The Topeka state journal., 1903-05-29

The speaker detailed several griev-
ances in connection with his earnest ef-
forts to extend his business relations"
with the banks.
is much more cheerful subject than
1t would have been ten years ago to-
night. The most familiar characteriza-
ton OF the banker in the early ntneties
in Kansas represented him as a sort of
a submarine monster with a thousand
dangling tentacles' stretching in all di-
rections for human prey. It was COM
monty supposed that the chief delight Of
the banker was to chase a farmer down,
force a loan upon him in spite of his
screams in order that the farmers prop
erty might become the subject of forced
liquidation in the courts. Because every
body owed the banker and nobody was
able to pay him we supposed that the
banker must be fabulouSly rich and de-
liriouSly happy. In those days when
Kansas farmer entered bank it was
with fear and humility. He wiped his
feet cautiously on the door mat. and as
he approached the banker he took Off
his hat. Today when the Kansas farm
er enters a bank he marches with the
air of prince and as he approaches the
counter the banker takes off his hat.
THE banker has won his victory in
Kansas and the people of the state real
izing that his victory is theirs also, are
glad to see him enjoying the rewards,
He Weathered the storm Of a period
which called upon him for his best quail
tiles of heroic courage. Today he pre-
sides over the commercial interests of
a prosperous people. There is still a de-
mand for his courage 1t is his task to
so guide us that we viii conserve the
wonderful prosperity we enjoy. 1t is his
duty to prevent us from relapsing into
the recklessness which brought us
twelve years ago into the valley of de-
I'VE had a more severe spell of fnan-
cial depression here than elsewhere.
Those teachers of unreason who went
abroad in the south and west twelve
years ago stirring the strife and dis
content by which alone they prospered,
seemed to find more fertile soil in Kan
sas than elsewhere for the growth of
their fallacieS. This was to be expected.
Forty years of eventful history have
been proving to us that nature made no
provision for the commonplace or inter-
mediate in Kansas.
I'VE contemplate that period to Kan
sas history tonight in sorrow-nOt in
anger-but chief among all our emotions
Is our gratitude that we have fully re-
covered in Kansas. We have a reserve
prosperity now We have plenty of per
capiter.' We no longer fear the banker.
In the blessed sanity of this prosperous
hour we have come to realize what
community of interdependent interests
we have. The farmer has learned that
what's bad for the banker is bad for
the farmer, and the banker has learned
that what's bad for the farmer is bad
for the banker
The speaker gave some figures to
show the wonderful wealth which came
last year from the farms and grazing
lands of Kansas and said: This mar
velous wealth did not come from sullea
or sdiscontented labor 1T came from hap
py fields in which laughter rose above
the sound of toll and contentment ran
with the rising and the setting of the
day
He said it was difficult to make the
most ordinary rental of the bars facts
of our present prosperity without ap-
pearing to brag, and closed his address
with an extravagant euIogy on Kansas
and the bankers in which he declared he
had confined himself to a bare state
ment of the facts"