The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-04-23
MONTANA WILL SEND
Fourteen Delegates to the
TranSmiSSisSippi Congress.
MANY SPEAKERS OF NOTE
VIII Come from all Over the
Country

Secretary Mcknight of the Transmits
sissippi Congress received yesterday among
other delegations TO the convention here
the names of the Montana delegates.
Among them is Senator E. D. Mats. who
became noted over the country as Marcus
Days candidate for the United States
senate against W. A. Clarke. Daily and
Clark are the big copper kings Of the
west The othar delegates from Mon
tana are F. E. Collins, Helena c. B.
Nolan, Helena; w. G. Conrad, Great Falls;
c. *. Middleton, Miles city; A. L. Bah
cock, Billings; J. NJ. Fox, Red Lodge; J.
B. Loose. Anaconda; Stephen De Wolfe,
Butte. From the Billings Commercial Ex-
change, s. B. Moss, J. D. Losskamp, Chas.
Spear, II. NJ .Rowley.
The prospect Of a great meeting Increases
every day. Speakers of international repu-
tation viii De here. The discussions viii
bear on interstate and national subjects
Arrangements are being made in several
western cities TO celebrate the Louisiana
purchase, the purchase made by President
Jefferson in 1903. As is known. that pur-
chase was FJTenUously opposed, and it
would be interesting to design, in ones
Imagination. the result that would have
followed the failure OF the purchase. The
Louisiana purchase would have separated
Texas from the original states and per-
haps cancelled all possibility of that state
interesting fight for anal gamation with
the older republic. BY example and politi-
cal cOntagion, the Louisiana purchase
would have become, IN all probability, a
western republic, breaking away from Ma
poleon in the hour Of his dissolution. This
newer western republic could not have
been as grand or as mighty as the repub-
lie Of today, and it was a precious des-
tiny which prevented any SUCH division
But the western republic would have been
the greater nation of the two republics.
1t would have had a coast line on the Gulf
of Mexico and on the Pacific. For the
Louisiana purchase, together with the
conquered Mexican territory. would have
been able to have supplied the world with
its wheat, with its cotton, with its gold |
with its silver, with its rice, with the meat
Of its table. Chicago, with its great ter !
ritory for live stock cut off by a national
lnie would have remained a village.
If the Trans-Mississippi country were
today a nation it would be the richest ma |
ton on earth. StIl, forming as it does |
the major portion of the United States, it |
has never had a president. but very few /
cabinet officers and its portion of national |
appropriations is meager indeed com
pared with that accorded the states lying |
east of the Mississippi. But the great |
naturally flourishes most in the older and |
more populous section of the country and |
Its ambition and constant aim and unlag- !
ging desire is towards its own commercial |
betterment. Political control viii come
efterward.
With the waters of the Pacific and At /
lantic meeting in the Nicaragua canal, |
with new possessions IN the far east, tenn |
porary or otherwise, to be supplied. the |
west has a new commercial and indus
trial opportunity. which it must grasp, and /
grasp quickly and lntelligently. To the /
minds Of most men the opportunity can be /
realized upon best by a concerted move
ment of the entire west.
Hawaii ard the Philippine islands and
the Nicaragua canal were not thought of
when. nine years ago a Trans Mississippi |
Commercial Congress Of these western
states was established. This great con-
gress. embodying a great commercial idea,
was formed to protect existing industries
of the west. Destiny has moulded events
until the congress has become. no longer
a protector Of industries, but developer
OF them.
The Trans Mississippi Commercial Con-
Eress holds its next convention at Wichita
Kansas. May 81 and June l, and 3, There
the western states, through their repre-
sentatives will meet and pledge their word
anew TO western union and strength. in
mlnting the golden harvest which the op-
portunty of new commercial fields will
Weld.