statute book in the siXty-five years of
the government along to that time. 1t
made the slavery question the only is
sue in politics, broke the partisan affili-
ton between the agricultural south
and the agricultural west; started
civil war in Kansas which was a pre-
lude to the mighty struggle q few years
later; Killed the Wing party by send
ing its southern end through the half
way houses of the know-nothing party
in 1856 and the Constitutional Union in
1860 into the Democratic camp, and put
the bulk of its northern end into COM
bination with the Free Sellers, political
abolitionists and anti-slavery Demo-
Gratis under the name of the Republican
party to fight slavery extension, while
it split the Democracy in 1860, thus Civ
ing the Republicans the victory which
sent the south out at the Union, pre-
cipitated the war overt brew slavery,
I put solid south and "a solid north in
| politics. and kept them in, except with
occasional breaks in the north and dur
| ing the reconstruction interregnum in
! the south. along to 1896.
To a certain extent, that is to say, the
| country's destinies were affected for
| many years by Kansas influence If
there had been no Kansas issue like
| that which was precipitated in 1854 the
| nations history since that time would
1 have been widely different from what
| it is In more recent times. too, Kan
sas has exerted a profound effect on
| the country's political life. 1t may be
/ said that the Farmers Alliance, as a
political force. got its first start in
| Kansas. and in Kansas the Alliances
larger and broader successor. the Pop
| ulist party, early established it's head
| quarters and gained its most conspic-
! uous victories. Those triumphs of the
| Alliance and PopuIist party are the in
| centive for the broadening OF this year S
| celebration of the birth of the state.
| The observances are dictated by social
| and business considerations. They are
| to be participated in by Republicans,
| Democrats, Populists and by all other
| sorts and conditions of persons, and are
| designed to tell the outside world that
| although Kansas may be systematically
erratic in politics, the general level of
| intelligence of her people is high, and
| investments in her borders are as safe
| as are those in any other state.