Abilene weekly reflector., 1902-04-17
lovs's Political Lead.

s"Ao" Ao""' " "
April that progressive and interesting
magazine, The Worlds Work, has a
striking article on the subject and
one which has positive lesson for
Kansas. 1t says:
"Once it was regnant Ohio; now it
is regnant Iowa. Once it was. Ohio
sending its Grant, its Garfield,
its Hayes and Mckinley to the White
House. Now it is Iowa, represented
at the national capital by two cabinet
officers, Wilson and Shaw; by Allison,
oldest in service OF the senators and
chairman Of the senate committee on
Finance; by Doliver, the most con-
vincing orator in congress- by Hem
derson, speaker Of the house, second
in power only to the president; by
Hull, chairman OF the committee on
Public Lands. Ohio, for all its amaz'
ing succession Of triumphs, had never
at any one time such supremacy.
Why is this'
"rhe answer is easy. Look at
Ohio and you behold an out-grown
Iowa, and what is Iowa but a half
grown Ohle' Each has produced its
own type Of man; and the accession
OF Iowa to the rank and place once
held by Ohio is natural"
Some lessons grow out Of this and
here is the pith ofthe lesson for other
western states
"But perhaps you say that this ex'
PLANTATION Of the Iowans' evolution
should apply with equal force to Kan.
sas and Nebraska, both OF which are
western bred states, both Of which re.
veal in aching monotony Of scenery
and geography, and both OF which
have escaped the curse Of great cities.
TO this | shall answer vigorous no.
Kansas is the haven and heaven OF
the erratic; it was founded by them.
And both Kansas and Nebraska are
swept by the hot wind, and the hot
wind makes bad politics. The hot
wind accounts for William Jennings
Bryan 1t comes roaring out Of the
south; it draws its flaming scythe
across Kansas and Nebraska; it kills
the crops; it crazes the farmer.
Plunged in ruin, unable to meet his {
Indebtedness, and enraged against
destiny, the farmer shrieks vengeance.
Upon the weather-manp No; upon
the administration at Washington.
He will tear down the political heav-
ems and set things right, Then
comes Mr.. Bryan tinkling his fifty.
cent medals and calling them dollars.
Free silver follows the hot wind.
"But in Iowa it is not so. In Iowa
crop follows crop in so sure a success. {
sion of triumphs and so unfailing a I
wake Of prosperity that all are en-.
riched. So rich, indeed, does the t
farmer become, that he sooner or :
later lets out his acres to husband
men, while he himself moves to town,
where he lives In sweet comfort the
rest OF his days. And that is why :,
Bryanism never crossed the Missouri
TO trouble the Iowans.
"0pen-minded, however, the
Iowans certainly are, but their open. '
is OF an eminently prac- '
,ical sort. They experimental with d
prohibition, got bad results, gave up
heir strict laws, and instead adopted s
,he mulct, which works admirably. g.
They abolished capital punishment, II
,ot bad results, and went back to the r.
I'D order. They welcomed Professor 81
Heron, got bad results, and permit il
ed Professor Heron to pack up his
'ocialistic belongings and take him
'elf away. Socialism in Iowa! There y
sn't worse soil for 1t in all Gods
world Socialism provides amuse.
nent for imaginative minds-minds
hat get fun out Of thinking how
lice the world would be il it were
something else. And Iowa produces
10 minds OF that sort. Rather has it
produced the sensible, contented,
straightforward, boardwalk type Of
nind-ready always to hear q new \
gospel, but testing that gospel by the
,anons Of practicability.
"You can always rely on Iowa to
'end sound statesman to Washing.
.on, and when they have sent him
here they keep him there. Sane
l.