The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-08-30
WHATS II EMATTER WITH
kANSASW


Eight years ago., when Kansas was
La boiling pot of free silver and Popu-
ism and Jerry Simpson, "Whiskers"
PETER, Mary Elizabeth Lease and many
others were rending the air with fer
vid denunciations of p~lutocracy, VII
liam Allen White printed an editorial
in the Emporia Gazette under the cap
ton whats the Matter With Kan
.sas?" 1t was SO pungent, truthful and
apt that it at once struck a popular
chord, was reprinted in countless pa
pers all over the country, and was
largely the means of introducing Mr..
White to that wider sphere of literary
work in which he has had such dis
tinguished success
Publishers recognized at once that
the mar who wrote Whats the Mat
ter With Kansas" possessed ability
of a high order, and they fastened TIC
avail themselves of it.
Mr.. White is still editor OF the Ga.
Zette, but in kansas things are DIFF
ferent this year" Just how much dit
ferent they are may be readily gath
cred from the following editorial
which recently appeared from his pen
Have you happened to notice the
fact that there is no politics in Kansas
this year? No one is talking politics
Or the trains, there are no street cor
ner groups wrangling over the issue,
no one gives a big red or a little blue
tinker's. damn for a political arSu-
meut. No sort OF exaggerated state
ment can provoke debate from the
most excitable. 1t is all owe in Kan
sas, shouting and all-Rooseyelt Is
elected. Hoch is elected. the COUNTY
ticket is elected. The calf's eyes is
sot.
kansas is called eXcitable, but she
is as calm as a basket OF chips this
year. Not a wave OF trouble rolls
across ner peaceful breast. Eight
years g people were hcclins in to
the Gazette stopping the paper. T. G.
Whitley stopped it three lines in that
campaign. But this ear he is taking
the paper-insides and ops and all
without SC much as a zip of disap.
proval. And whe Whitley is satisfied
the world is soaked in goose-grease
anu Is S1llOOtH Oil oNSi- IlSul ID
ago the Populists were going to re-
form the world at the next meeting OF
the Legislature, and were carrying
banners up and down the street dc
nouncing Wall Street, waving flags at
the Octopus, and shaking sticks at the
Gold Bugs. These were hot, happy
and r~ambunctious days. A man could
start a riot by reading the alphabet
in a loud tone: produce a revolution
by reciting the multiplication table i'll
a dramatic manner and get six
months in the hospital by declaring
for either OF the ten commandments
against the Chicago platform.
But now Kansas is as idle as Il
painted turtle on a plaster paris log:
placid as a hired man asleep under
a hedge fence, and shappy as a big
%sunfower that mods in all the breezes.
The reason is that Kansas has paid
her debts, has money in the bank. .
clear conscience and AN organ in the
parlor to give the place a tone Every
thing is lovely. and the altitude OF the
goose is above timber line"
Conditions III Kansas. business and
States which eight years ago left ,rs
Republican ranks and cast their cleo
toral vote for William J.. Bryan.
Republican policies. carried out by Il
Republican administration, have Siveh
prosperity to the whole country, and
there are no signs that the people Will
forsake them in November. National
y, as well as in Kansas, the calls
eyes is sot.'-Pittsburg Times.