Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1897-06-03
Democratic Northwest.
AND HENRY COUNTY NEWS.
WAMEeo, KAs., MAY 20. 1897.

ne WHO WOuiu hStp ms uheCAlOH
admiration and allegiance to his east
ern home, must keep away from
Kansas during the months of May
and June, for dull and impassive
must be the nature that can remain
uninfiueuced by the supreme loveli-
ness of the landscape, the softness
and purity of the atmosphere and
the evidences of abounding life every
where present in this favored state
during those months.
Let the east boast itself of it's
mountains and rivers, its lakes and
its Niagara, let the west point with
pride to the Rockies, its Cascades, its
Yosemite, the south glory in it's cot
ton fields and forests of palmetto and
pine, its plantations of cane and its
orange groves; let the north rival the
famous Nile valley In fertility and
look proudly upon its vast wheat
fields equalling in extent the area of
many European principalities, let all
take pride in their own, it Is right
that they should do so. but let them
not forget Kansas-with its pure air,
its tree fringed water courses, its
walls of corn" it's square miles of
wheat, its countless herds OF cattle,
rolling prairies for them to f Q upcr,
it's oil fields, its reservoirs Of gas, its
enormous coal areas, its storage of
salt, and in all, over all, and through
all, the indomitable energy and spir-
it Of it's people which time and again
has met and over come seemingly
unsurmountable difficulties, snatched
victory from defeat, brought light
out of darkness, and persisted where
Others would have given up in des-
saair,
The true Kansas man Is unconqueratle
He sees his crops destroyed by drought and
orasshoppers, his houses and barns made
the snort of the winds. but he rises "to the
ssiatS through difficulties ana seems 10
thrive mon misfortune. Instead Of mcGfi.
ing for hi3 winter killed wheat, he ioyfully
plows it MP, congratnlatihe himself mean
while that he has so much tho greater space
for corn and oats. When the hot winds de-
stroys his corn he is just as we'll pleased
that he does not have to spend the time
huskinq it, but has 30 much the more time
to plow for wheat When he sees his hogs
and cattle floating down the creek, owing to
remarks to his nearest neighbor:
sand yet those jays east, talk about
droughty Kansas" and goes to work trying
to rescue them, or failing in that, proceeds
to rebuild his corral and pens ready for new
occupants
Politically ita hard TO tell just where to
find Kansas. Until within few years the
state has been overwhelmingly republican.
A few years ago the peoples party craze
struck the inhabitants and has ragged inter-
mittently ever since. and has been SO timed
that that party has elected three United
States Senators-Peffer, Martin and Harris.
Two Governors have come from that party
Llewelling and Leedy. The last Legislature
WAS under control of the populists, and so
elected the United States Senator. For
some reason Senator PETER did not suit
them. so they sent w. A. Harris to Wash
iuQton in his stead. Senator Harris is one
of the best men, not only in that party but
in the state. He was Colonel in the
southern army during the 'late unpleasant
ness" is a scholarly, well read man, prac
tical farmer and stock raiser, and his char
acter and reputation ia above reproach. he
il democratic in politics, in fact he has
never entirely affiliated with the peoples
marty. Even his political enemies acFnowl-
edge tho fact that no better man could
have be n chosen to fill such a respon.
sibie position as he occupies. It seems
strange though that Kansas should be rep
resented in the highest council OF the nation
by an "ex-rebe" as some term him who
do not know that the war closed third oi
a century ego.
II the legislature had done nothing worse
last winter than to elect United States
Senator, its record would have been a gooG
one. It, however, distinguished itself by
the passage of school text book law, which
is the worst blow the public school system
of the state ever received.
Many who Judge from surface indications
~ q Akn, ,f,r -
text books all over the state, much none!
would be saved the tax payer. Then add t.
that an established price above which non'
would dare to sell, and the satisfaction O
the taxpayer would be too deep for expires
sion.
Now everybody knows or should know
that there are two sides to every question
Often if one disadvantage Is suppressed
another, and perhaps worse one will taxi
it's place. If the state NEEDLES with thing
subject to the universal laws of trade, it i
sure to fail. All history has proven lons
since to the student Of political econom.
that laws to fix the prices of farm produce
manufactured articles, or the rate of inter
est on loans, have been imperative. Schoo
books are the combined product of the au
thor and the publisher, and as such are cub
ject to the laws of trade, and law can nj
more fix the price OF % school books os than
Again, it is we'll known that If one firm
or company has the monopoly of any on
thing, the price either rises or the articl
deteriorates in quality. Competition 10 th
life of trade in more ways than one. In al
the history of education never have schoo
text books attained to such perfection Il
both material and contents as now. Com
pare the school books OF to-day with thos
81 4 quarter OF century ago and the mary
eious Improvement 10 seen at a glance. i
paper, print, illustration and binding
school books are works OF art, nor Is th
price equal to what We paid few years az
for books Of like character. Take ava