The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-06


Buffalo speech at the opening of the PAN
American exposition. President Mckinley
uttered these words. 'ExpOsitiOns are the
time-keepers of progress. They record the
worlds advancement. They stimulate the
energy, enterprise and intelligence of the
people and quicken human genius. They
broaden and brighten the daily life Of the
people. They open mighty storehouses Of
information to the student. Every expo
sition, great or small has helped to some
onward step.
These be inspiring words for us at the
threshold of the great enterprise COM
memorative OF the sen1i-centennial Of the
birth Of Kansas which is now taxing the
thought and commanding the enthusiasm
of loyal Kansans. All that Mckinley says
these expositions, great or small, do for
the nation, this one win do for Kansas
Let us briefly enumerate some Of the
results we may hope to attain by this ex-
position 1t will unity and broaden our
own people. Kansas is an interior state.
No ocean waves wash its shores. 1t is
not IN daily touch with the outer world
save through the network of railroads
which gridiron it. the telegraphs and tel
ephOnes which wing their messages to it,
and the press, which lays its epitome of
news daily at its door. True, it is per
haps more favored in these RESPECTS than
any OF its sister commonwealth, but this
is not enough. The exposition will bring
to our very midst hundreds Of thousands
of people from all parts of the country,
and perhaps from all parts of the world.
1t win do more than any other one thing
SoNae 10 " A1efNo US cosiitopo14l4h- II VIII
broaden the horoscope OF our people. 1t
viii intensity their state pride and unite
them as never before in common inter-
estS. The practical benefits of which
these are but hints can not be estimated.
IN a peculiar sense Kansas needs this
personal contact with the outer world,
for no state is 50 little understood and so
greatly misrepresented abroad as Kansas
1t is the fashion to belittle and ridicule
this state. just a few days ago a Topeka
paper copied from the New York sun
editorial in which Kansans We're char
acterized as 'money-nlakers, trouble-mak-
ers, spouters, conle-outers, world savers,
and cranks These are common jabs at
Kansas. A number of bright newspaper
men IN TINS town make great deal or
money selling gold bricks from Kansas
to the readers Of eastern journals. No
story about this state is so ridiculous, so
idiotic that it does not find a profitable
market in the east. For instance some
months ago the chief attorney Of ths
Standard Oil company, with some friends
and accompanied by some OF the local
newspaper reporters, visited me in my Of
nee. and in the course Of the conversation
ne incidentally asked me with what fluid
I expected to christen the battleship kan
sas. I loosely replied: Why, oil; crude
oil, of course, and it won't be the stand
ard oil. either The next day in naval
and all governmental circles and in eli-
tOrfal rooms Of metropolitan journals the
prOpriety of christening a battleship with
crude oil was gravely discuasasa
But the time has come when in self
defense and in self-interests Kansas
should be pictured in her true colors. We
want the world to know that Kansas is
not far western state, bleak and bar
rem, but that it is the central state of the
uniOn that it is not Inhabited by nomadic
and cratic people, but by people
among whom there is a less percentages
of ilHteracy than in any state in the I'M
ion; that 10000 school houses adorn its
landscapes; that 900 teachers are en-
are annually expended upon it's common
schools; that over 200 universities and
eoHeSes Iurnlsh hiFher education; that
nine Freely equipped eieenlosynary lnsti-
buttons reflect its benevolence; that its
penitentiary population is relatively less
than among any similar number of people
/ in this country, that Uncle sam. who
knows a good thing when he sees It, has
located within its domain two OF 1ha
greatest military establishments in the
world; that it raises more wheat than
any other state in the union: that the
value of its wheat and corn exceeds that
of any other state; that its live stock ag-
gregatRs several million of dollars ia val
ne; that its oil wells ars yielding sa,0o1
! barrels per day, with little tax upon their
| capacity; that its salt deposits, including
800 feet of rock salt in the salt belt have
no equal; that its zinc mines are the rich
/ est in the world; that its flow Of gas is
/ sufficient to light all of its homes and
| furnish fuel for all OF its manufactures
that its mineral deposits, It's lead, its
| coal. its brick clay. its cement. it's gyp-
/ sum and its other subterranean wealth
are inexhaustible; that two hundred mill
lions of its mortgage debt has been liqui-
1 dated in Is years. leaving but little 1asr-
acy Of financial obligation yet to be paid;
/ that It's banks are overnoWIrlg with mon
I ey. containing more than $50 per capita:
/ that pauperism is almost unknown. and
I that no equal number OF people on earth
! exceed these 1900 600 Kansans in inteIIi-
| gence, in sobriety, in all the elements OF
/ good citizenship and in material prosper
/ ity
we need to let the people OF the world
know these things in some effective way
and in no way can we make them known
I 50 well as through this great contem-
1 plated exposition. Seeing is believing.
/ I believe this exposition viii add S per
/ acre to the value of every one Of the 50
million acres OF land in this state it
\ will bring hundreds of thousands Of the
! best people to our state, many of them to
] ind q s1fu saH
/ tensive investment here.
These and many other things this
/ great exposition viii do for Kansas 1t
4 is a stupendous undertaking, but Kansas
/ has been equal to every emergency IN the
/ past and will be equal TO this one"