New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-09
KANSAS WILL INSURE ITSELF.

A cheering and cheerful spot on the political
horizon during all these wars and rumors Of
wars is the State Of Kansas. The votaries Of
war at any cost may howl themselves red In
the face in maintenance Of the National honor
and the Money Power may make everybody
else red in the face with the blush Of shame
at the way 1t Is sacrificing the National honor
in the interest of merceDary and disgraceful
peace, but Kansas, with Leedy as Governor
and Webb McNall as Insurance Commissioner,
moves right along on its high mission, unfut-
tered and serene. The mission Of Kansas Is to
make everybody rich and happy at cut rates.
That Is to say. not everybody everywhere, but
everybody in Kansas. The first thing it pro-
poses to do I'm this direction IS. Of course as
everybody knows, to make fifty cents worth
a dollar, which will furnish a cut rate on mort
cages that will rejoice the heart Of the agri-
culturst and double his assets. The second Is
Governor Leedy's proposition to build rail
road straight from the heart Of Kansas to the
Gulf Of Mexico without stock or bonds by vol
unteer days work on the part Of the honest
yeomanry. This will enable the yeomanry-or
so many Of them as are not diverted from agri-
cultural pursuits TO operating the railroad-to
haul their crops TO market for practically moth
ing. whereby the cost of transportation will be
saved and the value Of the crops-shoud there
be any-wil be greatly enhanced.
Both these propositions, 1t will be observed,
are double-enders. They will not only enrich
that notwithstanding class, the farmers Of Kan
sas. but will also get very close to the solar
plexus Of the detestabe Money Power, which,
after cxtorting mortgages for money loaned to
the patriotic and enterprisiDg persons who have
- A.
Kansas, have the uncommon assurance to ex-
pect to be paid in full at the rate Of one hundred
cents on the dollar, and which also expects,
after building railroads for developing the re-
sources Of the country, TO be paid for the use
of them. These two propositions embody some
Of the best thought Of Kansas statesmen. They
have been worked out laboriously nights and
between speeches by men who reluctantly aban-
doned the delights Of manual labor and the
joys Of following the plough in person In order
to throw their whole intellectual and moral heft
upon efforts to promote the happiness. increase
the resources. widen the horizon and enlarge
the scope Of their fellow men. AS measures Of
reform and clevating influences these PROPOSE
tons are generally admitted to be what might
be called "corkers.'
And now comes n third measure having the
same general purpOse-tO W.T. 10 promote the
prosperity Of Kansas and strike blow at the
Money Power. 1t comes from that able bodied
investigator and aggressive innovator the Hon.
Webb McNall, Insurance Commissioner. 1t Is
briefly that the State Of Kansas shall stop
sending money away from home to insure the
property of its citizens against fire. accident
and wlndstorms and insure itself. He has dis
covered that the companies make In some in
stances as much as 80 per cent year. and this,
he thinks, can be saved IL the State conducts
the insurance business itself Webb comes
near being n wizard. II he can get his plan
carried out, and the State does 90 into the in
surance business It is obvious that the saving
TO citizens will be simply enormous. So long
as there are no fires and no accidents and no
destructive windstorms 1t Is easy to calculate
without so much as slate pencil that all the
money paid In premiums will be clear profit.
That will mean increased wealth for the cti-
zen and another blow at the Money Power.
which has been rhing the State through its in
surance companies. II, however. there should
be fires and accidents and wlndstorms. then
but why discuss any such contingency? Are
not insurance companies organized and do they