The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-09-13
..C1RANKY KANSAS, 2,

Sometimes the criticisms Of others
are so warped and unfair that they
appear extremely humorous to those
criticised. An illustration is some re-
marks which the Houston Chronicle
makes about the people of Kansas.
After referring to the s'grasshopper
kingdom '-grasshopper are practical
" unknown in Kansas-and making
the usual illbred comments about
scrankisn'' and various other things.
the Chronicle continues:
a few days ago a lot of her people
got together and held a .gabfest' and
powwow at q place where a lot of cour-
aEeous, law abiding men stopped old
John Brown when he started out on
one Of his fanatical raids to kill and
devastate in order to free the negroes
He had a battle at a place called
OSa Watomfe, and some years ago a lot
Of negrophilists who could have been
found nowhere else, built monument
TO celebrate the dasco OF the old
fanatic.'''
OF course the fact that those with
whom John Brown had his battle
were really marauders from another
state who were attempting to force on
to Kan3as system she hated, is not
apparent from the Chronicles remarks.
Referring to Jllon Brown, it continues:
HE did not get action to suit him
there, so he went to Virginia and plan
ned deliberately to kill promiscuousiy
in order to take from peaceabie Deo-
pie their property and overthrow an
institution recognized and protected by
the national and state constitutions and
laws
His act was a deliberately conceiv-
ed and maIiciously executed crime, as
far as execution lay IN his power, and
was as distinctly criminal as would be
the act Of some fanatical prohibition
list If he should start out to kill every
distiller Of whisky and destroy his
property.
THE United States government re-
sisted the murderous attack Of the old
wretch, arrested him, and turned him
over to the state authorities. Virginia
tried and hanged him, as It ought to
have done, and was in duty bound to
do
ssHe took his place along with other
fanatical, half crazed murderers. who
paid with their lives the penalty of
their senseless, absurd fanaticism-
Kansas. however likes his sort. He
suits her people. His spirit was 5in-
bred with theirs. so it is fitting that
they should exalt a fanatic and pay
tribute to the memory Of man who
deliberately planned and attempted to
execute wholesale murder, and destroy
the property and lay waste the homes
of a peaceable. law abiding people.
John Brown and Kansas constitute
q charming brace, and the governor
that lent the prestige Of his presence
TO the Osawatomie powwow is the
same person who recently refused to
honor the requisition of the governor
of Texas for an indicted negro criminal
on the ground that he would not get a
fair trial
"a monument to perpetuate the
memory of murder and celebration
to exaIt crime would be possible no.
where else but IN Kansas. and she Is
gladly left to enjoy the isolation and
uniqueness Of her unenyiable distnc-
ton"
All of which sounds very funny to
Kansas, because it is SO unreasonable.
Very likely the Chronicle would class
those millions of brave southerners
who followed Lee and southern leaders
in their rebellion against law in 1851
very likely the Chronicle would class
them also in its list of 'fanatical, half
crazy murderers.'' Many of them, too,
paid with their lives the penalty Of
their senseless, absurd fanaticism."
OF course John Brown was a fanat-
ic He was fanatical because he was
filed with the sense of the great wrong
OF slavery, and it was largely because
Of John Browns fanaticism that
slavery was finally abolished
It may be a question whether John
Browns methods were justihable, but
his heart was right however wrong his
head may have been.
@=sa