Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1897-12-16
KANSAS PROSPERITY.
She Leads all Others in the Value of Her
Grain and Stock PRODUCTS
For 1897.

Compared with last year Kansas
gained more than any other state from
this years fortunate rise in prices of
wheat, yet even In Kansas the increased
worth of the wheat crop amounted to
| only half the total increased value.of
the states proudcts. Important as
the wheat crop is, the live stock in.
terests OF the state and the profits
derived therefrom are immensely
greater, and the increase in the value
OF live stock was as great as the in
crease IN the returns from the wheat
crop even In this phenominaI wheat
year."
''Ihe two together place Kansas at
the head of all the states. A few
states produce more wheat, in average
years, and few have greater number
of cattle and hogs, but the aggregate
returns from both Industries together
are greater in Kansas than in any other
one state. This fact is what has given
Kansas the lead in the onward march
into the new era of prosperity, and is
likely to keep it at the head. The peo-.
pie have confidence that the two in.
dustries will continue to yield substan-
uai profits. The wheat area has been
greatly added to this year, and the i'm.
mense demand for feeding and stock
cattle shows what faith prevails in tie
future of the live stock industry. The
two together will continue to add to
the wealth of Kansas until a burden
some mortgage will hardly be heard of
In the state. Every year adds thousands
to the number of Kansas farmers WHO
do not have to borrow money. Every
season tor many years to come, barring
extraordinary crop failures, will increase
the number of Kansas farmers with
plenty of money in the bank. A state
with two such industries is much less
likely to suffer reverses from crop
failures than one which depends largely
on one great staple crop. Kansas has
vast acres of rich land which are suit.
able for the production of either wheat
or corn, besides many millions of acres
that are better for corn than for any
other crop. Twice has the wheat area
OF Kansas exceeded that of any other
state, and it has come very near to
having greater corn area than any
other state. With such a record and
such possibilities there is no reason
why Kansas may not, in time. become
the wealthiest of all agricultural states
in the Union. Mail and Breeze.
The Mail and Breeze neglected to
state that Kansas has also shaken off
the republican yoke of late years, and
is now in the hands of a set of state
officers who are seeing to it that all
foreign corporations which can be
reached through legislation already .en.
acted by anti-rePublican legislatures are
made to ''cough up" their stealings of
former years, and are prevented from
robbing her people of their well earned
Another thing the Mail
and Breeze neglected to state in con-
nechon with its very commendable
article on Kansas prosperity. is the ad-
ditional fact that Kansas voters are not
in accord with national rePublicanism;
that they are becoming. year by year.
mere independent of the bosses and
boodlers who so long ruled them. and
that. furthet, they will, within the next
few years. throw of the burden of a
most fanatical fogyism in the shape of
a so-called prohibition law, which has
kept thousands of the most substantial
class of German farmers from locating
within her borders, and has taught
many native youth to become a sneak
and perjurer. Kansas, cleared of
republicanIsm, will soon be cleared of
all shams and subterfuges.