Mexico weekly ledger., 1905-10-12
MEXICO

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what they had had been paying before. So
some of the people said. uWell, what
is the use Of selling the Standard OIL
Company our olls Let US barrel our
oil and ship it to 20 the markets our
selves over the railroads They took
their OIL to the railroad company, and
instead Of getting it transported at
ten cents per barrel, as the Standard
#0ll Company had done. they we're told
thai TIE tariff was now thirty cents a
barrel. The officers OF the Standard
OH Company were so largely interest
ed in railroad companles-owned so
much stock and controlled such a
large interest In the railroads, that
they were able to manipulate the tar
III for transporting oil 10 such a way
that the rate for transporting oil was
raised 90 such an extent that nobody
else could afford TO ship it. Then the
Kansans Immediately introduced into
their legislature, which was then in
session, bill making pipe lines COM
mon carriers, providing that pipe lines
must take all oil that was offered to
them. They we're looking around to
do something seeking some way 10
resist and prevent what they saw was
a wrong that was being imposed upon
them. The Standard Oil Company, in
the arrogance Of ii wealth. issued an
order saying, "We will buy no more
Of Kansas oil.n 1t, Of course, thought
that a thrust Of Of that kind at the
pockets Of the people OF Kansas would
make them come in hnmbly and say,
"Buy our oil and pay us what you
please for It. That may have worked
in Pennsylvania; il may have answer
ed In New York and where they have
began to love money more than lfber-
| ty, but it wouldH' doin Kansas. Kan
sas was bornin trouble. She has been
rocked In the cradle Of the cyclone,and
the hot winds OF summer; and through
those and other hardships, she has
taken her way to the stars, and In do
| ing SO has acquired the glorious fac
|ulty Of self help. While the average
Kansan may not always be very par
tlculaF ia discharging that first duty
Of the citizen, "to do no wrong" yet
he holds strong and close 70 the doc
trlne that 1t is his duty ITO suffer no
wrong. He Is not afraid TO express
himself; be is not afraid TO say what
be thinks and be thinks what be says.
50, when the Standard OH Company
made this challenge, eve win not buy
your oil, /" The Kansas people Inn
mediately said, nWe will build a re-
fiuery. OF our own They passed a
statute, authorizing the establish
ment Of a state refinery Pipe lines
are being built by independent COM
panies, and Kansas will take care Of
herself.
j am glad this experiment Of the
STANDARD on Company was tried in
Kansas, for / believe II Is the only
state where II would not have sue
ceeded. The Standard Oil Company
made mistake ii suppoSing that
Kansas would crIngc to the money
power. They made mistake In think
ing that the average Kansan thought
more OF a dollar than he did OF indl-
yidual freedom: The average Kansan
does not ''bend the pregnant hinges
OF the knee that thrift may follow
fawnine" In fact, he-does not bend
the knee for any purpose, much.
(Laughterl. 1t is thought that the
average Kansan says his prayers stand.
ling and with-his hat on tLaughterl'
Several years ago, at meeting Of the
Kansas Legislature, some one called
upon a minister who was present tc
open the session with prayer, and t
ask for Divine guidance, The minis
| ter that responded was an old tint
| Kansan; he had been there from ths
beginning; he had seen all OF her his
| tory, and had been a part OF most o.
iit. He arose and began back at tht
beginning, and narrated all the prin
cipal events, social, political hnaecia
and religious OF Kansas history, dwell
ing much upon important details
When he got down to the present
time he stopped, and when be did SO
lone Of the members OF the Legislatur
said to the other, "That was goo'
prayer;n the other said, 'It was
{ laundering good prayer, and CUES
! IL Is about the first full statement Q
Kansas affairs that God ever had,
II Much laughter.) SO l say, even Il
: his devotions, the Kansan's praye
!. consists more In a statement Of fact
/, than a petition for relief. daughter
1 If anybody expects Kansan to TAX
5 bis hat of TO a moneyhag, he makes
t mistake. Kansans think more OF me
: than they do Of money.
What lawyer, in all Of this republi
/ anywhere, except from the state .
e Kansas, could 60 before that angus
Z body, the Supreme Court Of the Uni
4 ed States, and In arguing a case, sa
i to them, "You fellows" instead
!. nYour honors, nshonld do 50 and sC
! (Laughter.) He did not mean an,
: thing wrong or disrespectful, H
action simply showed that the Kansa
has never learned yet that be mui
take bis hat of to anybody on eartl
And it is this splendid spirit Of ind