New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-16
KANSAS EXPOSED BY HER GOVERNOR

II sufficiently characterizes the POpulist state
government of Kansas that the official message
Of Governor Lecdy devOtes much OF IT'S space 10
vtuperatlon Of Eastern cities. Ii Is IN tnat hi2h
style of word singing which marks the Populist
orator and the dime novel. In some countries
the Chief Executive Is selected for sound Jldg-
ment and large information, but in Kansas, APP
parentIy for command of abusive eplthets just
as the fishwoman rose to the foremost place III
Rilllnpsgate. But whether Governor lHedy
knows anything of the State he claims to repre-
sent. or Of the people Of the great cities whom
no dccorates with his abuse, perhaps Few facts
will help TO determine.
The suffering. squalor degradation and starva-
ton of great cities, which the Governor describes
with such a wealth of Gdjectives may be in
fcrrcd from the fact that nearly quarter or
the people of this city. Ncw-YOrk, is composed
of hands employed in manufacturing .I3I in
number: according to the census OF 1S9O-whose
wages amounted 10 S22S..3I ,295, or about 5000
yearly for each pcrson--men. women ana emil
drcn included The males above fifteen aver
aged about 500. and the women, about 10000
in number, averaged about $3.50 each The
wages are somewhat lower now. since Popusm
and Democracy made war on American indus
tries. deprived many people Of employment, and
brought the worst disaster for half century,
but still there is some margin between 800 n
wear and starvation especially as the wage-earn-
crs number more than one for family and the
wages per family average over $500.
Kansas. that wonderfully progressive COM
munty which Governor Leedy holds up to the
admiration of the world has only $4,000 hands
employed In manufactures, mining and the me-
chanic arts whose wages averaged about SooO
each Some of them seem, at all events nearer
starvation by step or two than the workers
81 engaged in Eastern cities. But Kansas chiefly
boasts of agriculture, has 1861 farms, COB
per cent of the total acres being covered by mort
rage and the total value Of all farm products IS
500 OIO OSO which averages S395 yearly for each
Of the 24O417 farmers and farm aborprs en-
plovcd Roughly speaking. the workers in New
York CITY re GIVE as wages each year about 500
more for each Of them than the total value of all
products raised by the farmers and farm labor
ers in Kansas
Does Governor I.ccdy want to know tho rca-
son? II is partly because Kansas took a large
share in the crazy real estate boom some years
ago and palmed off millions Of acres of arid
land, which could not be probably cultivated.
upon innocent settlers. Largely in this way it
came 10 pass that instead Of 26SOl mortgages
on acres in 1852 there were 5S.106 in 1881, 6SI66
in 1856 sc. SOB in 1887, and 644J1 in 1SSS. cover
ing in the four years $1,000 900 acres and $214-
100000 debt which is more than the total value
of farm products In two years for the entire
State. Out Of farm products has to come the
cost OF living and clothing for the workers and
their families. and It is not difficult to guess why
the people who were induced to buy at fancy
prices in years Of wild speculation have not made
both ends meet and are now railing at Eastern
creditors.
Rut there Is another reason. Kansas has for
years pursued policy calculated to drive out Of
that State foreign capital, investments in varied
industries. loans of money. development of
manufactures and mining and so to prevent the
Investigation of industries which makes farm
ipg prosperous The capital employed in manu-
features Is only S44,OOO000 for the entire State,
and the hands employed in manufactures, mining
and the mechanic arts number only 137 for every
1 900 farmers and farmhands. Ohio pursues a
different policy. and has more than $40 persons
in manufactures. mining and mechanic arts for
every 1000 farmers and farmhands. There may
be noticed n considerable difference In the de-
mand for products Of farms. also in values of
farms, and also in the treatment Of enterprises
and business men In the different States. The
hostile and spiteful policy of Kansas politicians,
and behind them of many Oranges Farmers
Alliances and Populists toward every other oc-
cupation except farming, the amazing dishon-
esiy with which creditors of all kinds and in
vcstors in railway or other property have been
treated in that State. have more to do with the
III success Of Kansas farms than most Of her
best-informed people imagine.