Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-01-13
.A REMARKABLE DOCUMENT.
Governor Leedy Scores the East in dis
Inaugural Message.
He Calls New York and Chicago
Semi Civilized Colonies With
mi-Barbaric Splendor at the
Apex and Semi Barbaric Squalor
at he Base Of Their Social Life.

TOPEKA. Kas. January l2-GoVeIhor
Leedy's inaugural message is remark
able document. II is 10000 words IN
length, dealing minutely with the work
ings Of the different State departments
and brimful OF recommendations. His
first utterances touch upon the adverse
criticisms on Kansas made by Eastern
States. He goes on to draw paralIei OF
the degree of prosperity in his State with
those Of its alleged maligners. With pro-
found regret for the misfortunes oi our
pretentious sisters of the East, says the
Governor, ''I congratulate the state OF
Kansas upon the many simple blessings
that have fallen TO us in these adverse
times. While those who clamor for aims
in the streets of the crowded cities are
many, those who seek assistance from our
ready public bounty are few. While the
failure of great commercial Institutions
brings sad calamity TO the chief capitals
whose fortunes accumulate, the less i'm
posing but quite usefui repositories OF
Kansas savings are giving gratifying evil
dence of stability. While, according TO
the press of the nations most populous
metropolis, her children linger in the
streets untaught, except in the lore OF the
pavement, unfed except at the hand Of
charity, unhoused except ia the kennels
they dispute with creatures scarcely less
miserable. the Commonwealth of Kansas,
rejoicing in a public school system which
is the most grateful heritage we received
from our fathers, and the best legacy We
can leave our children, finds lmpie house
room and school room for every Kansas
child. and for such struggling waits as
come TO us for aid in Kansas, EXCEPT those
birds Of passage which fit us by, stin re-
minders of p communities.
With a cheerful audacity that almost
challenges admiration. grub street scrib-
blers on a venal press which panders to
the most vicious instinct of semi-civlized
foreign colonies like New York City and
Chicago. with semi-btrbaric spendor at
the apex. and emi-barbaric squalor at
the base of their social life. have Of
fered puny ana presumptuous criticism of
those whose shoestring they are not
worthy TO unloose. The dogs of Egypt
have barked at the pyramids unanswered
for fifty centuries When the accused
dogs stood before the Venitian council. he
said: My defense is your accusation
Let grub street rail on They well
know that Kansas was a pillar OF cloud
by day and pillar Of fire by night before
an oppressed people in the nations dark
est hour. We shall keep those fires alight
in our camps. and that smoke ascending
from our hilltops till this is indeed a gov
eminent of the people and for the people
and by the people
He attacks the interstate commerce
commission as that subterfuge for JUS
tice" whose report is just issued after
eleven years of waiting. and states that
the law under which they were acting
was defective and had been held by the
court Of last resort as imperative and
constitutional" Thus" continues he.
after fifty years of effort in this direc-
ton. we find that practically nothing has
been done toward the control OF our cor
porations: that the question has been de-
layed and avoided es much as possible
through the courts. and finally, at the
end. we find the will of the people
thwarted and the corporations resting
upon the bosom of the Supreme Court
with the same feeling Of confidence and
security that an infant reposes upon the
bosom of q nurse
Governor Leedy recommends maxi
mum freight law, and the board of rail-
road commissioners be vested with the
powers of a court and given the power to
adjust fares and freights within the
State. In an attempt to overcome the in
equalities in interstate commerce. suffered
by the State, he advises the people Of
Kansas TO seek for justice out Of court.
This he thinks would be found in the
States west of the Mississippi river build
ing road to tidewa;er by the shortest
and most direct route. If the States OF
Texas and Nebraska says he. would
join us in the building Of line to Gal
weston, the expense OF building road
would be merely nominal when compared
with the vast sums of money that would
be saved to the citizens of these States
through the lowering OF freight rates"
------t- ---------
1000