The Advocate and news., 1897-12-22
DR.. HILLS ON KANSAS.
Chicago Divine Gives His Opinion Of the
State.

Rev. DR.. HILLS, Of the Central church
at Chicago, one Of the leading divine
of that city, has been delivering lecture
through Kansas. He says In an inter
view In the Inter Ocean:
Perhaps no State in the Union sup
ports a larger number OF lecture courses
presents more varied array Of talent
or pays so high prices to speakers al
this Western State so often ridiculeC
by men who speak of It's financial va
garieR and political heresies. In the
southern part OF Kansas there are some
twenty lecture courses now In progress
Doubtless even our largest and wealth
lest suburbs would think 1t quite i'm.
possible to pay out $1,500 for foreign
talent, and there is perhaps no church
in our city that would think 1t practi-
cable to expend $1,000 for lectures and
entertainments for It's congregation and
their friends. But the enthusiasm of
these Western towns for the higher life
and culture Is not stayed by high prices.
Those towns named Wellington, or Win
field, or Newton, are fairly representa-
tive OF q score Of larger towns or cities
IN Kansas. Wellington, for example has
about 5000 inhabitants, and in a single
winter pays out about $1,500 for its
lecture course. It's speakers include
such men as General Gordon, DR.. Nc
Intyre, Russell Conwell, DR.. Gunsaulus,
II possible, George Vending, Robert
Burdette, with the very best imperson-
ators and readers that the country af
fords.
Peabody has 1900 people. AS 1t has
no church or hall large enough to hold
its audiences, the citizens came together
and erected an auditorium for It's lee
ture course. was told that every seat
in their hall was sold, and standing
room, as we'll. This town will pay
something like $1,000 for its winters
lecture course
Some time ago 1t was my fortune to
lecture before the students in the State.
Normal school, at Emporia. To my
surprise I fronted an audience that in
cluded 1900 young people. A commit
tee In one OF these towns told me that
FOR twenty-five years their course has
never been interrupted. He who looks
through their books will be surprised
to find how often Cough, Wendell Phil
lips, Henry Ward Beecher and Mrs.
Livermore made the tour Of Kansas.
Indeed, 1t is trueism with public
speakers that they look forward to a
tour In that State because audiences
are always large, always sympathetic,
always appreClative.
"Of course 1t is true that the last two
or three years have witnessed strik-
ing revival Of the lecture platform. 1t
Dc often said that the palmy days Of the
lyceum have passed forever; that never
again will audiences come together to
listen to discussions upon the great
truths Of life; to ask, What is social
truth? what is financial truth? what is
economic truth? what is the truth of
philanthropy and literature? as they did
In the days Of Emerson, Phillips, Thomas
Starr King, Chaplin, Beecher and Cough.
Nevertheless, the very opposite seems to
be true. The lyCeum is again reviv-
ang. The public has tired Of amuse-
ment and sport Good readers find that
men assemble in crowds to listen to
him who knows how to trace the rugged
truth In form and beauty, or bring light
and inspiration to bear upon the great
problems Of life and character
"Of late years Kansas has passed un-
der severe criticism. Journalists and
editors have come to speak Of the State
az o paradise of cranks and faddists.
There, 1t is said, the political pot ever
boils and seethes But there are two
sides to this question The intellectual
fervor, political zeal, and financial dis
putations In which these people indulge
themselves betoken for more of good
than Of evil. 1t must be remembered
that during the Kansas war, when the
North and South were fighting for the
possession of the soil, the abolitlonist
societies Of New England sent forth
large companies of colonists, who car
rled with them boxes marked Bibles
and filed with bayonets. They were
nvnkA Gle