The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1897-03-26
WHATS THE MATTER WITH
KANsAS9"
The Great Editorial VIII ich was Published
in the EmpOrja Gazette last August
and made its Writer, William
Allen White, Famous.

gained less tnan Z,UUO people IN the
past year. There are about 225,0 900
families in the state, and there was
about 10,0O0 babies born in Kansas,
and yet so many people have left the
state that the natural increase is cut
down to less than 1000 net.
This has been going on for eight
years.
Ifthere had been high brick wall
around the state eight years ago and
not a soul admitted or permitted to
leave, Kansas would be half million
souls better off than she is today.
And yet the nation has increased in
population. In five years ten million
people have been added to the nation
al population, yet instead of gaining
share of this-say half million
Kansas has apparently been plague
spot, and in the very garden of the
world, has less population by the ten
thousands every year.
Not only has she lost population,
but she has lost money. Every mon
eyed man i'm the state who could get
out without loss is gone. Every
month in every community sees some
one who has a little money pick up
and leave the state. This has been
going on for eight years. Money is
being drained out all the time. In
towns where ten years ago there were
three or four or half dozen maney
lending concerns stimulating indus
try by furnishing capital, there is
now none or one or two that are look
ing after the interest and principal
already outstanding.
No one brings any money into Kan
sas any more. What community
knows over one or two men who have
moved in with more than S. 600 in
the past three years? And what
community can not count half score
of men i'm that time who have left,
taking all the money they conld
scrape together?
Yet the nation has grown rich,
other states have increased in pOpu-
latiOn and weallh-Other neigh boring
states. Missouri has gained over two
million while Kansas has been los
ing half a million. Nebraska has
gained in wealth and population
while Kaneas has gone down hill.
Colorado has gained in every way
while Kansas has lost in every way
since 1888.
What's the matter with Kansas?
There is no substantial city in the
state. Every big town save one has
lost in population. Yet Kansas City,
Omaha, Lincoln, st. Louis, Denver,
Colorado Springs, Sedalia, Des Moines
the cities of the DakOtas, st. Paul,
and Minneapolis-all the cities and
towns i'm the West, have steadily
grown.
Take up the Government Blue Book
and you will See that Kansas is vir
tuany off the map. Two or three lit
tie scrubby consular places I'D yellow
fever stricken communities that do
not aggregate $4,000 year is all the
recognition Kansas has. Nebraska
draws about 100000; little old North
Dakota draws $4,000; Oklahoma
doubles Kansas; Missoari lea> es her
a thousand miles behind; Colorado is
almost seven times greater than Kan
sas-the whole West is ahead of
Kansas.
Take it by any standard you please,
Kansas is net in it.
Go East and you hear them laugh
at Kansas, go West and they sheer at
her, GO South and they "cuss" her, go
North and they have forgotten her.
Go into any crowd of intelligent
people gathered anywhere on the
globe aud you will find the Kansas
man on the defensive. The newspa-
per columns and magazine pages
once devoted to praise of the state. TO
boastful facts and startling figures
concerning her resources, are now
filled with cartoons, jibes and PETER
ian speeches, Kansas just naturally
isn't in the civilized world. She has
traded places with Arkansas and
TimbuctOO.
What's the matter with Kansas?
We all know; yet here we are at it
again. We have an old moss back
JacksOnian who snorts and bowls be-
cause there is hath tub ih the state
house; we are running that old jay
for governor. We have another shah
by, wild-eyed, rattle-brained fanatic
who has said openly in a dozen
speeches that 1.-the rights of the user
are paramount to the rights of the
owner" we are running him for chief
Justice, so that capital will come
tumbling over itself To get into the