Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-08
KANSAS HANDS
PALM TO COAST
ENERGY OF SOUTHWEST is
ACKNOWLEDGED
~
SUNFLoWER STATE NATIVES
CROWD SYCAMORE GROVE
OId-Tlme Battles of Border Colony
Recalled In Address Delivered at
oId-Fashloned Basket
Picnic

Sycamore Grove park was filed from
one end to the other yesterday by for
mer residents of Kansas, who came
from Los Angeles and other parts of,
Southern California for the old-fash-
ioned basket picnic of the Kansas so
ciety of Southern California. The fore
noon was given over, to reunions, and
many of the Kansans formed tables by
counties for luncheon.
In the afternoon q program arranged
by the societys executive committee
was carried out. John w. Huntsberger
made the principal address, speaking
on kansas and California" Among
other speakers were Col. Whims, for
merly OF Concordia, and j. NJ Harrison,
a well known Kansas politician, who Is
spending the summer at Long Beach.
Mrs. Charlotte Weaver and Miss Thee
la Van Pelt contributed songs and
readings.
The speeches were q feature of the
day, and they were all for Kansas. Mr..
Huntsbergep said in part:
Says Record Tells
kansas is great in so many things
that 1t Is difficult to noint out particu-
lar things in which she especially ex-
GELS. She is great because of her ear
nest and continuous work in the COM
mercial world; because of her reform
work along political and moral lines
that make for the betterment of her
people and the people of the earth
because OF the high standard of citi-
zenship which, she has produced, and
because of her lofty manhood and noble
womanhood. Other states may be great
in commercial lines, I'm their fine edu-
cational systems, in the industrial field,
or because of their equitable laws, but
Kansas is great not because she pos
sesses any one of these fine attributes.
but rather because she possesses all OF
them; for nowhere in all this great
galaxy of states is there state that
has set so many new precedents, that
has enacted so many new reforms
along legislative and moral lines, that
has produced so many great men and
women who have achieved fame and
greatness, as has maligned old Kansas.
Statehood Well Earned
"Tho pioneers who fought to bring
Kansas into the Union of free states
were baptised In blood through one of
the most bitter and relentless of state
struggles. The fathers of this state
were tried and true men. They had
shown their worth on many battle
fields, and they placed the star of their
state upon that field of blue of our flag
only after overcoming unspeakable diff
flculties and after displaying a courage
and a manhood that has not been sur
passed in the history of the achieve
ments of men.
ITO the stars through difficulties
was indeed an appropriate motto, and
tells in part the fight they made and
won They set firmly the star of their
state there along with the stars of the
other states Of the Union.
But while / might find fault with
you for leaving Kansas to go to an
other state, we viii have to make an
exception in the case of California, for
this is a wonderful state. A state
where the sun always shines and the
flowers are in perpetual bloom; where
the snow-capped mountains on the one
side rise in their majestic splendor to
the skies. and the broad and interesting
Pacific on the other beats with sweet
music its song of the majesty of things
about us.
ever touched by the hand of God. The
home-eonfining SHOWS of winter fall not
here and springtime springs eternal In
this land of ours. Here the lightning
and the thunder storm never come to
cause our fears, and the earth quakes
not Here you may have life, and have
IL abundantly; for the wonders and the
beauties, the joys and the pleasures
that come to you here pass under
standing.
'rYou people of California have tun-
neled mighty mountains, and clothed
your valleys with the verdure of per:
ennial spring. covered your proiu
prairies with sweet-scented orange
groves, delved deeply into the earth
and brought forth its hidden treasures
of silver and gold, and you have tapped
the subterranean rivers of water and
made the desert to bring forth fruit
and grain.
let us make this the finest state to
live in on Gods green footstool as I
verify believe we shall Let us work
together that this state shall be ruled
bv its sovereign people, that the doors
of Justice shall swing open to the man
who tolls with his hand as easily as to
him that tolls not. In short, let us do
all we can to achieve that righteous
ness that exalteth a nation"