Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-04-01
TIE KANSAS IDEA.

William r. Lighton. author Of the
'sons Of Strength" has written very
interesting article on THE Kansas Idea"
in which he reviews somewhat exhaus-
lively the history of that state and of
tie peculiar political and social upheav-
ais. In closing, he gives his view of the
situation there as follows:
Ever since those first days of the Free
Soil struggle, the social and political con-
duct Of Kansas has been an unbroken Sc
quence of acts betoking rank emotional
ism. That spirit got hold upon the peo-
pie, and it has now become their strong-
est tradition. Sometimes it is well-inten-
toned; sometimes it is only cloak false
ly assumed to hide the peoples deeper
motives, which they would not wish to
have exposed to view. No one seems to
have courage enough to try to break the
spell. After fifty years it is still potent.
None can tell when its hold will be loos-
ened; to prophesy concerning the end is
thankless job.
OF course, this is all unhealthy. In try
ing to find name for the Kansas habit,
I am disposed to say that she is a poll
teal morphine eater. She has grown used
to her spells of false exaltation; she must
have them every so often. or she would
be in danger of utter collapse. She does
queer things while the excitation is upon
her; she does queerer things in the ter
rible intervals of depression and languor.
And no one can be sure as to what state
she will be in at given moment. There
is no possibility of foretelling what she
will do in setting course of action upon
given problem in ethics or politics. No
other community in the country is so
changeable In mood and conduct One
does not take kindly to that sort of
bigotry which clings to it's opinions SIM
ply because they are ancient; but that
is better-certainly safer-than to have
no opinions tangible enough to be chung
to. Do you remember the Monkey People
in "Kaa's Hunting?"
Kansas Is perennially in want of a new
sensation with which to bait her jaded
appetite. He who can give the new thing
is god. The people never give ma
jority of their votes upon the same side
of any question twice in succession. In
the brief period of her career. Kansas has
voted more political parties into and out
of power than has any other state OF
the union. A novel crotchet has but to
show it's face and get it's name printed
upon the official ballots, and it is as
sured of at least one term in office. But
the state makes speciality of new reli-
gions-new prophets. new priests, new
creeds. new hopes of salvation. new ter
rors of damnation. Anything "goes" in
Kansas. She has always brand-new
Messiah within her borders, and often
three or four at once. each teaching a
| different thing. and each the center of a
| shrieking mob ready to shed real blood
| in defending the sanctity of it's own par
ticular little tin god. To my knowledge
| there have been at least four such out
| breaks within as many months. Just
| now the fad is sect whose followers
have received the Gift of tongues, and
| who gibber together in a maudlin targon
1t does not matter that these monte.
banks are exposed. one after another in
inevitable succession. The more expos.
ures there are. the greater is the need
to find something to take the place OF
that which is lost. Each fresh adven-
ture in proclamation endures long enough
to serve it's purpose to inject little OF
excitement into the iaded old carcass
There may be those who will think
this an exaggeration. Indeed it is not
Turn to the telegraph matter in this pa
per. and I'll wager you will find new.
of some fresh ''doings" in Kansas: and
I'll lay odds that if you will take pain.