The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-01-10
KANSAS TOMORROW.

KANSAS TOMORROW.
Kansas enters upon new political
era tomorrow. In few days now it
will be thirty-six years since the terri
tory was admitted, after brief but bit
Ter struggle, into the Union as free
state, and by which sign slavery was
doomed. Whatever Kansas is, all that
mas been secured to and for the state,
politically, materially and in every other
way, is due the Republican party, and,
for the most part, TO the men VINO were
the states original founders In all
that thirty-siX years the state never
passed from the control of Republi-
cans. A political fight over the liquor
question, at one time, resulted in DEM
ocratic governor, but the courts and leg
islature remained Republican. At an
other time, and later. financial and in
dustrial troubles lost to the Republican
party the chief executive and one
branch of the legislature, but the other
branch and the supreme court remained
Republican. But Kansas ceases to be
a Republican state tomorrow. The last
of the men who made this patch of
prairie and plain the talk of the world,
the men who attracted capital to ii, in
spired its enterprise and built up its in
stitutions, step down tomorrow finally
and for good. A majority of its authors
and movers are dead. while the weight
of years. together with defeats and dis
appointments, have left the surviving
few discouraged and inactive. The new
Republican crowd of would-be success
sors proved unequal to their ambitions.
The foundations which had been laid,
and the partially completed edifice were
of too magnificent proportions for any
hands or hearts other than those which
citadel ceased to mount upward and
there ensued a confusion of tongues in
which former friends and newer help
ers turned conspirators, and Kansas fell
into being only commonplace midst ner
ruins. The men who come tomorrow 10
attempt rebuilding are unknown to
the state or its history. OF our troub
Ious territorial infancy and subsequent
youth and growth they have had
neither part nor lot. But few of them
have more than local names or repu-
tstions. They are even unknown to each
other. inexperienced, their work of re-
construction must be out of the old ma
terial which they themselves have help
ed to mar and deface. The situation
now is theirs, the responsibility entirely
their own. Not one in any score of the
men who become prominent factors to-
morrow ever accomplished anything for
the state. They have never made sin
gle mark, unless it was in pulling down
those who had. PETERS six years in
the United States senate is less than
blank among the political triumphs of
Kansas. viii the next two years Of
that crowd now gathering at Topeka
prove anything more, or, in proving
more, be but mar? Will their hands |
be those of the ruthless destroyer or of
inefficiency and weakness? Where !
among them all is Lane or a Pomeroy,
Robinson or Carney, an Ingalls, or a |
Plumb, a Parrott, Lowe or a Haskell, |
an Anthony or Martin, or any of all |
that host of pioneer editors, coadjutors, |
confrerees and colleagues? Has this |
state of railways and school houses in |
deed fallen into the hands of a lot of |
scrappers? Must its future destinies be |
subjected to a gang of adventurers. one |
half of them aspiring untutored and in |
experienced nobodys, whose greatest /
distinction is an inordinate confidence |
In their own abilities, which, coupled 10 |
their clamor for an opportunity to oc- |
cupy the most exalted seats of respon- \
sibility, is SO persistent and audacious |
as TO cause men of real experience and !
ability TO stand aghast? Or, will the
majority prove soundly discriminating
and yigiiant patriots, if in the rough. |
still sagacious and honorable? There is
only to wait-maybe to hope. 1t can
hardly he possible that these men. when
they come to see and understand all |
that has been accomplished in the past,
and at what cost of time and of honest
endeavor, will consent to the enactment
of untried measures and questionable
policies, but that they will in acting dis
rreeuy, put forth their best efforts in
preserving all that we have. to the end
that Kansas may in regaining her foot
hold, take the lead in western enter
prise and development.